A proposed framework of an interactive semi-virtual environment for enhanced education of children with autism spectrum disorders

Education of people with special needs has recently been considered as a key element in the field of medical education. Recent development in the area of information and communication technologies may enable development of collaborative interactive environments which facilitate early stage education and provide specialists with robust tools indicating the person's autism spectrum disorder level. Towards the goal of establishing an enhanced learning environment for children with autism this paper attempts to provide a framework of a semi-controlled real-world environment used for the daily education of an autistic person according to the scenarios selected by the specialists. The proposed framework employs both real-world objects and virtual environments equipped with humanoids able to provide emotional feedback and to demonstrate empathy. Potential examples and usage scenarios for such environments are also described

Virtual reality and its role in removing the barriers that turn cognitive impairments into intellectual disability

Early expectations of the contribution that virtual reality (VR) could make to education far exceeded actual applications. This was largely due to the initial immaturity of the technology and a lack of evidence base on which to base design and utilisation. While the early developments in computer based learning largely concentrated on mainstream education, leaving those with special needs behind, the potential of VR as an educational tool was exploited for those with intellectual disabilities right from the start. This paper describes the empirical evidence that has contributed to the development of educational virtual reality for those with intellectual disabilities: studies on transfer of learning from the virtual to the real world; how teachers might support those using VR; the design of virtual environments and what input/control devices best facilitate use of desktop VR. Future developments and ethical issues are also considered

Mobile learning and games in special education

Information technology is now a ubiquitous presence in all educational settings as well as places in which people work. While most mainstream schools now rely heavily on this technology to support learning, special education was often at the forefront of its adoption even acting as exemplars for mainstream education (Lilley, 2004). Educational virtual environments had been developed in special schools and adult training centres when virtual reality was still a novel technology in education (Standen & Brown, 2004; 2005; 2006). Now no school or educational setting would be imagined without information technology and there have been some exciting developments since those early pioneering days. In this chapter we intend to cover three of those which we think are particularly pertinent for learners with special needs: serious games, mobile computing and the role of users in the development of the technology

Using CEC High Leverage Practices to Prepare Teacher Candidates to Meet Individual Student Learning Needs

Whether instruction is happening in traditional classroom settings or through a variety of virtual platforms, successful teaching requires that all teachers possess the ability to collaborate with others, evaluate student performance, establish quality learning environments, and individualize instruction. Drawing on the 2017 Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) publication, High-Leverage Practices for K-12 Special Education Teachers (McLeskey et al., 2017), the Special Education faculty at Eastern Kentucky University describe ways in which four intertwined components of collaboration, assessment, social/ emotional/behavioral practices, and instruction are incorporated into teacher preparation courses to equip candidates with skills to meet the individualized learning needs of their future students

Peer mentoring in assisting retention – is a virtual form of support a viable alternative?

Support systems are vital for university entrants and one established means of support is peer mentoring, which has the potential to improve student engagement and retention. Peer mentoring models are generally based on face-to-face contact. However, given the increasing number of higher education institutions using social media, might online models be beneficial in a peer mentoring context? This article describes a literature review and case study that considers the advantages and disadvantages of three potential virtual models to facilitate a peer mentoring scheme. The case study, undertaken at Northumbria University, UK, involved an investigation of mentoring needs and current usage of electronic media where special attention is afforded to a diverse student body. The three models discussed are virtual learning environments (VLE), social networking sites and virtual worlds. We find that the VLE is established within institutions but lacks excitement; social networking is popular particularly with younger students but there may be resentment if this appears to be appropriated by the institution; whilst virtual worlds are unfamiliar to many students and require advanced skills to use successfully. Based on these findings the social networking model is now being run as a pilot study by business programmes at Northumbria University

Structured evaluation of virtual environments for special-needs education

This paper describes the development of a structured approach to evaluate experiential and communication virtual learning environments (VLEs) designed specifically for use in the education of children with severe learning difficulties at the Shepherd special needs school in Nottingham, UK. Constructivist learning theory was used as a basis for the production of an evaluation framework, used to evaluate the design of three VLEs and how they were used by students with respect to this learning theory. From an observational field study of student-teacher pairs using the VLEs, 18 behaviour categories were identified as relevant to five of the seven constructivist principles defined by Jonassen (1994). Analysis of student-teacher behaviour was used to provide support for, or against, the constructivist principles. The results show that the three VLEs meet the constructivist principles in very different ways and recommendations for design modifications are put forward

ACCESS AND USE OF VIRTUAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS BY BLIND STUDENTS AT UNIVERSITY OF RWANDA

The purpose of the study was to investigate the Access and use of Virtual Learning Environments by blind students at University of Rwanda. The objective of the study was to identify learning content accessibility requirements for the blind students using Learning Management System and to investigate extent to which learning content offered to blind students meets the accessibility requirements. The research also identified the skills gap for the teaching staff as one the factors that hinder the creation of accessible learning content to all learners. Participants were selected using purposive sampling techniques. To collect data, we used questionnaires and a semi-structured interview guides. The findings of the study showed that the Use of Virtual Learning Management at the University of Rwanda is still at the initial stage but on a good trend considering the initiatives in place to emphasize the use of Information Technology in learning online to give quality education to all learners. However, Virtual Learning cannot take place when teachers are not trained on creating accessible learning content and when learners do not have the required materials to access online platforms. Particularly blind students need special materials and software that remove barriers to learning. The issue of internet access also is a major challenge to students when they are out of campus. It was recommended that all teachers should be trained in Special Needs Education to be able to cater for students who are blind and others who have Special Educational Needs, to have knowledge on the use of assistive technologies that blind students use in their learning, to vary their mode of delivery to meet different learning styles of learners on VLEs

Entornos de Realidad Virtual Centrados en el Usuario como Soporte a las Necesidades Educativas de Niños con TDAH en la Pandemia por COVID 19

The use of technology to face the challenges in daily life is something that is increasingly needed and in complicated times like the one we live in today where there is a health contingency (COVID-19) that prevents people from exposing themselves to each other and restricts physical contact, virtual reality can be an alternative that allows the transmission of knowledge in an immersive and interactive way in various fields. This work proposes the use of virtual reality environments as an alternative to support the learning process in children with special educational needs such as Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and other associated disorders that occur in basic education. These proposed virtual reality environments are designed under a user-centered approach and their contents are in accordance with expert therapeutic guidelines. As a result of this proposal, a case study is presented in which the user experience is evaluated through the use of an interactive environment to support the special educational needs of elementary school children attending an educational institution in Mexic

The Lived Experiences of Educators Using Co-Teaching to Meet the Needs of Students with Disabilities in a Virtual Environment

Virtual education in the United States continues to be a popular option for K-12 students. The enrollment in full-time virtual schools not only represents typical learners but a growing number of students with disabilities, including low-incidence disabilities. In some states, this population exceeds the state-wide average percentage of students with disabilities enrolled in public education and is compelling virtual schools to focus their attention on the legal expectations of serving individual needs. A pilot study, Virtual K-12 Teachers’ Perspectives on the Provision of Inclusive Online Environments (Ridings, 2016), investigated the types of inclusive strategies used by teachers in the virtual classroom and indicated a steady use of six of the seven strategies surveyed. Among those reported, the co-teaching strategy ranked the lowest, yet open commentary about co-teaching was positive. Thus, this study utilized transcendental phenomenology to gain more information about the use of co-teaching as a strategy to support the education of students with disabilities in the virtual general education classroom. Sixteen co-teachers participated in questionnaires, interviews, and focus groups. Four research questions related to the implementation, roles and relationships, school culture, and successes and failures in co-teaching guided the collection and analysis of data to obtain the true essence of co-teaching. Indications of this study show that despite the significant differences in model and delivery, the body of research pertaining to co-teaching in traditional, face-to-face schools is still highly relevant. Research provides prescriptive practices such as the use of application-based training both prior to strategy implementation and as an on-going approach as well as the need for improving the value of co-teaching roles and expertise of co-teaching partners. Findings also uncovered factors of co-teaching specific to virtual schools, including unique challenges to relationship building, greater emphasis on the value of content knowledge, the development of triad and team configurations, and the challenging impacts of a culture of change in virtual schools. Based on these findings, the study’s implications emphasized the need to address the training of general and special educators as well as the necessity for virtual schools to investigate the structure and roles of teachers as they deliver inclusive services to students with disabilities

Digital landscapes: inclusive potential versus exclusive practice

The advantage of digital data is its flexibility which ensures it can be available in multiple formats and customised to suit individual preference. This makes it a powerful tool for establishing equity of access to digital landscapes in particular for users of assistive technology. The expression ‘Digital Divide’ originally referred to access to technology and, while this remains relevant, it now also refers to the quality of that access. Possession of the hardware alone cannot guarantee equity of participation. For users of assistive technologies in particular, all the prerequisites for access can be in place but if the digital data has not been designed with the needs of their technology in mind then their access will continue to be denied. To work effectively within digital landscapes, and transform the curriculum for the needs for future learners both on and off campus, requires an understanding of inclusive digital practice so as to minimise barriers to access. These requirements should be neither under-estimated nor their presence assumed. As the use of digital landscapes for educational purposes increases care must be taken not to widen the divide between inclusive and exclusive digital practice. This paper suggests that priority should be given to ensuring accessible digital content within higher education and that this requires individual responsibility supported by a whole institution approach; both of which must recognise the value of digital inclusion