Using Alexa to Differentiate Instruction in the Special Education Classroom

Adrian Weir,Riley College Of Education, Walden University, Minneapolis, Mn

doi:10.47191/ijmra/v5-i2-34

Adrian Weir, Riley College Of Education, Walden University, Minneapolis, Mn

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.47191/ijmra/v5-i2-34

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Abstract

Access to technologies and understanding the potential uses of technology to differentiate instruction have been a concern for the teachers and students in a local school district located in the southeastern United States. Despite the emergence of digital voice assistants (DVAs) as tools for instructions, teachers lack knowledge and strategies for using DVAs to differentiate instruction in their classrooms. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to identify teacher knowledge and strategies employed among special education (SPED) teachers using DVAs to differentiate instruction in their classrooms. The concepts of Carol Tomlinson’s differentiation theory and Mishra and Koehler’s TPACK framework served as the foundation of this study. The research questions examined middle school SPED teachers’ perceptions of challenges using DVAs to differentiate instruction, resources, and strategies available to these teachers and their perceived knowledge of using DVAs to differentiate instruction. In this basic qualitative study, data were collected from 6 SPED teachers using semistructured interviews. The findings suggest that teachers had little to no perceived challenges when using DVAs to differentiate instructions. However, the overutilization of DVAs might rob students of their ability to think independently. This study offers several prospects for future research related to the topic and findings. Further research is needed at the elementary and high school levels that may include core content teachers.

Highlights

Access to technologies and understanding the potential uses of technology to differentiate instruction has been a concern for the teachers and students in a local school district in the southeastern United States (U.S.) (Assistant principal, personal communication, July 3, 2019)
The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore teachers’ perceptions, knowledge, and strategies employed among special education (SPED) teachers using digital voice assistants (DVAs) to differentiate instruction in their classrooms
The first research question was: What are the perceived challenges faced by middle school SPED teachers using DVAs in differentiating instructions in SPED classrooms? After analyzing the interview questions that corresponded with this research question, the findings suggested that teachers had little to no perceived challenges when using DVAs to differentiate instructions in SPED classrooms

Summary

Introduction

Access to technologies and understanding the potential uses of technology to differentiate instruction has been a concern for the teachers and students in a local school district in the southeastern United States (U.S.) (Assistant principal, personal communication, July 3, 2019). The school district enforces the “bring your own device” (BYOD) policy This policy enables students to bring personal learning devices to offset the district’s lack of technology (Teacher, personal communication, March 6, 2019). The local school district does not mandate the use of DVAs; with a lack of technological resources and training on how to effectively differentiate instructions, teachers are forced to be creative in incorporating technologies to differentiate instructions to meet a 4.0 rubric requirement (SPED teacher, personal communication, February 2, 2019). The report stipulated that many districts misunderstood the question related to BYOD versus district-assigned devices Students with learning challenges have varying difficulties, frequently covered up or inconspicuous, that influence learning their entire lives[3]

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