Assistive Technology & Ethics

Assistive Technology and Ethics
Michaela Noakes
Doug Strahler
April 12, 2011

Articles
Teaching Assistive Technology through Wikis and Embedded Video
By Oliver Dreon, Jr. and Nanette I. Dietrich
When Dealing with Human Subjects: Balancing Ethical and Practical
Matters in the Field
By Michael A. Evans and Liesl M. Combs

Teaching Assistive Technology through Wikis
and Embedded Video
By Oliver Dreon, Jr. and Nanette I. Dietrich

Timeline of Assistive Technology Definition
 Any item, piece of equipment, or system, whether acquired commercially,
modified, or customized, that is commonly used to increase, maintain, or
improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities (Taken from the
Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Standards)
 Technology-Related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities Act of 1988 (The
Tech Act)


The first formal, legal definition of assistive technology was published



This act was amended in 1994

 Assistive Technology Act of 1998 ("AT Act")


Repealed and replaced The Tech Act, but the definition stayed the same

 Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Standards (1998)


Developed as required by 1998 amendments to Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act



Definition stated the same

(AccessIT, n.p.)

Overview of Situation
 Typically took students into the AT lab to use the equipment
 AT Lab was under construction
 Alternative solution proposed by student

Alternative Solution
 Student remembered seeing a YouTube video that demonstrated the use of
an AT device
 “The device transferred spoken word into text through the use of a wireless
microphone and a student laptop.” (Dreon Jr. & Dietrich, 78)

 “This spontaneous teaching moment ultimately lead to the solution to our
dilemma.” (Dreon Jr. & Dietrich, 78)
 This allowed for a student to apply real world experience to the classroom

The Solution
 Teachable moment for the educators
 Reflection and collaboration
 Wiki & Video (Ability to promote learning from a sociocultural perspective)

Sociocultural Perspectives
 “Learning is situated in social and physical contexts, occurs through
interaction within a group, and is distributed across the individual, the
community, and the tools they use.” (Dreon Jr. & Dietrich, 79)
 Based on work by Vygotsky (1978) and Dewey (1933)

The Class Wiki Objective
 Post YouTube and TeacherTube videos that demonstrated AT
 Short wiki tutorial was provided
 Asked to post videos that were respectful in nature
 Required to post different videos and comment on classmates videos
 Goal: Provide a meaningful experience
 Personalizing Assistive Technology & Visualizing Future Teaching

Personalizing Assistive Technology
 Prior to this exercise, classes never observed special needs students using
the devices
 Focus shifted from the specific technology to the pedagogy and how the
technology can assist the learning

 Learning how the technology is being used, as opposed to how to use the
technology
 Context of student reflections also changed

Visualizing Future Teaching
 Teachers visualized a change in role as educators
 Practicing teachers
 Reflected on how technology could support student learning

 Virtual Field Experience
 Empty lab: Hands-on experience
 Wiki: Eyes-on experience

 Hybrid approach

Additional Literature
 Higher Education Migrates to YouTube and Social Networks
 “Second, high school and college students, who use our materials to enhance their own
classroom instruction or to do research for papers and projects.” (p. 20)
 “…create feelings of belonging.” (p. 21)

Additional Literature (cont.)
 YouTube, Critical Pedagogy, and Media Activism
 “This technological development [YouTube] has amplified individuals’ voluntary
participation in mutual education through proliferating new voices and visions, making
possible the democratization of knowledge and learning in their daily lives.” (p. 15)
 “The real value of education as self-realization can never be confined to a classroom.” (p.
16)
 “…means that consumers are at liberty to freely move around cyberspace and make the
choices they desire without restriction found in ‘real’ space.” (p. 25)

When Dealing with Human Subjects: Balancing
Ethical and Practical Matters in the Field
By Michael A. Evans & Liesl M. Combs

“Shall conduct research using professionally
accepted guidelines and procedures, especially
as they apply to protecting participants from
harm.”
Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT)

Defining Qualitative & Quantitative
 Qualitative
 “Data in which the variables are not in numerical form, but are in the form of
text, photographs, sound bytes, and so on.” (Trochim, G6)

 Quantitative
 “The numerical representation of some object. A quantitative variable is any variable that
is measured using numbers.” (Trochim, G6)

How does one do good instructional technology
research and design, balancing ethical concerns
with sound qualitative methods?

Defining Research
 “Research means a systematic investigation, including research
development, testing and evaluation, designed to develop or contribute to
generalizable knowledge.” (Duquesne University, n.p.)

A Commitment to Working in the Field
 “Instructional technology researchers and designers committed to emergent
understandings, to gaining emic insights on a focal phenomenon...” (Evans &
Combs, 31)
 Methodologies:
 Ethnography
 Naturalistic inquiry
 Action research
 Case study
 Design-based research

Ethical Issues
 Adequately detailing the scope of research
 “IRBs are rightly more concerned with ethics than validity” (Evans & Combs, 31)

 Capturing detailed data on participants
 Maintaining anonymity and confidentiality, especially with minors

 Ensuring confidentiality and anonymity through digitized data capture

Three Focal Points Influencing Methods
 Respect for persons
 Beneficence
 Justice

Respect for persons
 “Ensure that research participants are treated as autonomous agents and
are not manipulated as merely means to a given research end.” (Evans &
Combs, 32)
 Informed consent
 Assurance of assent for minors is paramount
 Verbal assent in the presence of a parent, guardian or teacher
 Assent must be recorded for IRB approval

 Ethical dilemma: Alteration to assignments or class time

Beneficence
 “Defined as an obligation on the part of researchers to do no harm, maximize
possible benefits and minimize possible harms.” (Evans & Combs, 32)
 “The term ‘beneficence’ is often understood to cover acts of kindness or charity
that go beyond strict obligation.” (The National Commission for the Protection of
Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral
Research, 5)
 Heightened sensitivity by researchers to the needs and changing levels of
comfort of participants to have data collected on their behaviors in the
classroom
 Participants must explicitly know that withdrawal from the study is always an
option

 No coercion has been introduced or perceived
 Maximizing benefits to all participants

Justice
 “Obligating researchers to guarantee equity of treatment--that all learners
have access to the same treatments and all expectations for requirements
are equal.” (Evans & Combs, 33)
 Assured justice by:
 the intervention was not significantly different from normal classroom procedures
 all students had the opportunity to engage in all experimental treatments, ensuring equity

Tangram
(http://kidspedia.pbworks.com/f/1263223335/1263223335/tangram_games.jpg)

Advice for Experienced and Novice Instructional
Technologists
1.

Exercise creativity in obtaining informed consent/assent

2.

Obtain comprehensive informed consent

3.

Execute an initial site visit

4.

As advising faculty, take a prominent role in the research

5.

Attend to concerns, second thoughts, and negative perceptions

Duquesne’s Institutional Review Board (IRB)
 “Duquesne University’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) is responsible for
ensuring compliance with federal regulations, university policies and
professional standards guiding the conduct of research involving human
subjects.” (Duquesne University, 4)
 The IRB is composed of representatives from the University Administration,
faculty representatives from various schools and colleges, and members of
the community outside the University.

Duquesne IRB (cont.)
 Primary Responsibilities
 Protects the rights of participants
 Protects researchers by deeming the research ethical and in compliance with Federal
guidelines
 Belmont Report
 TAP #41
“The policy is applicable whether the research is undertaken on a large or small scale. Pilot projects,
student dissertations projects, independent study projects, and course projects must follow this
policy if they involve human subjects in research.” (http://www.duq.edu/hr/adminpolicies/tap41.cfm)

 AECT: Association for Educational Communications and Technology

 For more information, please visit the link below:
 http://www.duq.edu/research/human-subject-irb.cfm

References
AccessIT. (2002). What is assistive technology?. Retrieved from
http://www.washington.edu/accessit/articles?109
Dreon Jr., O., & Dietrich, N. I. (2009). Turning Lemons into Lemonade: Teaching Assistive Technology through Wikis
and Embedded Video. TechTrends, 53(1), 78-80. doi:10.1007/s11528-009-0241-6
Duquesne University. (n.d.). Human subject research policies and procedures. Retrieved from
http://www.duq.edu/research/human-subject-irb.cfm
Evans, M. A., & Combs, L. M. (2008). When Dealing with Human Subjects: Balancing Ethical and
Practical Matters in the Field. TechTrends, 52(6), 30-35. doi:10.1007/s11528-008-0214-1
Gilroy, M. (2010). Higher Education Migrates to YouTube and Social Networks. Education
Digest: Essential Readings Condensed for Quick Review, 75(7), 18-22.
Kellner, D., & Kim, G. YouTube, Critical Pedagogy, and Media Activism. The Review of
Education, Pedagogy, and Cultural Studies, 32(1), 3-36. doi:10.1080/10714410903482658
Pacercenter. (2010). Understanding assistive technology [video]. Retrieved April 1, 2011 from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DB9pKkZoJDc
The National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral
Research. (1979). The Belmont Report: Ethical Guidelines for the Protection of Human
Subjects. Retrieved from
http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/ac/04/briefing/4028B1_06_Belmont%20report.pdf
Trier, J. (2007). “Cool” engagements with YouTube: Part 1. Journal of Adolescent & Adult
Literacy, 50(5), 408-412. doi:10.1598/JAAL.50.5.7
Trochim, W.K., & Donnelly, J.P. (2008). The research methods knowledge base (3rd ed.). Mason,
OH: Cengage Learning.

Assistive Technology & Ethics

More Related Content

What's hot

Viewers also liked

Similar to Assistive Technology & Ethics

More from Douglas Strahler

Recently uploaded

Assistive Technology & Ethics