Information and Communications Technologies in Special Needs Education: Challenges and Prospects

Scientific and technological progress of the last few decades has brought not only the economy globalization and worldwide expansion of technologies but changes in social relations, culture, and education as well. Experience has shown that the impact of disability on individuals could be cushioned through the intelligent application of technology. The usefulness of ICT in special needs education manifests in at least four dimensions: instructional, environmental, human resources and the learner technologies. How can ICT help to facilitate effective instruction in special needs education both in special and inclusive classes? Can ICT alleviate the environmental challenges confronting persons with special needs? In what ways can ICT empower the teaching and support staff in special needs education? What gadgets are relevant and suitable for use by special learners to ease their education? These are some of the questions this paper addressed under the sub-headings: special needs children; education of special needs children; ICT in education of special needs children; challenges of ICT in the education of special needs children; and prospects of ICT in education of special needs children. The paper concludes that there exists a considerable potential in the educational uses of ICTs alongside with many challenges and dangers. Useful recommendations were made to maximize the benefits of ICT in special needs education. Keywords: ICT, Special, education, children

Progress in information technology and tourism management: 20 years on and 10 years after the Internet—The state of eTourism research

This paper reviews the published articles on eTourism in the past 20 years. Using a wide variety of sources, mainly in the tourism literature, this paper comprehensively reviews and analyzes prior studies in the context of Internet applications to Tourism. The paper also projects future developments in eTourism and demonstrates critical changes that will influence the tourism industry structure. A major contribution of this paper is its overview of the research and development efforts that have been endeavoured in the field, and the challenges that tourism researchers are, and will be, facing

Thriving Amidst the Pandemic: Examining the Lived Experiences of Work from Home Filipino Teachers

The purpose of this study is to investigate the mental, physical, emotional, social, and spiritual experiences of work-from-home (WFH) Filipino teachers. It also provides descriptions of the positive and negative aspects of working from home and how they adapt to the new culture. This study describes exceptional or new thoughts and feelings of WFH Filipino teachers. Using a qualitative phenomenological methodology, the researchers explored teachers’ lived experiences in teaching in a work-from-home environment. This study included ten (10) teachers from both public and private schools in Metro Manila.   Analyses of the data revealed key themes from the teachers’ perspectives of the work-from-home environment. Respondents accepted the new culture of working from home, opened their minds to all possibilities, and were eager to learn new things to adapt to changes. Online teaching-learning is not possible without the respondents' participation in training and seminars. Technical issues, communication concerns, student learning conditions, family concerns, household issues, and health conditions are some of the challenges in teaching and working at home based on the research.  Teacher participants expressed that WFH experiences were challenging and exhausting but they found it fulfilling as well. They cultivated the teachers’ traits of being flexible, innovative, dynamic, and sociable despite the many challenges that they have encountered in the intricate setup to enhance success and effectiveness in the teaching and learning process

Include 2011 : The role of inclusive design in making social innovation happen.

Include is the biennial conference held at the RCA and hosted by the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design. The event is directed by Jo-Anne Bichard and attracts an international delegation

System upgrade: realising the vision for UK education

A report summarising the findings of the TEL programme in the wider context of technology-enhanced learning and offering recommendations for future strategy in the area was launched on 13th June at the House of Lords to a group of policymakers, technologists and practitioners chaired by Lord Knight. The report – a major outcome of the programme – is written by TEL director Professor Richard Noss and a team of experts in various fields of technology-enhanced learning. The report features the programme’s 12 recommendations for using technology-enhanced learning to upgrade UK education

Empowering Student Leaders as Catalysts for Positive Culture

American boarding schools provide a unique environment to explore positive psychology interventions as they relate to both adolescents as individuals, as members of a leadership group and the school community as a unit. Through exploring positive psychology theories and interventions as well as recent findings about the adolescent brain, this capstone integrates the two to build a student leadership curriculum grounded in strategies to meet adolescents where they are and guide them toward safe and self-regulated development capable of contributing to the well-being of a community. Explorations in positive psychology; the adolescent brain; the intersection of positive education and boarding schools; and building of authentic and servant leadership styles in adolescents; inform a series of curricular activities intended to empower student leaders as culture catalysts on their campus. These activities concentrate on the researches areas of character strengths, self-compassion, and high-quality connections as each relate to the well-being of student leaders and contribute to their ability to impact a community