Experiences of Middle School Students With Visual Impairments Accessing Technologies In Inclusive Classrooms

As the educational environment is moving more towards a technology-rich system, students with visual impairments (VI) educated in general education classrooms must be guaranteed equitable access to content curricula. The purpose of this study was to understand the experiences of middle school students with VI when accessing and using technologies in general education classrooms. In this multiple case study, three middle school students with VI were observed in general education settings for two school days. In addition to the students, general education teachers and teachers of students with VI (TVI) also participated in the study to understand how best they support access to technologies for students with VI in their classrooms. The theoretical framework that guided this study was Piaget’s cognitive development theory, and the learning model was Universal Design for Learning. Data were collected through multiple instruments: observations, interviews, and educational documents. Students, their general education teachers, and TVIs were interviewed about their experiences with the use of technologies in classrooms. After data collection, the analysis was completed using within-case and cross-case analysis. The within-case analysis revealed the experiences of using technologies in general education classrooms for each student in the form of a narrative story. Each student’s story included the components: (a) how did they see their world?, (b) how did they experience their school day?, and (c) how did their ideal world compare to their real world? The cross-case analysis was conducted by comparing participants’ experiences with technologies in general education classrooms. Four broad themes emerged from the cross-case analysis: (a) technology is imperative in general education classrooms; (b) frustrations with accessibility issues in general education classrooms; (c) for general education teachers, it has been a learning curve; and (d) for TVIs, the buck stops with them when it comes to access technology. Within the above four broad themes, some emerged findings were intriguing. General education teachers were open to training on technologies that are more engaging for students, as opposed to technologies that were universally accessible. Inaccessible technologies used in classrooms were not only the ones adopted by the school or district, but they included programs that were created and shared by other teachers through learning communities. While the students, general education teachers, and TVIs in this study understood the legal mandates of IDEA and an IEP, they did not know any other accessibility laws related to technologies that Kindergarten-Grade 12 schools should abide by. Conceptually, some sub-themes found in this study were: (a) the majority of educators were differentiating the curricula to meet the needs of students through constant adaptation as opposed to using tools that account for learner variability at the outset, and (b) student choice and advocacy played a big role in the experiences of students with VI in general education classrooms. Based on the findings, implications for practice and future research directions are discussed in this study

STUDENTS ’ PERCEPTION ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF TEAMWORK BASED ACTIVITIES IN ENHANCING THE LEARNING PROCESS

In recent years, many organizations have begun to embrace the teamwork-based work culture in most aspects of their operations. Hence, employers are increasingly stressing on the need for fresh graduates to demonstrate the willingness and ability to work in a teamwork-based environment, before recruiting them. This in turn has placed tremendous pressure on academics to incorporate elements of teamwork-based activities in the teaching as well as assessment processes, in order to better equip their students to face the working world. Over the years much research has been done on various aspects of teamwork-based activities from the educators ’ perspective. However, there is a lack of literature of the effectiveness of teamwork-based activities from the students ’ perspective. This research attempts to explore the students ’ perception on the effectiveness of teamwork-based activities in enhancing the learning process. A sample size of 70 students is randomly selected from a group of students in their First Year of the Diploma in Business Studies (Accounting) program. These students are asked to complete a questionnaire to gauge their responses related to various aspects of teamworkbased activities. The data obtained will be analyzed using a combination of qualitative an

Importance of hand impairment measures on return to work among industrial workers with zone II flexor tendon repair

Introduction: Hand injuries are one among the commonest yet the most serious occupational trauma among industrial workers leading to impairment of the hand as it affect the return to work (RTW) and sometimes may even cause permanent dysfunction leading to disability. This study investigated the importance of hand impairment measures on RTW and the overall hand impairment measures among industrial workers with Zone II Flexor tendon repair. Methods: Seventy-six subjects with industrial hand injury were recruited in this study to answer the RTW questionnaire and hand evaluation was performed on their affected hands. RTW outcomes assessed whether the subjects successfully returned to the same work, either from a job change, job modification or salary reduction, and the length of the time taken to return to work (TRTW). The hand impairment measures included the hand impairment ratio, total active motion loss, grasp power loss, lateral-pinch power loss, and palmar-pinch power loss. Results: The result of the study indicated that grasp power loss was a significant predictor for the length of TRTW. Besides, the hand impairment ratio was also found to have mild significance influence with TRTW.&nbsp

Evaluation of quality of life in subjects with zone II flexor tendon repair: A cross sectional study

Introduction: Hand injuries can affect anyone at any age, causing impairment in hand and arm function as well as a reduced quality of life. However, no research has looked at hand disability and quality of life following Zone II flexor tendon repair following a hand injury. Our goal is to gather more data and gain a better knowledge of the challenges patients face following a hand injury so that we may better allocate resources in the health-care sector in the future based on patient numbers, injury patterns, and health condition. Methods: Patients aged between 20 – 55 years with Zone II flexor tendon injury treated January 2019 to December 2021 department of Plastic Surgery, Saveetha Medical College and Hospital were included. Health-related outcome questionnaires, i.e. Quick DASH, SF-36, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), and general information were mailed to the patients (time from injury: > 1.5–2.5 years). The participants were categorized based on the age, gender, severity of injury, and previous employment status. Results: Fifty three participants responded [response rate 60%; non-responders (n = 36); Women were older than men at the time of injury (p = 0.04) and differed regarding living conditions.&nbsp