Search

This study explored the apprenticeship of students with high-incidence disabilities into the discipline of history through mediation of a web-based instructional environment, the Virtual History Museum (VHM). Thirteen students with high-incidence disabilities spread across two co-taught classrooms participated. They engaged in two units of American history within the VHM. Students' written responses, interviews, and classroom discussions revealed their emerging understanding of multiple perspectives and apprenticeship into the role of historians. Specifically, the students were able to see and accurately represent multiple perspectives about controversial figures in history, as well as take a position and support their position with a rationale. (Contains 5 figures and 2 footnotes.)

This qualitative research project explored factors that mitigated teachers implementing an instructional assistive technology and factors that mitigated its sustained use. Specifically, it explored these issues in relation to a social studies based instructional assistive technology (Virtual History Museum [VHM]), which was originally implemented by teachers as part of a research project. Teachers in the interview-based qualitative study suggested four main factors impacted their use and sustained use of the instructional assistive technology: the benefits provided, the issue of time, the support teachers received, and the use of technology. Specifically, teachers noted the tool benefited students, but they were overwhelmed by the time constraints, the challenge of working with technology, and the need of support to sustain its use. The factors in this study support previous research as factors impeding use of technology in general and special education. (Contains 2 tables.)

History is an important but often overlooked content area for all students in this current era of accountability. Yet instruction in history can help students become problem solvers and learn to make interpretations from multiple perspectives. This article reports the results of a pilot study examining history learning across three groups of students (i.e., students with disabilities, students without disabilities, and students enrolled in an honors class) as they studied history (a unit on Andrew Jackson) through a Web-based history learning environment--the Virtual History Museum. The results indicate students in all three ability groups made gains from pretest to posttest in factual knowledge and reasoning about key concepts of the unit. The results provide preliminary support that a Web-based learning environment that includes features to assist students with mild disabilities can improve learning for all students at about the same rate. (Contains 3 tables.)

In contrast to other school subjects, social studies has not received adequate attention in the education of students with disabilities, although it is an important domain of study for all students. In this article, the authors describe how teachers can use Web-based tools, such as the Virtual History Museum (VHM), to complement their instruction. They explain how using VHM integrates the principles and tenets of universal design for learning, and responds to student interest and needs. They also discuss how it can help teachers improve social studies curriculum for all students. (Contains 2 tables and 2 figures.)

For the past few years, Lansing Community College (LCC) has been engaged in a comprehensive, transformative initiative called 'Operation 100%,' whose goal is 100 percent completion for students in certificate, [...]

Examines the ways in which information and communication technologies, like the Virtual History Museum (VHM), can effectively teach history to students with special needs. Method that will be used to evaluate the progress of students with disabilities; Challenges of teaching and learning history; Features of VHM; Instructional unit in VHM.