Assistive Technology for Academic Achievement: The Case of Elementary School Students with Learning Disabilities.

Abstract:
Primary school students with learning disabilities (LD) may benefit from using interventional or assistive technology which may increase their motivation to learn and improve their academic performance. The current research investigates the integration of assistive technology, in particular, Geometrical Shape Application on the iPad, into the elementary classroom curriculum to assess its impact on the academic achievement of a sample of 30 male Kuwaiti students with LD in a math class. Pre- and post-tests (consisting of three graduated modules) are administered to a Control Group and an Experimental Group. Successfully completing the first module allows a student with LD to advance to the next module up. The average test scores of students in CG and EG are compared to determine the significance of using the iPad to teach geometrical shapes to students with LD. The present research shows that using assistive technology (e.g., the iPad) enhanced the students’ learning difficulties and enabled students with LD in the experimental group to perform and reach scores three times higher than the students with LD in the control group who were taught geometrical shapes through the traditional method. Students with disabilities require a great deal of attention and cooperation from the school administration, teachers, and parents.
Keywords: Learning Disabilities, Assistive Technology, Academic Achievement, Elementary School, Assistive Teaching, Technology Integration, Technological iPad Method.
Introduction
Technology has become a major component in designing and delivering curricula in all educational settings and has become indispensable especially in the area of learning disabilities. In recent years, research has evidenced that assistive technology enables students with disabilities to successfully carry out tasks that they were formerly unable to perform or with which they had great difficulty. However, research on technologies for use in educational settings has fallen short on how to realize the full pedagogical potential of technologies for learning.
Norris and colleagues (2012) have indicated three crucial classroom teaching trends that research should address: interactive smart boards, student laptops, and student touchpads; and researchers Türel and Johnson (2012) and Erstad and Arnseth (2013) have emphasised using a combination of these three 21^st-century technologies. The current paper asserts the vital importance of integrating such assistive technologies in classrooms for students with learning disabilities, which can help students to bypass the barriers and engage in improved educational experiences. Of these assistive technologies, this research focuses on the iPad. Its purpose is to explore the benefits of integrating the iPad into the elementary classroom curriculum to assess its effect on the academic achievement and performance of students with learning disabilities.