Possibilities of using interactive resources in special education degree programmes

Abstract

Introduction. The article studies the development of special education degree courses based on modern multimedia technologies. The purpose of the research is to reveal the possibilities of using interactive resources in the context of special education degree programmes. Materials and Methods. The study utilized a systematic approach to understanding the concept of special education and employed retrospective and comparative analyses. An online questionnaire was used to collect empirical data in order to clarify the possibilities of using interactive technologies in special education degree courses. The study involved 156 university students pursuing their undergraduate degrees in the field of Special education (Deaf education), as well as 60 teachers from special education settings for deaf, hearing-impaired and late-deaf children. The study was conducted at Herzen University (Herzen Russian State Pedagogical University), special boarding schools №1 and №31 for deaf children, and special boarding schools №33 and №20 for hearing impaired and late-deaf children in St. Petersburg. Results. The study has revealed the possibilities and areas of using interactive resources and clarified the role of multimedia technologies in special education degree programmes. The authors have identified the most convenient and informative types of hyperlinks for special education. The research findings suggest that special education teachers working with deaf and hard-to-hearing students need interactive resources for the purpose of self-education and professional development. Conclusions. In conclusion, the main possibilities of using interactive resources in the context of special education degrees are summarized. The results obtained indicate the need for increasing the number of multimedia resources in the field of special education, which can be used in a blended learning environment.