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Title: Articles Annotation
Leung, P., Owens, J., Lamb, G., Smith, K., Shaw, J. & Hauff, R. (1999) Assistive Technology Meeting the technology needs of students with disabilities in post-secondary education, Sydney: Institute of Disability Studies.
The purpose of this research paper was to explore the use of assistive technology (AT) by students with disabilities in the context of post-secondary education. The study was carried out through both a literature review and a survey. The survey was designed in a manner that made it possible to identify current practice as well as what students with disabilities using AT, disability Liaison officers, and AT providers believe are the key issues and concerns.
The key aims of the study were to identify issues relating to the use of AT use in post-secondary education within the context of Australia. The main target population included students, TAFE staff, university staff, suppliers of AT, Information Technology services (ITS) staff, and disability liaison officers (DLOs). The study also sought to investigate all the AT-related needs of students with disabilities as well as barriers to the provision of AT to various tertiary students with disabilities. Moreover, the study sought to identify AT for students whose disabilities require specialized attention. It also identified current examples of cost-effective strategies for the use of AT for providing support to tertiary students with disabilities.
The methodology used entailed largely the use of literature review and surveys. Regarding the surveys, a recruitment process was conducted on students with disabilities, who participated through the DLOs in various post-secondary settings across Australia. Access to DLOs was made through listings of the Disability Personnel Tertiary Initiatives’ registry. Flyers, five follow-up calls, and letters were used to inform DLOs about the project. All of these communication means were followed up with a second letter. Fifty DLOs agreed to participate, and each of them was mailed with ten questionnaires for the distribution of students and one for themselves. Electronic copies of surveys were also made available on the website of the project.
The study adopted a descriptive methodology, with the survey questionnaire being the primary instrument of survey for students. The content of the survey was derived from issues that emanated from the literature review, publicly known information regarding post-secondary organizations within Australia, and analyses of surveys developed within the US.
In this paper, it was found out that assistive technology remains very important in the provision of access to post-secondary education for some students who have disabilities. Assistive technology was found to range from the relatively simple and inexpensive version to complete overhauls of computing infrastructure. It emerged that in the longer term consideration, the most cost-effective approach is one that entails incorporating the provision of AT within broader strategies of making general technology, for example, computers, more accessible to a majority of students.
The researchers found out that presently, access to AT by students is dependent largely on the knowledge that DLOs acquire haphazardly. Additionally, the role of all academic staff members with the knowledge of students remains very important. There was similarity in the views expressed in the survey and literature review regarding the issues of utmost importance to students. However, vast inconsistencies were seen to exist between and within educational institutions in dealing with all these issues. However, many contextual variables and constant technological change make it completely impractical to endorse any single model for the delivery of services to students with disabilities. Problems were also noted to exist in AT funding as well as transition to employment, further education, and training, where it is very easy for AT access to be lost. On the basis of this study’s findings, it appears that the best way of changing this is to continue implementing the Disability Discrimination Act.
In terms of policy, the study recommended that a national policy on assistive technology should be developed with an aim of encouraging post-secondary institutions to adopt principles of universal technology design. This would ensure that the assistive technology needs of all students with disabilities are met majorly through the mainstream provision of technology. The study also recommended a practice where all students with disabilities have access to all appropriate educational support in the form of assistive technology.
Owens, J., Leung, P., Lamb, G. Smith, K., Shaw, J. & Hauff, R. (1999) Assistive technology issues for students with disabilities and university staff who work with them, Brisbane: Deakin University Press.
The study’s aim was to investigate the use and effectiveness of assistive technology specifically for Australian university and TAFE students. The researchers sought to explore all AT issues and barriers in the Australian context using feedback from post-secondary staff, students with disabilities, and others participating in the development and distribution of technology.
This was a national study regarding the use of AT, whereby students with disabilities, AT vendors, and staff from post-secondary institutions responded to a questionnaire probing the current use of AT, perceptions, and practices. Various issues emerged that impact on successful implementation of AT, including role clarification and responsiveness among disability support staff, funding of AT in both secondary and post secondary settings, training of staff and students, and inclusion of follow-up training.
In terms of methodology, the subjects included students with disabilities, service providers, and Disability Liaison Officers (DLOs). Recruitment for participation among students with disabilities was handled through DLOs across Australian post-secondary settings. Communication with DLOs was made through mail and telephone contacts. This is how ten questionnaires were distributed to students who agreed to participate were sent to the DLOs. Additionally questionnaires were also mailed to all Information Technology departments within post-secondary settings as well as service providers and vendors identified through conference listings.
The questionnaires for every target group were developed entirely by the project team. They were designed in a manner that provided information regarding the use of AT. The questionnaires were piloted with a few respondents prior to finalization of the design process. Every group responded to open-ended and closed option questions in various questionnaire sections, including experience with AT, demographic information, AT service provision, general computer use and access, AT cost, AT equipment, issues regarding AT use, AT training and follow-up, and policy considerations. In this regard, most of the aspects of this study resemble those of Leung et al (1999).
Eighty eight students, 55 of them university students, and 35 DLOs completed the questionnaires. Only six Information Technology members of staff completed the questionnaires. Half of the AT service providers responded as well. The majority of these students indicated that their main disabilities included, in descending order of frequency: vision impairment, physical immobility, medical condition, learning disability, hearing impairment, mental illness, and ‘other’. Almost half of the country’s DLOs had experience on support services aimed at students with disabilities, which ranged between 1 and 5 years. An equal percentage of them had more than 5 years of experience. The number of students accessing support services from DLOs ranged between 50 and 600.
The recommendations made in this study address the development of process aimed at maintaining ‘best practice’ in AT support among students with disabilities. The study also recommended improvement in education and training of staff, use of technology within campus, development of a national AT clearing house, and clarification of staff roles and practices within the realm of Disability Discrimination Act Action Plans of various institutions.
Many university students with disabilities were found to have access to a myriad of educational opportunities in the form of assistive technology. The study found out that successful use of AT services and equipment may enable all students with disabilities to improve their mobility, enhance their communication skills access to information, and quality of life. Indeed, use of AT was found to have the potential to circumvent or even bypass deficits entirely.
Collins, B & Strijker, A 2003, ‘Re-usable learning objects in context’, International Journal on E-learning, October-December 2003, pp5-16, accessed 19/3/2009, Academic Onefile Database
This study described an alternative way of reusing educational software, other than the one used in mainstream company training settings. In the mainstream company-settings approach, focus is on externally produced content objects that are selected by and presented to learners through Learning Management Systems (LMS). In this approach, the instructor’s input is not considered necessary, and all pedagogies that entail social interaction are not given much attention.
The methodological context for this study was one where all instructors had using course-management system that supported multi-functionality within a typical faculty of education science and technology. Functionality was included in the existing course management system so as to provide tools for use by course instructors with an aim of making re-use easy. A group of instructors was selected randomly in the process of studying instructors’ reaction to all these tools. Prior to participation, they were asked whether or not they were willingness to participate in the research, through email.
The findings of this study show that the alternative way of reusing educational software is highly beneficial for interactions among learners. In the context of this role, reusable learning tools are seen as essential tools for use by the learner or instructor within broader learning contexts. These findings differ from those of Owens et al (1999) and Leung et al (1999) in that focus is on specific aspects of learning, particularly reusing educational software in e-learning contexts, as opposed to a nationwide focus.
Jhangiani, I. (2006) Usability and accessibility issues in the localization of assistive technology, Blacksburg: Asssistive Technologies Department, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
The aim of this project was to offer broad design guidelines that are driven by accessibility and usability issues discovered in the course of technology software packages. In this study, just like in all the three studies reviewed in the present paper, people with disabilities were noticed to face many barriers to computer usage. The observation made by Collins & Strijker (2003) regarding the provision of assistive software for making computer use easy for the population with disabilities was also made by Jhangiani (2006).
However, Jhangiani (2006) goes a step further and find out that while increased awareness regarding disability issues has led to the formulation of guidelines for software manufacture, such guidelines are not a guarantee that all the end products will be of optimal relevance to persons with disabilities. In this project, the main finding was that during the process of software localization, it is necessary to understand all the needs and requirements as well as the target culture of the users. These considerations deserve special attention because they go beyond the practice of merely translating interface language.
References
Collins, B. & Strijker, A. (2003) Re-usable learning objects in context, International Journal on E-learning, October-December 2003, 5-16.
Jhangiani, I. (2006) Usability and accessibility issues in the localization of assistive technology, Blacksburg: Asssistive Technologies Department, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
Leung, P., Owens, J., Lamb, G., Smith, K., Shaw, J. & Hauff, R. (1999) Assistive Technology Meeting the technology needs of students with disabilities in post-secondary education, Sydney: Institute of Disability Studies.
Owens, J., Leung, P., Lamb, G. Smith, K., Shaw, J. & Hauff, R. (1999) Assistive technology issues for students with disabilities and university staff who work with them, Brisbane: Deakin University Press.
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