Page 1 of 12
Journal for Studies in Management and Planning
Available at http://internationaljournalofresearch.org/index.php/JSMaP
e-ISSN: 2395-0463
Volume 01 Issue 07
August 2015
Available online: http://internationaljournalofresearch.org/ P a g e | 70
Impact of observability of Assistive Technology on teaching and
learning of integrated English among the visually impaired
learnersin special secondary schools in Kenya
Reuben Nguyo Wachiuri
Department of Educational, Administration and Planning University of Nairobi
jedidahkimathi121@gmail.com
ABSTRACT
The purpose of the study was to examine
the extent to which observability of
Assistive Technology affect effective
teaching and learning of integrated
English among the visually impaired
learners. The research design was
descriptive research design. The target
population was 4 principals, 48teachers
and 480 students while the sample size
was 4 principals, 218 students and 48
teachers. The sampling techniques were
simple random sampling and purposive
sampling. The data was collected using
questionnaires, observation schedule and
focus group interview.
The hypothesis was not rejected meaning
that there was no significant relationship
between observability of assistive
technology and effective teaching and
learning of integrated English among
visually impaired learners. The hypothesis
test indicated that there was no significant
relationship between observability of AT
and effective teaching and learning of VI.
The researcher recommends that though
the relationship is not statistically
significant it is important to consider
observability of AT device before buying.
Key words: Observability, Assistive
technology, visually impaired
Introduction
Rogers (2003) defined observability as“the
degree to which the results of an
innovation are visible to others” (p. 16).
Assistive technology refers to the devices
and services that are used to increase,
maintain, or improve the capabilities of a
student with a disability (Dell, Newton, &
Petroff, 2012).The foundation For
Assistive Technology (FAST) defines AT
as any product or service designed to
enable independence for disabled and
older people (FAST,2001). The British
Educational Communication and
Technology (BECTA) defined AT as their
software and technology which helps
people with disabilities and special needs
to overcome the additional barriers they
Page 2 of 12
Journal for Studies in Management and Planning
Available at http://internationaljournalofresearch.org/index.php/JSMaP
e-ISSN: 2395-0463
Volume 01 Issue 07
August 2015
Available online: http://internationaljournalofresearch.org/ P a g e | 71
face in communication and learning
(Becta, 2003).
The American Foundation for the Blind
classifies the types of assistive technology
for students who are blind or low vision
into four main categories, as shown in
Table 1 (Presley & D’ Andrea, 2008).
Table 1: Types of Assistive Technology for Students with Visual Impairments
Types Technology Devices
Technology for accessing print
material
Large print, reading stand, acetate overlays, lighting,
handheld and stand magnifiers, telescopes, video
magnification systems, scanning and optical character
recognition (OCR) systems, electronic whiteboards,
Braille reading, tactile graphics, digital talking books, e- book readers, talking calculators, talking dictionaries
Technology for accessing
electronic information
Large monitor, adjustable monitor arms, cursor-enlarging
software, screen magnification software, accessible
personal digital assistant (PDA), large print, online
dictionaries, refreshable Braille displays, touch tablet,
text reader, self-voicing applications, e-book reader,
digital voice recorder
Technology for producing written
communications
Felt-tip pen and bold marker, dedicated word processor,
imaging software, drawing software, math software and
spreadsheets, slate and stylus Braillewriter, electronic
Braillewriter, Braille translation software, Braille
embosser, accessible PDA
No single solution for access to technology
is appropriate for every student with a
visual impairment. Even students with the
same visual loss may require instruction in
different types of assistive technology
based upon their unique needs.
Specifically, students with visual
impairments may require assistive
technology which may focus upon speech
access, braille access, print access, tactile
communication systems, or any
combination of these access modes.
Determination of access mode(s) must be
guided by skilled specialists in the
education of students with visual
impairments who have comprehensive
Page 3 of 12
Journal for Studies in Management and Planning
Available at http://internationaljournalofresearch.org/index.php/JSMaP
e-ISSN: 2395-0463
Volume 01 Issue 07
August 2015
Available online: http://internationaljournalofresearch.org/ P a g e | 72
expertise in blindness and low vision
specific assistive technology and who can
also access individual learning
characteristics (Augusto & Schroeder,
1995).
The increase in assistive technology use
may be attributed to the federal laws
passed which support funding for assistive
technology devices and services. Although
these laws increase the accessibility of
assistive technology, many recipients are
dissatisfied with devices and services.
Dissatisfaction typically results in
discontinuance of assistive technology
devices. A national survey on technology
abandonment found that 29.3% of all
devices obtained were abandoned (Phillips
& Zhao, 1993). Discontinuance of
assistive technology represents a waste of
time and money. There is however, limited
research documenting factors related to
assistive technology discontinuance from
consumers' perspectives. It is important to
gain an understanding of these factors to
aid professionals in designing assistive
technology service delivery techniques.
Assistive technology can improve teaching
and learning in inclusive classrooms in
various ways (Kleiman, 2010).
This research is guided by Rogers' theory
of diffusion (1995) which offers a
comprehensive philosophy regarding the
processes involved in accepting or
discontinuing use of technology.
According to this theory, discontinuance is
a decision to discard an innovation after
previously accepting it. The two types of
discontinuance are replacement (rejection
of an innovation for an improved one) and
disenchantment (rejection of an innovation
due to dissatisfaction
Gale and Cronin (1998) have argued that
educational goals for students who are
blind or vision impaired should be the
same as for other students, with some
modifications and adaptations according to
individual needs. The rapid development
of Information Communication
Technology (ICT) has impacted on the
education sector in South Africa. The
focus has shifted to the increasing use of
ICTs to address teaching, learning and
administrative needs (Archer, 2003;
Engelbrecht, Oswald and Eloff, 2003),
even for visual disability learners.
Similarly the Integrated Education Project
(IEP) was set up by Sight Savers, Ghana,
the Special Education Division (SpED)
and the Ghana Society for the Blind
(GSB). The programme successfully
integrated a totally blind student into a
mainstream school in Hohoe District,
