Professional Documents
Culture Documents
How can Teachers Better Support Students in Special Education who use iPads?
Peggy M. McNamara
EDU 688
Dr. Vamvakas
Abstract
This action research project examined the possible need for iPad app training for classroom teachers who
support students in special education. The participants in this study were classroom teachers who support
students in special education. An informal assessment was conducted to ascertain which teachers should
be included in the study, and then a second informal assessment was conducted to collect the data needed
for the research project. The results of the informal assessment of teachers found that they had not
received training on the apps installed on iPads for students in special education. The majority of
responders had needed to help students with these apps, and had not been successful. All teachers
responding to the informal assessment felt that they would benefit from app training; the form of training
suggested varied from professional learning, to having access to electronic resources, to individualized
training.
An extensive literature review was completed to compare to the results of the informal
assessments. The results of the literary review showed that teachers feel that they have not had adequate
technology training, that training is imperative for them to successfully support their students, and that the
preferred methods of training are professional learning and electronically accessible training materials.
Problem Statement
As technology has become increasingly integrated in education, the need for assistive
technology has increased in both the general education and special education populations.
Perhaps nothing has been as impactful as the introduction of iPads. Special education software
has in many instances been replaced by iPad applications which can be tailored to a students
needs, and relatively inexpensively. In order for iPad applications to be supportive, there needs
to be a level of expertise in their use. Ideally, students become the experts, and are trained by
their school's technology support staff when they receive their iPad. However, not all students
become masters of their iPad, and when they need to rely on their iPad, they need support that
classroom teachers can not provide. An action research project that studies effective ways to
train teachers on iPad applications used by students in special education could fill the void in
support and eliminate the frustration of the students who use the apps in a classroom.
Catapano (n.d.) shared that teachers are overwhelmed by the multiple options of
educational apps available and find it difficult to understand and navigate the options without
training. This issue will continue to be detrimental unless classroom teachers receive specialized
iPad app training. A study on how to best train teachers to support students will be immensely
beneficial. Some special education students have their iPad listed as a supportive device on their
IEP, and being unable to effectively use it in a classroom may be a violation of their IEP.
Theoretically, a research study exploring how to provide this training could benefit students
included in general education classrooms while reducing the district's liability for not complying
with their IEPs, and since the special education population has steadily increased in recent years,
the support void can be expected to increase.
Literature Review
To research questions and concerns regarding how classroom teachers might better
support students in special education who use iPad applications, specific literature has been
selected for review to help address the following concerns: general education teachers have not
received training on main iPad apps used by students in special education; students who use the
apps in a classroom are frustrated and need help, and this may affect their motivation; and the
teacher is not meeting the needs of his or her students and not effectively using the technology in
the classroom.
There is no doubt that technology has made its impact on education, and certainly there
have been incredible advances in the technological support available to students in special
education. Perhaps nothing has impacted education as powerfully as the introduction of the iPad,
and with it the multitude of software applications known as apps. Students in special education
who receive a school issued iPad are trained to use the installed apps, as are the special education
teachers who assist them. As these students integrate into general education classes, their
technology moves into the classroom with them, and when questions or issues arise with the apps
the student uses, classroom teachers are sometimes unable to assist. Although the technology is
available, a review of the literature details that there has been a lack of training for teachers on
the technology that supports their students. The review of the academic journal articles and peer
reviewed literature also supports that teachers need some form of training with mobile learning;
the main form of training suggested is professional development. Additionally, the literature
establishes that without training, the teacher can not meet the needs of his or her students and can
not effectively use the technology in the classroom. It is important to understand the literature
In some districts students receive training on all the apps installed on their iPads, as do
the special education teachers who work with them. General education teachers, however, do not
ordinarily have access to the same training. As the iPads moved into mainstream classrooms with
students, the issue of support for students started to be identified. The majority of general
education teachers are not familiar with the apps on the iPads and are not able to help when
students have questions or difficulty; there is a disconnect between student expectations and
staff capabilities and motives (Greener & Wakefield, 2015, p. 266).
Motivation is important for all students, though perhaps more so for students in special
education. Students with special needs often experience educational challenges, and these
challenges can affect their engagement with class work. Students in special education rely on
their iPads as an educational tool. They are accustomed to receiving support with apps in their
resource rooms, and feel accomplished and organized when they successfully complete work on
their iPads; mobile devices are valuable tools that enhance learning (Herro, Kiger & Owens,
2013, p. 37).
Maich & Hall (2016) discussed the benefits and challenges of bringing iPads into a
classroom, and included information about inclusive classrooms. They not only identified the
challenges of working with iPads without training, they also share the motivational and engaging
aspects of the iPad; for students who may not be motivated to attend to traditional, auditorybased classroom learning, iPads have intuitive, interactive features [that] are appealing (p.
147). iPad functionality features such as the tap and swipe functions are appealing to diverse
learners. The authors suggested that teachers take advantage of apps that offer positive
12
The first step of action research is reflection; this is where the researcher identifies a
situation that is currently not working as well as it could. A problem has been identified where
some teachers have reported that they feel ill equipped to help special education students in their
class who use specific iPad apps. The second phase of action research is planning. The planning
for this action research project began with identifying the research needed regarding this
problem, and then developing a project management plan which incorporated the tasks that
would be needed along with a timeline for their completion. The third stage of action research is
defined as the act phase. This is the phase of this project where the research and the review of
the literature was completed.
The fourth objective in action research is to observe, and in this phase the researchers
analyze the data they have collected. In this project, the data returned from the informal
assessment sent to teachers was analyzed to determine if teachers feltl app training would be
beneficial, and if so, what type of training they felt would be most useful. The information
received from the informal assessment sent to teachers recorded results showing that 100 percent
had not received training on iPad apps used by students in special education. Additionally, 66
percent indicated that they had needed to assist students with the apps and had not been able to.
All of the respondents reported that they felt it would be beneficial to receive training on the
apps their students use. Teachers were asked what type of training they felt would be most
helpful and the responses were split; 33 percent favored professional learning, 33 percent
preferred web-based resources, and 33 percent chose individualized training. The last question
on the informal assessment sent to teachers asked how the preliminary training materials could
16
Conclusion
Although iPads have made their way into general education classrooms, iPad and app
instruction for teachers has not accompanied the devices. A review of the literature has identified
that teachers have not received training to go along with the integration of the technology. Most
of the literature reviewed has revealed that teachers need training on iPad functions and iPad
applications, and that the most frequent recommendation for training is professional
development. Furthermore, students in special education often struggle academically and benefit
from the engaging nature of the iPad. Numerous schools utilize iPads to boost student motivation
and engagement. Moreover, when teachers do not know how to use iPads, they are not fully
supporting their students in the classroom. In order to determine if training on iPad applications
is necessary, an electronic informal assessment was shared with a sample of teachers. These
teachers were asked if they felt app training would be beneficial. The responses were then
analyzed to determine what type of training, if any, would be created. The responses indicated
training would be valuable and preliminary training materials were created to share with the
sample group. Respondents supported training materials in the forms of professional learning,
electronic resources and individualized training. Additional suggestions were made to share the
app training information with teachers of ELL students, as they would benefit from the training
materials as well. Modifications were made to the training materials and further plans for
training implementation will be finalized in the near future.
17
References
Ary, D., Jacobs, L., Sorensen, C., & Walker, D. (2013). Introduction to research in education.
Cengage Learning.
Catapano, J. (n.d.). Advantages/Disadvantages of the iPad Classroom. Retrieved April 01, 2016,
from http://www.teachhub.com/advantagesdisadvantages-ipad- classroom.
Ciampa, K. (2014). Learning in a Mobile Age: An Investigation of Student Motivation. Journal
Of Computer Assisted Learning, 30(1), 82-96.
Duganzic, Durrant, Finau, Firth & Frank. (2016). Action research in the classroom part 1.
Conscious Educating. Retrieved May 23, 2016, from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDVH0u4tUWo.
Flipp, C., (2014). Qualitative vs. quantitative. Retrieved May 9, 2016, from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2X-QSU6-hPU.
Grant, M., Tamim, S., Brown, D., Sweeney, J., Ferguson, F., & Jones, L. (2015). Teaching and
learning with mobile computing devices: case study in K-12 classrooms. Techtrends:
Linking Research & Practice To Improve Learning, 59(4), 32. doi:10.1007/s11528-0150869-3.
Greener, S. S., & Wakefield, C. C. (2015). Developing confidence in the use of digital tools in
teaching. Electronic Journal Of E-Learning, 13(4), 260-267.
Herro, D., Kiger, D., & Owens, C. (2013). Mobile technology: case-based suggestions for
classroom integration and teacher educators. Journal Of Digital Learning In Teacher
Education, (1), 30.
Maich, K., & Hall, C. (2016). Implementing iPads in the inclusive classroom setting.
Intervention In School & Clinic, 51(3), 145. doi:10.1177/1053451215585793.
19
Appendix A
20
Appendix B
21
22
23
Appendix C
24
25
Appendix D
26
27
Appendix E
28
29
30
Appendix F
31
32
Appendix G
33
34
Appendix H