Emerging Trends in Special Education Technology: A Doctoral Scholar Symposium
Authors: Yerin Seung and Teddy Kim; info@ciddl.org
On February 27th, 2024, CIDDL hosted a webinar to highlight the innovative work of doctoral students related to emerging trends in special education technology. The invited panelists were Kenneth Holman from the University of Central Florida, Krystle Merry from the University of Arkansas, A.J. Naatz from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Danielle A. Waterfield from the University of Virginia, and Thai Williams from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Each panelist shared their current work related to special education and the impact on teacher and personnel preparation, followed by a Q&A session.
Technology Integration Their Way!
Some of the work presented was related to artificial intelligence (AI), one of the technologies with the most potential to impact the future of special education. Interestingly, the panelists integrated this technology in different fields of interest in diverse ways.
Danielle presented her study about using OpenAI's ChatGPT-3.5 by special education teachers for writing Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals. The study examined the impact on the quality of IEP goals and teachers’ workload, suggesting the potential benefits of ChatGPT in improving the quality of goals and managing workloads.
A.J. presented his work on why special education teachers adopt and integrate innovative technologies. The research highlighted a need for more training opportunities and research in this area. His research aimed to address the burnout of special education teachers by adopting artificial intelligence and other technologies.
Krystle’s work focused on the structures of special education transition programs in virtual schools. The research covered the development of accessible materials, the use of AI for accessibility, and the impact of technology-assisted instruction on students with disabilities, especially in online learning contexts.
Kenneth highlighted his comparative study on enhancing fraction understanding among 4th to 5th graders using AI-powered personalized learning. The research aimed to address learning gaps in mathematics resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and assess the impact of AI on students with Mathematical Learning Challenges (MLC).
Thai’s work centered on technology-assisted instruction for students with intellectual disabilities, autism, and other developmental disabilities, focusing on writing skills. The study emphasized the importance of writing in various aspects of life and explored the impact of interventions like Clicker Writer on enhancing writing skills for students with disabilities.
The panelists also mentioned the motivation of their research and overall interest. Please check the webinar for more information.
Questions & Answers
One of the questions was about the implications of AI for research. Thai’s work presented on the webinar did not highlight AI for instructions, but she seeks AI to be beneficial to expand students’ writing ability and content. Krystle mentioned that AI tools such as Grammarly, Alexa, and closed captions have been used for a long time. They significantly enhance accessibility for everyone in class, not just students with disabilities. Another question was about the current barriers to leveraging AI in special education as a researcher or a teacher. Kenneth answered that one of the most significant barriers is costs, as running the program for the whole class is currently less affordable or sustainable.
Continue the Conversation
Join our community to engage in conversation about the webinar and leveraging emerging technology in special education. Additionally, CIDDL is looking to hold an additional webinar highlighting the work of more doctoral students. If you or someone you know is interested in participating in future webinars, send an email with your (or their) name, institution, and a brief biography highlighting your (or their) innovative research that relates to technology, innovation, and special education to samantha.goldman@ku.edu.