The term "assistive technology" (AT) elicits widely varying responses from educators, service providers, and consumers of AT even within the relatively small disability, special education, and related services community. For the most part, AT advocates for the low-incidence disability populations (i.e., blind or low vision, deaf or hard hearing)…

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,…

Describes the attributes of a virtual reality system, including flexibility, presence, control and interaction, and feedback; and identifies learning situations in which these attributes would play a key role. Research on virtual reality and related technologies at SRI International (formerly Stanford Research Institute) is summarized. (nine…

This paper makes the case that if e-learning research and development projects are to be successfully adopted in real-world teaching and learning contexts, then they must effectively address accessibility and usability issues; and that these need to be integrated throughout the project. As such, accessibility and usability issues need to be made…

This monograph reports the proceedings of the Multimedia Technology Seminar and consists of presented papers as well as summaries of demonstration and discussion sessions. Sessions covered the following topics: the role of learning theory in the development and application of multimedia technologies in special education; multimedia research in…

The topic of assistive technology (AT) outcomes has only recently received attention in the professional literature. As a result, there is a considerable void in the profession's ability to address contemporary questions about the value and use of AT. The purpose of this article is to highlight the theory, development, and research efforts of the…

This document consists of seven newsletter issues containing the 3 year period 1989-1991. Major articles during this period have the following titles: "Special Educators Probe Promises and Pitfalls of Multimedia Today"; "NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) Developed Technology for Students with Disabilities";…

This directory is one of five which together describe almost 1200 discretionary grants and contracts currently supported by the Research to Practice Division of the Office of Special Education Programs under the 1997 Amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This document covers grants and contracts in the program area…

This guide aims to support state boards of education in influencing the creation of policies that encourage local school districts to use technology effectively as a tool for improving the learning of children with disabilities. It is based on the latest findings from research by the Office of Special Education Programs and the understanding of…

The final report summarizes activities of a 3-year project which accomplished the following goals: (1) identification of the most pressing concerns in special education currently facing state and local education policymakers; (2) location of research information through the U.S. Department of Education and other sources which address these issues;…

Research and development activities of the last decade in the areas of assessment and effective instructional programs in mathematics for students with disabilities are reviewed. Encouraged by federal funding, a pervasive theme has been the use of an information processing framework. Automaticity, conceptual development, and cognitive modeling…

As part of a 3-year study to identify emerging issues and trends in technology for special education, this paper addresses the role of interactive multimedia, especially the digital, optical compact disc technologies, in providing instructional services to special education students. An overview identifies technological and economic trends,…

As part of a 3-year study to identify emerging issues and trends in technology for special education, this paper addresses the possible contributions of virtual reality technology to educational services for students with disabilities. An example of the use of virtual reality in medical imaging introduces the paper and leads to a brief review of…

This article critiques the "Research, Development, and Dissemination" model for development of innovations in special education and urges greater recognition of the cultural perspective for understanding resistance to change by teachers. Difficulties teachers have had in implementing Direct Instruction principles and their reactions to…

This directory describes approximately 300 discretionary projects addressing the early childhood provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). It was compiled from four volumes separately published by the ERIC/OSEP Special Project. The discretionary grants and contracts authorized by the 1997 Amendments to the IDEA are…