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trial report
September 2012
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT
iPads in Special
Education
Contents
2
Contents
2
Background
4
Participating school
5
Students
6
Devices
6
Connectivity
8
Findings 9
Recommendations
14
Conclusion
16
Glossary 17
3
Background
The department trials a range of innovative technologies
to engage teachers and learners, supporting and
enhancing the use of information communication
technologies (ICT) in schools.
An iPad Trial conducted in 2011 found many benefits of
using iPads in traditional classrooms. After publication of
the iPad trial report, a Head of Special Education Services
(HOSES) contacted the department curious if there was a
technical solution for using an iPad as an assistive device
for physically impaired students who were unable to use
the interactive whiteboard (IWB) at her school.
As a result of this enquiry and as part of the Department of
Education, Training and Employment’s (DETE) commitment
to ensure the latest technology is suitable for all students,
it was decided to conduct an iPads in Special Education
Trial to explore the use of iPads as an assistive device for
physically impaired students. A remote control iPad app
called Splashtop Whiteboard was used as it would provide
students with the ability to manipulate data, text and
objects on the iPad, as opposed to using an IWB.
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The aim of the iPads in Special Education Trial was to:
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• research the suitability of the iPad for students with
multiple impairments;
• assess the compatibility of the Splashtop Whiteboard
iPad app with DETE ICT infrastructure; and,
• showcase trial outcomes through the Queensland
Association of Special Education Leaders (QASEL)
conference and inform advice for schools.
The trial was conducted in a special education program
(SEP) in a primary school setting. Three iPads were
shared amongst nine students, with one teacher and one
teacher aide, over a period of six months.
Data was collected via technical testing of the
Splashtop Whiteboard app, observations and feedback
from teachers, students and parents.
Participating school
The trial school was
Grand Avenue State School.
Grand Avenue State School is a Band 11 state primary
school, situated in Forest Lake Queensland. The school
delivers a curriculum based on Key Learning Areas (KLAs)
with ICT integrated.
Educational setting
Prep – Year 7
It is the state’s largest primary school and has a
considerable population of students with disabilities. A
proportion of these students are physically impaired and,
in many instances, confined to wheelchairs. The iPads in
Special Education Trial focused only on a small class of
students in the SEP.
Student population
1229
Region
Metropolitan
Connectivity
Wi-Fi Coverage (H3C)
1
#
$
5
Students
The SEP class was comprised of nine students aged from eight to 12 years old.
They ranged from Year 4 to Year 7 and had a range of
impairments, including Physical Impairments (PI), Autism
Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Intellectual Impairments (II)
and Hearing Impairments (HI).
These students had a range of conditions such as
Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome, Muscular Dystrophy
and Acquired Brain Injury. Significant challenges were
being experienced by these students in the classroom,
including technical challenges.
Particular students could not:
• reach the IWB because of decreased motor skills
and restriction to wheelchairs;
• manipulate a mouse or standard stylus due to
compromised fine motor skills; and,
• relate movement of the mouse to the cursor
movement on the computer screen.
Name
Student #
12 - 1223 - 43
Devices
The school was provided with three 16GB WiFi
iPad 2 devices with protective cases. These were
departmentally funded and returned at completion
of the trial.
For more detailed specifications on the iPad
2, please visit the Apple website.
6
$
7
Connectivity
The SEP classroom had wireless infrastructure suitable for the trial, therefore Wi-Fi only iPads
were provided. During the trial, iPads were connected to the department’s network. This
ensured there was student filtered internet access required for duty of care responsibilities.
The Splashtop Whiteboard app requires the iPad
to connect wirelessly to the computer connected to
another screen, for example, the IWB. The IWB is then
controlled using the touch-based interface on the iPad.
The classroom had a H3C wireless access point and,
therefore, a very good wireless connection.
8
To ensure the technology would work in other scenarios,
testing was also conducted at other schools with older
3Com wireless access points, and also in a corporate
environment where the wired and wireless devices were
on separate VLANs (also similar to a large school design).
Findings
Name
Student #
Research the suitability of the iPad
for students with multiple impairments.
12 - 1223 - 43
The integrated features of the iPad allowed all students
to become more independent and engaged in learning.
The iPad Trial Report (2011) highlighted many benefits of using iPads in the
classroom to engage students in learning. These included the ability to break
tasks down into achievable parts, light weight, comfortable size, ease of use,
battery life and the vast range of apps available. These factors were further
confirmed during the course of this trial.
A more specific benefit emphasised by Alastair, the trial teacher, was the ability
for students to take a photo or video, then seamlessly edit and combine into
other programs such as iMovie, ComicStrip or Creative Book Builder. He said this
provided the students with a “one stop shop” which was an easy stepping stone
to then lead on to facilitate class discussion and illustrative recounts. For example,
a wheelchair bound student who was unable to interact with the class worm farm
could get a closer experience of “the real” by watching worm farm videos his
classmates had created, then incorporate them into his own work.
The iPad removed a level of abstraction for
intellectually impaired students.
For students with intellectual impairment, the iPad removed a level of abstraction
that was putting a barrier between the student and the curriculum. The touch
interface of the iPad allowed students to directly interact with objects and text on
the screen, rather than via a mouse on the desk that moved an on-screen pointer.
9
Findings
The teacher needed time to explore the device and various
apps personally before implementing in the classroom.
The teacher commented that while support from the department was invaluable
during the trial, it wasn’t until he had time to himself, over a holiday period, that
he could really explore the way the device and apps could best be utilised. He said
that after he got to ‘know’ the device he recognised and emphasised the need for
iPads as an assistive device for special needs students, in particular in the areas of
communication and creativity.
The use of iPads with DETE ICT Infrastructure still
presented various challenges.
Some of the challenges encountered during the first iPad trial were experienced
by the teacher during this trial also. These included the management of multiple
devices, proxies and limitations such as no support plugins for Adobe Flash,
Microsoft Silverlight and Java.
$
Nonetheless, the teacher, students and parents still found the benefits
far outweighed the negatives of these technical challenges.
No iPads were damaged during the course of the trial.
The students highly valued their own and classmate’s engagement with the
devices and showed care by keeping the iPads in the protective cases and
following teacher instruction.
Parents found the iPads to be so successful and useful that,
after the trial, many of them purchased an iPad for home
use for their children.
Parents commented that the benefits the iPads were bringing to their children in
the classroom were so amazing, that they purchased them to use at home.
10
1
#
Findings
Assess the compatibility of the Splashtop
Whiteboard iPad App with DETE ICT infrastructure.
Splashtop Whiteboard is a remote control iPad app that allows an iPad to see and
control the laptop/PC connected to a data projector in the classroom. The app uses
the three ports 6783, 6784 and 6785, by default, which can be changed if used
by other apps. A free utility, Splashtop Streamer, is run on the laptop/PC (either
Windows or Mac), while the iPad app itself cost approximately $20 at the time of
trial. Security is provided by an eight to 20 character password that is input into
both the PC and iPad so they connect wirelessly.
The Splashtop Whiteboard app operated successfully on the
department network in not only the trial school, but in other
various educational settings.
During testing on both H3C and 3Com wireless, the iPad was able to successfully
detect the computer running the Splashtop Whiteboard and Splashtop Streamer
application when both were on the same network segment. When the computer
and iPad were on different VLANs, such as in the corporate environment or similar
to a large school design, the IP address of the computer was required to be entered
in the setup on the iPad, but it then connected easily.
The Splashtop Whiteboard app allowed students to actively
engage in lessons incorporating ICT.
Splashtop Whiteboard enabled students to fully participate in classroom activities
involving the IWB, like their more abled peers. They were able to access software
on the PC specifically designed for students with special needs including Clicker 6,
Co: Writer, Communicate: By Choice and flash-based software, which is normally is
not accessible on an iPad, including ABC Reading Eggs and Reading Doctor.
A mother of a trial student was so impressed with the potential of Splashtop Whiteboard,
she purchased it herself to enable her son to access ABC Reading Eggs at home.
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Findings
During early testing of Splashtop Whiteboard, a small
number of technical challenges arose.
When the teacher initially tried Splashtop Whiteboard in combination with the
iPad and the Computers for Teachers (CFT) HP laptop, the mouse pointer was
flickering on the projector screen (not the laptop screen). This caused slowness
and difficulty of navigation. Further testing revealed that it was only occurring
with that one computer. As this computer was close to replacement, the CFT team
kindly allowed an earlier replacement for continuation of the trial. When using
the new replacement Dell CFT, the ‘flickering mouse pointer’ problem completely
disappeared.
Another challenge that arose during the first few weeks of trial was Splashtop
Whiteboard losing connection occasionally. When the loss of connection occurred,
it caused slight disruption to the classroom activity, but could be quickly and easily
reconnected. Fortunately, this problem did not occur for very long as an update
of the Splashtop Whiteboard app during trial provided the solution, and loss of
connection was not experienced again.
The Splashtop Whiteboard app allowed teachers to become
more mobile while using technology in the classroom.
Splashtop Whiteboard provided teachers with the ability to present “wirelessly”
when using the data projector, allowing intera ctivity to happen anywhere in the
room, not just on the IWB at the front. This was evident when testing the app at
an alternative school site with an older 3Com wireless; a support teacher was
overwhelmingly positive in her feedback about the app:
“My world has changed…just had the best lesson with my little Year 3’s using
Splashtop Whiteboard….thank you….thank you. The good news is that Splashtop
Whiteboard is making my board completely interactive and I am just loving it”
Support Teacher.
12
Findings
Showcase trial outcomes through the Queensland
Association of Special Education Leaders (QASEL)
conference and inform advice for schools.
Presentation at the QASEL conference, June 2012.
The trial teacher, Alastair, presented trial information at the QASEL conference in
Brisbane to approximately 350 attendees in June 2012. The conference delegation
consisted of principals, deputy principals, Heads of Special Education Services
(HOSES), Teachers and Support Staff from Special Schools and Special Education
Programs throughout Queensland. Alastair presented using a Keynote iPad app
slideshow he had created. It highlighted successes of the trial and displayed
examples of student’s engagement with the iPads. He concluded with a video
created by the students in iMovie. The audience responded well and found
the information very interesting. The audience responded well and found the
information very interesting. This also met the trial aim to showcase outcomes and
further reinforced iPads as being an effective assistive device in special education.
Trial outcomes informed an advice for special
education settings.
The Grand Avenue State School trial and additional research in other special
education settings was conducted to establish recommendations for schools
catering for students with special needs. This research assisted in developing an
advice for schools: Mobile Devices in Special Education guide.
13
Recommendations
For schools:
14
•
Allow teachers sufficient time to become familiar and confident with the
device prior to using the classroom.
•
Help protect iPads, ensure protective cases (an assortment of cases are
available) are utilised and students understand the value of the devices.
•
Consider assistive accessories and any additional hardware that may be
required, especially for students with special needs.
•
Consider the implications of deploying iPads, in terms of financial cost and
resourcing, including administration, professional development, mobile device
management (MDM) software and additional technical support. The total cost
of ownership is not limited to the initial device purchase.
•
Read the Schools guide for purchasing and using personal
productivity devices.
•
Explore app suggestions in Mobile Devices in Special Education guide
via the iPad Trials website
•
Keep informed by accessing the range of iPad support available via
Service Centre Online. Select ‘Mobile Devices’ from ‘Popular Topics’.
•
Subscribe to the Discussion List:
Mobile devices for learning –iPad/iPod/tablets.
For DETE:
•
Continue research into solutions for proxy and management challenges.
•
Develop a process and advice for schools for the Apple
Volume Purchase Program.
•
Conduct more trial research in school settings to further inform
decision-making and future projects.
15
Conclusion
Based on the findings from the iPads in Special Education trial, it
can be concluded that the aim of the trial was explored, that being to:
•
research the suitability of the iPad for students with multiple impairments;
•
assess the compatibility of the Splashtop Whiteboard iPad app with DETE ICT
infrastructure; and,
•
showcase trial outcomes through the Queensland Association of Special
Education Leaders (QASEL) conference and inform advice for schools.
The benefits of the iPad as an assistive device for students with multiple
impairments, particularly using the Splashtop Whiteboard app, were
overwhelmingly positive, with great feedback from trial teachers, students and
parents. With an increase in student engagement, introducing iPads is a step
forward for technologies used in special education.
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16
Glossary
3Com
Wireless access points.
ABC Reading Eggs
Online reading games and activities.
Apps
Small software applications built for mobile devices available from the iTunes App store.
CFT
Computers for Teachers.
Clicker 6
Reading and writing tool that incorporates words, pictures and sounds. Reinforces sentence structure, phonetic skills and left-to-right reading and writing.
ComicStrip - CS
Simple comic strip creator with various templates, speech bubbles and stickers.
Communicate
By Choice: Software program that supports users to learn to make choices. Includes more than 100 activities that cover topics such as comprehension, sequencing and visual discrimination.
Co: Writer
Co Writer works in conjunction with other applications such as Microsoft Word and as words are typed it interprets spelling and grammar mistakes and offers word suggestions in real time.
Creative Book Builder
Create, edit and publish ebooks. Can export to iBooks.
DETE
Department of Education, Training and Employment.
H3C
Department’s high density wireless solution (Wi-Fi).
HOSES
Head of Special Education Services.
HP
Hewlett-Packard.
ICT
Information and Communication Technologies.
iMovie
Used to create high definition movies.
IP Internet Protocol.
iPad 2
Second generation Apple iPad.
iTunes
A proprietary digital media application, used for playing and organising digital music and video files. The application is also an interface to manage iPods, iPhones and iPads.
IWB
Interactive Whiteboard.
KLAs
Key Learning Areas.
MDM
Mobile Device Management.
MIS
Managed Internet Service.
PC
Personal Computer.
PY
Preparatory Year.
QASEL Queensland Association of Special Education Leaders.
QDETA-X
Department’s wireless network.
Reading Doctor
Software program designed for students who are beginner or struggling readers. With a phonetic focus, it encompasses letter-sound knowledge, blends, segmentation, sight words, auditory/visual discrimination, word knowledge and articulation.
SEP
Special Education Program.
Splashtop Whiteboard
Connect iPad to computer using Wi-Fi. Watch flash media and control PC from the iPad.
VLAN
Virtual Local Area Network.
17
Licence
Attribution
This iPads in Special Education trial is licensed by
the State of Queensland (Department of Education,
Training and Employment) under a Creative Commons
Attribution (CC BY) 3.0 Australia licence.
Content from this guide should be attributed as:
CC BY Licence
Summary Statement
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The State of Queensland (Department of Education, Training
and Employment) iPads in Special Education trial 2012.
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