Segment A - Project Topic

Project Topic: Does the use of iPads have a positive effect on engagement with students that
have a disability?

Abstract

The goal of this study was to test students with disabilities engagement while using iPads

during testing and various forms of instruction. During this study in a fifth grade mathematics

course, students were given paper/pencil assignments and tests without the use of an iPad at the

beginning of the semester and the exact same assignments and tests towards the end of the

semester with the use of iPads. Data was collected, analyzed and compared between students

with and without disabilities to determine the effects that the iPad had. The results of the study

found a dramatic increase in test scores when the iPad was used to implement the test. It also

found that students were more engaged and motivated to complete the work that was assigned.

The study was inspired by an experience that sparked interest in the topic and the need for

technological advancement in schools.

Segment B - Introduction and Rationale

The purpose of this action research project is to determine the effects of technology,

specifically iPads, on engagement with students that have disabilities. Educators are continually

trying to incorporate new accommodations for special needs students that can further help them

to succeed in the classroom. This study will explore the impact that iPads have on engagement

and motivation as it relates to students with disabilities. In addition, this research will look to

evaluate students response in higher level classrooms.

Special education students can succeed in a higher-level thinking curriculum just like

general education students. However, they often require differentiation and proper
accommodations. Anya Kamenetz (2014) has noted that 6.4 million students in the United States,

ages 3-21, have some kind of learning disability, which averages to around 13 percent of all

public school students. (para. 10) This presents a tremendous challenge for today's teachers that

may be improved by the use of iPads. To determine the effect of the ipad concepts, this study

will include pre- and post- assessments, observations and teacher/student journaling to examine

the effectiveness of the technology.

With the ongoing technological advancements in today's society, it is expected that our

schools would integrate items such as iPads and tablets into teachers instructional strategies. In

2011, the Center for American Progress published an article referencing President Bill Clintons

accreditation as one of the first advocates for technology in the classroom by setting an

educational goal linking the two. He understood the important role that technology could play in

our educational system and took advantage of that vision. However, there have been hurdles

along the way that have created challenges within US schools. Funding is one of the most

challenging aspects for low income schools and as a result, students sometimes miss out on

some of the benefits that technology provides. Proper use of the technology by the students has

also been a concern; however, there have been advancements that make it easier for teachers to

monitor student work. If available, iPads have the capability to enhance instruction for the

teacher and positively impacting student engagement in the classroom.

Segment C - Literature Review

The Importance of Technology in the Classroom

To understand how iPads will affect learning, we must first explore the role of general

technology in the classroom. Technology is everywhere, built into almost every part of our daily

lives. It affects how we socialize, connect, play, and most importantly learn. With the important

role that it plays in our lives, it only makes sense to have technology in the classroom. If used

correctly, technology will help teachers reach diversity in learning styles and students will learn

to think more critically. A journal article titled Meaningful Connections: Using Technology in

Primary Classrooms stated that For technology to fulfill its promise as a powerful contributor to

learning, it must be used to deepen childrens engagement in meaningful and intellectually

authentic curriculum (Murphy, McNamara, &DePasquale, 2003, p. 2).

By encouraging collaboration, students will get the chance to interact and make

connections with their classmates. They will be able to generate more ideas and think critically

about different subjects. The Future of Children article states that: Technology facilitates the

students ability to make personal connections with others and provides opportunities to focus on

writing skills within a context that they value, without fear of being stigmatized.(Hasselbring &

Glaser, 2000, p. 108). With technology, the classroom becomes a happier place where students

are excited about being able to use the technology and therefore are more apt to learn. They also

gain a sense of responsibility where they begin to make their own decisions and actually think

for themselves (Hasselbring & Glaser, 2000). One of the most important attributes to using

technology in the classroom is that it helps prepare students for their future careers. The 21st

Century skills that students learn are essential in order to be successful in this day and age. Jobs

that may not have had a digital component in the past may have one now. Education is not just
about memorizing facts and vocabulary words, it is about solving complex problems and being

to collaborate with others in the workforce. Technology has and will continue to change

education for the betterment of our students.

Technology and Students with Disabilities

Technology can be the great equalizer in a classroom with diverse or disabled learners

(Hasselbring & Glaser, 2000) It is often overwhelming to differentiate instruction for a large

class, all with different needs and abilities. Assistive technology (devices and software to assist

students with disabilities) can help teachers personalize lessons and enhance the skills of each

child. Children with learning disabilities generally have good technology skills and are drawn to

computers and other gadgets, so using them in the classroom can make a difference. In fact, the

Future of Children article states that: Students with mild learning disabilities often demonstrate

higher-level performance and attention to detail working on multimedia projects than they

normally exhibit.(Hasselbring & Glaser, 2000, p. 109). For children with physical disabilities,

technology can give access to learning opportunities previously closed to them. For example, e-

Readers help students turn book pages without applying dexterity, and voice adaptive software

can help students answer questions without having to write. Computers are engaging and more

advanced which allows for more differentiation than a typical lesson will provide. However,

assistive technology is not always just for students with disabilities; it can be used to help any

student with motivation, academic skills, and social development.

Devices such as the iPad are a great resource for disabled students as they can enhance

their communication skills However, not all students can use these high tech devices. At the

elementary school level, students are still learning the basics of a computer or iPad. Some

students are years away from using technology to communicate their wants and needs. Although
there are still challenges, the positives definitely outweigh the negatives by giving students

access and usage of technology devices, just like students in a regular education classroom. If

used correctly, technology can increase their independence and teach them basic technology or

communication skills that they are going to need for the rest of their education and beyond.

However, it is important that teachers understand how to use the technology and how to properly

teach with it. In the Future of Children's article, Hasselbring and Glaser (2000) state: To meet

the needs of students with disabilities within regular classrooms, all teachers, both those in

regular education and those in special education programs, need training in how technology can

be used ( p.118). Teachers need to have the appropriate training so that they can help students

reach their full potential.

The effect of iPads on Student Engagement and Students with Disabilities

Todays student engagement and learning styles have changed over the last decade. Tools

such as the iPad have began to transform how a teacher instructs and the way students learn in

the classroom. A study from Paula Saine (2012) in the NERA Journal showed that when students

are engaged in digital activities, they do not consider these tools as schoolwork, but rather an

exciting experience where they can explore and better relate to the subject. The unique tools and

applications that the iPad has to offer allows students to be engaged in learning at their own pace.

With the use of iPads, teachers can differentiate their instruction and encourage collaboration

with other students. In addition, they allow students to feel a sense of ownership in their work

and help to build confidence in their own learning. The iPad allows students to be able to work

together and share their thinking and learning skills so that they can better understand how to

solve problems, answer questions, and share discoveries instead of relying solely on the teacher.
iPads are a way to promote positive relationships in the classroom so students can receive the

proper education that they need to be effective in the future.

Special educators are always looking for new methods of learning in which students with

disabilities will better retain information. For children lacking motor skills, touch screens are

more intuitive devices (Coulon, 2015). With the use of older technology, students were required

to visually shift between a mouse or keyboard and the screen. With the iPad, students can watch

as one of their fingers directly writes on the screen to make selections, which in turn helps

improve fine motor skills. Touch technology in devices such as the iPad has become more

natural to students with disabilities (Coulon, 2015). It is important for the teacher to understand

how all students, but especially those with disabilities, individually learn and retain information.

Students vary in learning styles and if used correctly, the iPad can help accommodate those

different needs. With the iPads, the teacher can differentiate lesson plans assessing the needs of

each individual. Teachers can also take advantage of the vast amount of apps available for the

iPad specifically tailored to special needs students by choosing which apps best fit their teaching

methods relevant to the way their students learn. The way students with a disability are learning

from iPads is changing the way they are being taught in schools, improving aspects of their lives

and helping mold a bright future.

In closing, technology has and will continue to change the ways that schools operate,

especially with students that have a disability. The iPad has the potential to be the most effective

technological tool in education today. The various components that reside in its database can

promote student engagement and serve as a form of assistive technology for special needs

students. All students are constantly changing how they learn and as educators we have to adapt

to those changes so that we can provide the best education possible. Implementing iPads will not
only appeal to the new era of students, but will also increase critical thinking skills and widen the

opportunity for advancement.

Segment D: Research Site Description

Southwest Virginia is a great place to conduct a study on the use of iPads in a classroom.

Although it is an area with a large discrepancy in wealth and education, most counties have

begun to enhance the technology they use in their schools. With the exception of some small

suburbs, Southwest Virginia is rural. Much of the economy is made up of farmers and lumber

companies. The biggest challenge is that each county school system is different in their financial

capability. Several schools systems are able to renovate when needed, give regular raises to

teachers and keep up with todays technology. However some schools are less fortunate and

cannot do these things.

Considering privacy, the county that this study will be conducted in will be called

Florence County. This is an extravagant rural area that is near the very peaked edge of Southwest

Virginia. From the amazing plays to the hiking trails and outside activities, Florence County has

an abundance of wealth and attracts tourist from all over the country .Of the countys 54,907

residents, 97% are white, 1% are hispanic, 1% are African American and another 1% makes up a

mixture of different minorities (Virginia Employment Commission, 2010). The unemployment

rate has decreased dramatically in recent years with lowering to 4.8% in 2015. However that is

still slightly above Virginia's average in 2015 that was at 4.4%, which was 0.9% below the

United States average (Virginia Employment Commission, 2010).

There are 15 public schools in Florence county that serve roughly 7,400 students. 93.1%

of students in the county are white with 2.5% and 1.3% hispanic and black respectively (Virginia

Department of Education, 2015). This aligns almost perfectly with the total Florence county
population numbers. This study will be based off of an elementary school in Florence county that

will be referred to as J.K. Stanley Elementary School. Approximately 587 students attend J.K.

Stanley Elementary School, 96% of which are white, 3% black, and 1% hispanic. Nearly 48% of

students are on free and reduced lunch and 14.7% have some sort of disability (VDOE, 2015).

The classroom that this study will be conducted in is a 5th grade mathematics class. The

study will take place in the last period of the day. This is a full class with several students on

Individualized Educational Plans. Nonetheless, the class as a whole is operating very well when

it come to comprehension of the material. The main problems that persist are related to

engagement. Students are often lost because they are not not engaged into the instruction. This

study will explore the effects that an iPad has with the focus of these students, especially those

that are have an IEP.

Segment E: Research Design and Instruments

Participants

A fifth grade Mathematics course that included a total of 20 students will serve as the

participants for this research study. This class was chosen because it has a mixture of students

with and without disabilities. The class is from 11:00 - 11:45 with 8 females and 12 males, of

which 8 of the total have some sort of disability that requires an Individualized Education Plans

(IEP).

Procedure

To conduct the study, each student in the class did the same work once with an iPad and

once without and the results were compared to judge engagement. First, the class was

introduced to the iPads and the teacher went over different basic trainings on how they operate.
Before actual data could be collected, students familiarized themselves with the different aspects

and functions that an iPad provides. The first iPad class activity served as a pre-test. Students

opened the downloaded app called Fill the Cup and began to work on their mathematical

measurement skills. Students were informally assessed by observation to see how much they

knew about using the iPads. The teacher recorded the information collected on a spreadsheet that

was split between students with and without disabilities. The spreadsheet also included the

activity for the day, how many students were on and off task and the level of confusion that was

present in the activity (See Appendix A).

After becoming familiarized with the technology, students were given a standardized test

to determine if there were any positive or negative effects that were a result from using the iPad.

The test that was administered was the WIAT-III test. WIAT-III tests the students in math and

english and is able to determine students comprehension, recognition, oral language and written

language skills. The test is available on paper or computer and it now has iPad compatibility.

While both versions require teacher administering assistance, the iPad method has significantly

reduced teacher error and it automatically scores the test for you which saves time. To administer

the test both the student and teacher must have a different iPad and they must be linked together.

The teacher must have the master version so that they can control the student's iPad to direct

them to the appropriate material. The student can then press an answer on their iPad and it show

up on the teacher's iPad.

Segment F: Findings and Implications

As stated earlier, the results from both the formal and informal tests were compared

to the same assignment only done without iPads. During the informal assessment most students

were able to operate the iPads with little guidance and they all seemed to understand the material
in a fun and interactive way. Students were excited about doing the assignment and asked if they

could do more activities on the iPad. This indicated that they were more engaged with the

material because when asked to do the same assignment, some students did not finish nor do as

well as they did on the iPad.

With the formal assessment, the study showed a significant difference in almost all the

students. Students were more motivated to do the test on the iPad opposed to doing it on paper.

More students were on task and ready to work opposed to when they are not using an iPad.

Every student but one showed an increase in their score when taking the test on the iPad and the

level of confusion decreased (Figure 2). The one outlier in the study was one of the eight special

education students who was visually impaired. She does better when she is able to use her pencil

to assist her with the test. The tools that are available on the iPad are more difficult to use and

seemed to just confuse her. However, the seven other special education students saw a significant

improvement in their test scores and were more engaged and motivated to do their work.

Students without disabilities showed a 40% increase when using the iPads in the formal

assessment while students with disabilities showed a 76% increase. (Figure 1 & 2) Both were

substantial increases in scores and shows the important role that an iPad can play in the testing of

students. Outside of assessment the iPad was proven to be successful with general instruction

and also serves as an effective study tool. Students all reported that they were able to more easily

understand how to apply the material when they did activities on different applications. The

teacher was also able to download a game that served as a study guide so that students were able

to study in a fun way while increasing their comprehension and recognition skills.
Segment G: Graphic to Display Data Analysis and Findings

Figure 1
Figure 2
Segment H: Limitations of the Study

Although this study has been proven to positively affect engagement and end results from

both students with and without disabilities, there are some limitations that the study has

presented that may affect the results of the study or how it is to be conducted. The most obvious

limitation is that not every school is able to supply its teachers with the appropriate amount of

iPads so that they can be effective and provide all they have to offer. Schools that are not able to

afford something like this should look into different grants that are available to better assist

schools with technologies. The results are evidence that it would be a worthy investment and

something that our teachers and most importantly our students deserve.

Another important limitation is that this study was only conducted in one classroom.

Therefore, to better understand the quantity and nature of the outliers, the study should be

conducted in several different classroom settings. Just like in analyzing test scores, educators

should never base students progress on one example of study, but rather a collections of studies
done in various of ways. It may also be helpful if there were a larger number of students with

disabilities so that their behaviors and engagement can better be observed. One last limitation of

the study is the area in which it was conducted. As stated before, this study was conducted in just

one classroom, but it was also conducted in only one location in Southwest Va. To strengthen the

validity of the data the study should be conducted in multiple areas around the U.S. in both urban

and rural areas.

Segment I: Suggestions in for Future Study and Abstract

As stated earlier in the limitations, it would better validate the results from the study if it

were conducted several times in different locations. This would help determine if students from

different backgrounds would react differently to the use of iPads in the classroom. The study was

conducted to determine student engagement so it would be interesting to see if a class with

different classroom management techniques would react differently than that of the first class. In

addition, the original study did not focus on specific disabilities and in what ways they may

affect the outcomes. In future studies it may be helpful to look more closely at each disabilities

characteristics to help determine if this is a factor and to what degree it is affecting the data.

Lastly, this study did not focus on if gender played a role in the outcomes either. It would be

interesting to see if a males or females react differently to the iPads or if there is no discernable

difference. It is important that future research be conducted on these different topics so that the

study is better validated and can be used as a good tool for teachers to use with students.

Appendix A
 Students Without Disabilities (without ipad)

Activity for the day WIAT III Test

On and off task students 7 were on task 5 were off task

Level of confusion (1, 2, 3) 3 being the highest 1,2,2,2,3,1,2,1,2,2,1,1

Students With Disabilities (without ipad)

Activity for the day WIAT III Test

On and off task students 1 was on task 7 were off task

Level of confusion (1, 2, 3) 3 being the highest 2,2,2,3,3,2,2

Students Without Disabilities (with ipad)

Activity for the day WIAT III Test

On and off task students All 12 were on task

Level of confusion (1, 2, 3) 3 being the highest 1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,2,1,1,2

Students With Disabilities (with ipad)

Activity for the day WIAT III Test

On and off task students 7 were on task 1 was off task

Level of confusion (1, 2, 3) 3 being the highest 1,1,1,2,2,1,3