The Analysis of Technology Assistance for Children (ATAC) project was undertaken in recognition of the severe limit in information on current practices in field applications of assistive technology. Specifically, the ATAC project focused on investigating three problem areas: (1) the status of assistive technology in educational and related settings with school-age children with disabilities; (2) the benefits and barriers associated with using assistive technology for these youngsters; and (3) the effects of assistive technology use. A major aspect of the project involved a general survey of assistive technology use in special education classrooms across three states: Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee. This article presents the results of this effort, and discusses the implications in regard to improving practices in the field.

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In this article we review the research literature since 1980 on uses of technology in special education. Unlike past reviews, which have typically focused on academically related issues and the effectiveness of computer-assisted instruction, this review also summarizes the extensive observational and naturalistic studies, as well as research efforts in technology-based assessment. This diversity of research in special education stems from the multiple roles of the special education teacher, who, in addition to bearing instructional responsibilities, often determines eligibility for services, tracks progress toward IEP goals, and facilitates a student’s day-to-day participation in general education settings.

This observational study examined changes in teachers' instruction and student outcomes in response to a 3‐year‐long professional development collaboration between university researchers and a middle‐school language arts team. Professional development supported teachers in implementing multimedia anchored instruction, a video‐based instructional method shown to be effective for diverse learners. The Integrated Curriculum Project (ICP‐3) used multimedia anchored instruction to promote constructivist reform and infuse technology into an integrated social studies and language arts curriculum to improve literacy and critical thinking skills for at‐risk adolescents, including students with disabilities and those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Findings revealed that teachers moved toward a more learner‐centered instructional approach and that both teachers and students made significant changes in classroom behaviors, including the quantity and quality of questions and time spent in small‐group discussion. Implications for research and practice regarding sustained, collaborative professional development in technology integration, in this case, using multimedia anchored instruction, are presented. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

This study employed classroom observations and teacher and student interviews to examine the impact of anchored instruction on student and teacher behaviors in two inclusive ninth-grade language arts classes. Specifically, the investigators examined the effect of anchored instruction on (a) the length (long or short) and level (factual or interpretive) of questions asked by, and responses to student questions by, the classroom teacher; (b) the length and level of questions asked by, and responses made by, ninth-grade students; and (c) student participation in classroom instructional activities. Overall, the results of this study supported the use of anchored instruction as a promising intervention for high school students with high-incidence disabilities. The results indicated that as teachers increased the level and length of their questions, students reciprocated by providing higher level and longer responses to questions and asked longer and higher level questions. Students were observed to be more actively involved in classroom instructional activities, and they increased their school attendance. The data collected in this study support the idea that technology combined with effective instruction can yield positive results for students and teachers. However, although the data are promising, they are preliminary. They underscore the importance of conducting additional research examining the impact of anchored instruction and its component parts on the academic outcomes attained by middle and high school students with high-incidence disabilities.

This preliminary study explores and describes the effects of a multimedia based anchored instruction intervention on student/teacher interactions in an eighth grade social studies classroom. Nineteen students enrolled in a general education 8th grade social studies class participated in the year long study, including ten general education students and nine students with mild disabilities. Overall, instruction became more interactive as observational and interview data indicated a twofold increase in the number of daily student/teacher interactions after the intervention was implemented. Concurrently, the quality of the interactions, as indicated by the number of interpretive questions asked by teachers, was found to be substantially higher than those occurring during the baseline phase of this study. Results show that, during the intervention period, less class time was spent in addressing management problems and task/direction issues.

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