Educational Technology: Benefits, Challenges and Effective Practices for Students Experiencing Learning Disabilities.

Abstract

This meta-synthesis examines the use of technology with special education students experiencing learning disabilities. The primary areas of examination are benefits, challenges and effective practices. During the review of the literature there were nine themes that were evident amongst the 39 articles. These themes related to the benefits, challenges and effective practices for use of technology with students experiencing learning disabilities. The emerging themes that are identified as being benefits to students and teachers who use technology are motivation and interest, accommodation potential, and ease of use. Challenges that came up as emerging themes are training, matching technology to student need, generalization, and technical issues. The effective practices that emerged most prominently were student data driving decision making and evidence or research based practices.