Computer-assisted instruction (CAI) for students with disabilities can be categorized into the following categories: visual, auditory, mobile, and cognitive skills-based CAI. Cognitive-skills based CAI differs from other types of CAI largely in terms of an emphasis on instructional design features. We conducted both systematic review of…

We conducted a pilot study to see how the GED Mathematics Test could be administered on computer with embedded accessibility tools. We examined test scores and test-taker experience. Nineteen GED test centers across five states and 216 randomly assigned GED Tests candidates participated in the project. GED candidates completed two GED mathematics…

Microsoft PowerPoint software is widely used in business and higher education and is growing in use with school-aged students. A small body of research has demonstrated that it can be effective in enhancing skill instruction for individuals with disabilities. PowerPoint is not a difficult program to learn, but it provides endless possibilities for…

Speech technology--especially automatic speech recognition--has now advanced to a level where it can be of great benefit both to able-bodied people and those with various disabilities. In this paper we describe an application "TalkMaths" which, using the output from a commonly-used conventional automatic speech recognition system,…

The Oklahoma Association of Teacher Educators 2009 Journal includes the following four peer reviewed articles: (1) The Changing Role of Grandparents (Fred D. Hammond, III, Terry E. Spigner, Charolette Myles-Nixon, and Pauline Holloway); (2) Pedagogical Agent Instructional Design Challenges (Jon Martens); (3) Differences in Relatedness across…

The article discusses concerns of producers and users of computer software for those with special needs, reviews current research findings and projects, and reports on a survey of special educators (N=22) that identifies characteristics of desirable software. (Author/DB)

The article attempts to provide a rationale for the use of computer assisted learning with handicapped and nonhandicapped students and suggests implications of computer assisted learning. Computer usage is differentiated from computer assisted learning; computer assisted learning is compared to other methods; and limitations of computer assisted…

This article describes how a group of elementary teachers set out to master their instructional software to turn the collection into an effective aid for enabling the success of students with and without disabilities. It discusses planning for systematic intervention and positive outcomes through the use of computer programs. (Contains…

Students those who are at-risk and with disabilities often benefit from strategically designed computer supported assignments and instruction. The proposed manuscript summarizes a research study which included a focus on training participants to effectively utilize hand-held computers and select software programs in planning, delivering, and…

The paper demonstrates how school districts can have a low cost software library for instruction by utilizing public domain software. Such software can be used to augment the curriculum and to meet the individual needs of special education students. Specific examples of how one school district has used public domain software in computer-assisted…

The 2-year project's primary purpose was to create a consortium, consisting of a teacher training institution, the Massachusetts State Department of Education, local educational agencies, and the research community; the consortium would serve as a mechanism for promoting research, training, and dissemination in the area of innovative microcomputer…

The article looks at two competing psychological theories, the componential and the constructivist, and the implications of each for the use of computers in reading instruction. The concept of "contextualization" as a basis for integrating the two approaches into a model of computer use in the special education classroom is proposed. (Author/DB)

For handicapped children the computer is a uniquely valuable tool. The increasing availability of assistive devices is opening up the magical world of computer technology to more and more handicapped children. (LHW)

This guide to using computers with infants and toddlers was developed by the "Let's Play! Project," a 3-year federally supported project that worked to promote play in infants and toddlers with disabilities through the use of assistive technology. Following an introductory section on getting ready to use the computer with a young child, the first…

The research literature on the effect of computer assisted writing with disabled and non-disabled persons is reviewed. Covered are research on: composing processes, composing with computers, software for intervening in the composing process (e.g. drill and practice, text analysis, simulations); and developing writers. (DB)