Research and Practice Briefs

CIDDL Research and Practice Briefs is a series of brief reports on research and practice regarding the innovative use of technology in special education, early childhood, related services personnel preparation and leadership personnel preparation programs as well as K-12 educational settings. For each brief, experts or practitioners in the field will be invited to discuss their research and practice on innovative use of technology. In addition, experts and practitioners will share their insights into opportunities and challenges about transferring and applying research and practice into teacher or leadership preparation programs. This series aims to spark conversations and provides an avenue for enhancing professional networking among experts and emergent scholars in the field.

Student on a laptop with headphones

Virtual Reality to Support Social Emotional Learning

By Samantha Goldman | November 15, 2023
Teaching social skills in an authentic yet safe environment is a struggle. However, through the use of VR, educators are able to create a virtual environment that resembles the school community and allows for students with and without disabilities to practice needed skills.
A blind woman using phone as assistive technology

Researchers with Disabilities, Accessibility, and UDL in Developing Countries with Nicholas Hoekstra

By Samantha Goldman | August 8, 2023
This brief highlights the importance of creating and designing more accessible research, be it in the field or in the works we publish to ensure access to all.
A hand holding symbols representing artificial Intelligence.

UDL, Design Learning, and Personalized Learning

By Samantha Goldman | July 10, 2023
Dr. Basham shares the exciting innovations on the horizon of education, including personalized learning, design thinking, UDL, and Artificial Intelligence (AI). He shares how to bring these concepts into personnel preparation programs and how teaching future educators and related service personnel to think in this way will lead to supporting all students, with or without disabilities.
A screen with various icons that says digital transformation.

Transforming Education 

By Samantha Goldman | June 1, 2023
This brief focuses on personalized learning and how teachers and teacher educators need to leverage the unique strengths of students and pre-service educators in order to create a creative, curious, and collaborative future. Dr. Zhao encourages teacher preparation programs to embrace personalized learning as a way to leverage entrepreneurship. As technology is rapidly changing, especially with the rise of AI, focusing on what makes humans unique is one way to structure education in a meaningful way.
A picture symbolizing Artificial Intelligence and Simulation.

Mixed Reality Simulations, Personalized Learning, AI, and the Future of Education with Dr. Chris Dede

By Samantha Goldman | May 16, 2023
This brief highlights the need to unlearn what we’ve done in the past and to adapt to the hybrid world of today (Dede, 2022). Dr. Dede calls for more research around personalized learning (Bondie et al., 2023), artificial intelligence to support learning (Dieterle et al., 2022), and simulated learning (Bondie & Dede, 2020) to better design learning for all students.
An Asian male teacher is recording him teaching as part of video-based reflection

Video-Based Reflections in Teacher Preparation

By Ashley Grays | June 30, 2022
Video-Based Reflections in Teacher Preparation Guest Expert: Dr. Sarah Nagro About Dr. Nagro The guest expert of this CIDDL Research and Practice Brief is Dr. Sarah Nagro. Dr. Nagro is an Associate Professor at George Mason University. Her primary area…
An African American teacher is in the front of a classroom with students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds

Technology, Literacy, and Bilingualism in Special Education

By Samantha Goldman | May 26, 2022
Technology, Literacy, and Bilingualism in Special Education Guest Expert: Dr. Sara Jozwik About Dr. Jozwik The guest expert of this CIDDL Research and Practice Brief is Dr. Sara Jozwik. Dr. Jozwik is an associate professor at the University of Wisconsin,…
A female student who wears earphones is engaging with game-based learning on a laptop

Leveraging game-based learning: Lessons from Dream2B

By info@ciddl.org | April 26, 2022
Leveraging Game-Based Learning: Lessons from Dream2B Guest Experts: Drs. Jessica Hunt and Michelle Taub About Guest Experts Dr. Jessica Hunt is an Associate Professor in Teacher Education and Learning Sciences at North Carolina State University. Dr. Hunt’s research sits at…
Two male teachers stand at the front of a classroom and smile for the camera.

Two Heads are Better than One: Developing Effective Co-Teaching

By Nick Hoekstra | March 22, 2022
Two Heads are Better than One: Developing Effective Co-Teaching Guest Expert: Dr. Margaret Weiss About Dr. Weiss The guest expert of this CIDDL Research and Practice Brief is Dr. Margaret Weiss. Dr. Weiss is an associate professor in the Division…
A student takes notes while listening to her laptop through headphones. Her teacher is on the laptop screen.

Simulation Technology to Bridge the Gap from College to Classroom

By info@ciddl.org | February 17, 2022
Simulation Technology to Bridge the Gap from College to Classroom Guest Expert: Dr. Lisa Dieker About Dr. Dieker The guest expert of this CIDDL Research and Practice Brief is Dr. Lisa Dieker. Dr. Dieker is a Pegasus Professor and Lockheed…
A phone and laptop screen show social media accounts with likes, comments, and followers.

Preparing Preservice Teachers to Address Ableism Through Social Media

By info@ciddl.org | January 19, 2022
Preparing Preservice Teachers to Address Ableism Through Social Media Guest Expert: Dr. Jen Newton About Dr. Newton The guest expert of this CIDDL Research and Practice Brief is Dr. Jen Newton. Dr. Newton is an assistant professor in Special Education…
A woman uses a tool connected to her cell phone to work.

Assistive Technology and Universal Design for Learning: Past Lessons and Future Opportunities

By info@ciddl.org | December 14, 2021
Assistive Technology and Universal Design for Learning: Past Lessons and Future Opportunities Guest Expert: Dr. Dave Edyburn About Dr. Edyburn The guest expert of this CIDDL Research and Practice Brief is Dr. Dave Edyburn. Dr. Edyburn is is Senior Research…