Will technology promote

participation and inclusion

of pupils with dyslexia

Marianne Björn

Department of Pedagogy

Linnaeus University

Växjö, Sweden

Main study

An intervention study that is investigating if the use of tablets can have an effect on the reading and writing ability of pupils with reading and writing difficulties

216 pupils (108 intervention, 108 control). From grade 4 (primary), grade 8 (secondary) and year 1 in upper secondary school

One-to-one sessions á 30-40 minutes with a remedial teacher during 6 weeks

Intervention

Ordinary teaching Prepare pupil

Intervention

Ordinary teaching

Ordinary teaching

PausT1: 3w. T2 2w.3w. 3w. T3: 1year - T4

24 intervention sessions during 6 weeks ; 3 weeks interventions, 2 weeks paus, 3 weeks intervention (3-2-3). Follow-up after one year.

Applications used in the project

Speech recognition

Scan text Speech syntheziser

Idor 14-05-13

Pages

2

Spelling and writing

The purpose of my part of the study

To investigate possible transfer of intervention-trained technology use to everyday classroom activities, based on the underlying assumption that the technology will serve as a mediator for achieving increased participation and inclusion in the classroom

Research questions about the teacher

• What pedagogical dilemmas may occur when the participating children uses their tools for their academic classroom work

• What didactical dilemmas may arise when a teacher has to handle pupils with special technological tools in the classroom

Research questions about pupils and the classroom• How do the participating pupils’ use of technological tools in

the classroom change over time?• How do pupils with reading and writing difficulties regard the

tools offered when it comes to enhance reading and writing skills?

• What measures are taken from the school/teachers to facilitate the use of the tools in the classroom?

• What tensions, as defined within CHAT, may be found in the classroom activities, mainly in connection to reading and writing?

To collect qualitative data through

• Observation in the classroom• Of interaction• Of the pupils and teachers use of the tools

• Formal and informal interviews with pupils• Formal and informal interviews with teachers

To use Activity Theory to analyse

Observation of the pupil in the classroom

When observing the pupil’s activities while using the mediating technology

• Identify activities connected to reading• Is the tablet used to support reading actions• Does the tablet support the reading

• Identify activities connected to writing• Is the tablet used to support writing actions• Does the tablet support the writing

• What actions may be used to mediate participation• What actions may be used to mediate accessibility

Pilot study

Observation in three classrooms where the pupils use iPad in the classroom

• Two Swedish classes • One English class• Grade 5 (11-12 years old). • Informal interviews with two pupils with dyslexia and two

teachers.

Supportive reading and writing tools

Task to solve Accomplished taskPupil with RWD

Result

Easy to make the activity system and to identify tensions within it

Difficult to identify an enhanced learning experience due to the use of the tools

Difficult to connect activities and result to project tool use

The teachers were busy and not always aware of when the participating pupils used the tools

The pupils did not think that they needed to use special tools

Questions emerging from the pilot study

• How do you distinguish what actions are mediated of what instruments

• How can you tell that the outcome is a result of increased reading and writing ability, or enhanced learning in general, due to the technology tools used

• Is the Activity Theory applicable for identifying traces of enhanced learning or the assistance offered by the project technology

Thank you!