Zayed UniversityAdditional Mobile Learning in an

Inclusive University Setting

Ursula Walsh 2015

The Research

• 5 Case Studies

• 4 Documented Additional Needs

• Classroom Assistants

• Assistive Technology /Apps

Additional Disabilities

• Physical Seen and Unseen

• Learning

• Emotional

• Psychiatric

Who are the Students?

• Speak 2 languages

• They have opinions

• They have ideas

• They have a voice

Not that Different

Statistics United Arab Emirates:• The percentage of people with additional needs in the UAE is

close to the worldwide average of 8-10 % of the population (Bradshaw, 2004, p.51).

• The concept of social equality, safety, and fairness for all Emirati citizens is enunciated in Article 14 of the UAE Constitution.

• Male Ss face more behavioural problems than Female & those Ss who do have intellectual disabilities exhibit more behavioural problems than Ss who have physical disability

• (Sartawi,AlMuhairy & Abdat, 2011)

More Research

• More Ss with Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Asperger's are entering Higher Education

• This affects both their Reading/Writing ability in Arabic and English

• Generic research in the UAE is limited

• Cultural beliefs impact support

( Aboudan,Eapen,Bayshak, Al-Mansori&Al-Shamsi, 2011)

What do Hidden Disabilities have in common?

• One is unable to “see” the disability.• There are no “visible” supports to indicate a disability

such as canes, wheelchairs, use of sign language.• It is a permanent disability that they cope with on a

daily basis.• The disability may be managed through medication or

behavior such as in the case of diabetes, asthma, epilepsy or psychiatric disorders.

• The person is in some kind of physical or emotional pain.

Challenges for a person with a hidden disability:

• They may not know they have a disability or regard themselves as such.

• They may not have been diagnosed.• They may not know what they need.• They may know what they need, but are unable to

articulate it.• They may often feel misunderstood or may feel

ignored or feel invalidated.• They may suspect something is wrong, but not know

what it is or how to fix it.

Testing:

• There are no adequate Arabic Language tests available

• Ss are tested by using English language English/ Culture tests

• How can we be sure they are accurate?

• Confidentiality

Inside the classroom:The communication domain

• difficulty clearly expressing thoughts• difficulty receiving and interpreting verbal

information• difficulty participating in class discussions• difficulty with higher level language skills, for

example thinking hypothetically or

Studying :The academic domain

• distractibility when reading• signs of physical strain when reading; e.g., rubbing

eyes, yawning,• head held close to text• use of finger to track when reading• slow or extremely fast reading speed relative to

peers• apparent carelessness when reading instructions• lack of understanding of written materials

What Can You Do?*

• Looking at Ability NOT at

• Disability

Teachers are Key !

• Teachers are perceived to be integral to the implementation of inclusive education (Haskell, 2000).

• Inclusive education can only be successful if teachers are part of the team driving this process (Horne, 1983; Malone, Gallagher, & Long, 2001).

Differentiate the Learning

• Differentiation instruction

• Differentiated dimension

Assistive Technology• What Is Assistive Technology?• Technology that can be used to enhance the functional

independence of a person with a disability.

• Often, for people with disabilities, accomplishing daily tasks such as talking with friends, going to school and work, or participating in recreational activities is a challenge.

• AT devices are tools to help to overcome those challenges and enable people living with disabilities to enhance their quality of life and lead more independent lives.

Apps on A Mac, I phone, I Pad

• With these innovative technologies built in, iOS devices become powerful and

affordable assistive devices.•

• Vision• Hearing• Physical and• Motor Skills• Learning and• Literacy

Built in Apps

• If you are blind or have low vision, you can use

Voice Over, an advanced screen reader, to get

the most from your iOS device. Siri and

Dictation help you type, launch apps and read,

Calendar useful for organisation.

Audio Issues

• Students with impaired hearing or total deafness :

• Speak to Text ..Siri

• Hearing Loops

Planning for instruction

• What steps can you take to make your classroom more user friendly?

• How can we adapt to ensure Inclusivity?

• Do you involve students in the management of their classroom?

• Pair/Group/Team/ Individual work?

Bring the UAE into our classrooms

• Students from different have a wealth of content to contribute to a learning environment.

• Differentiated instruction stimulates creativity and helps students understand ideas at higher levels of thinking than learning through memorization alone.

Learning Activities:

• How do you provide lesson overviews?• Graphics?

• Is silence used as a tool for listening and answering?• Ask………… Silence……………..Answer • How do you check ‘Learning’ ?

• How do you know the home work/deadlines are understood?

Reinforcement:

• Do you begin every lesson as a clean slate?• Do you vary delivery by;…….(Get a student to do

it) • Pace (check they are following)• Degree of learning• Presenting (by students)• Reading (silently /out loud) Read to them/they

read to you• Mini projects done by a few to illustrate learning

New Technology: Your voice or theLearners’ who posts the most on Edmodo/Black

Board etc..• Do your Ss have a voice in your classroom?• Who provides the materials for supplementary

learning?• Who represents the learners in your classroom?• Who makes the voice over for the Flipped

Classroom?• How much time is spent one on one with

students?

*The first and most important principle of technology integration is that the focus should be on the outcome of the instruction, and not on the technology itself.

When technology is used just for the sake of doing something new and different, teachers fail to harness the affordances of the technology to support the needs of the learning situation

http://otswithapps.com/2012/07/29/apps-list-for-middlehigh-school-adults-with-learning-disabilities-2/

http://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/dyslexic/dyslexia-and-specific-learning-difficulties-in-adults