Update; iGaze a[[ bu Dunedin Multimedia, good for group social skills activities

(This is cross-posted on the Interactive Multimedia Technology blog)


So what am I up to now?
I'd like to share with my readers that I've decided to continue in my present position as a school psychologist, while still devoting a portion of my free time to technology. From time-to-time I think deep thoughts about usability, accessibility,  and UX/Interaction related to off-the-desktop interactive multimedia applications running on screens of all sizes.  I'm hoping to create a few multimedia experiments using HTML5 and JavaScript, and explore jQuery if and when I can find the time!  


For the present school year, my main school is a program for students with more significant disabilities, including autism spectrum disorders.  My second school is a magnet high school for technology and the arts,  located on the same campus.  I also consult throughout the district on cases involving students who have suffered traumatic brain injuries, as well as students who have multiple disabilities.  I am thankful that I have a job in a school district that values 21st Century technology.  


I'm looking forward to another technology-rich school year. I've spent some of the time I usually devote to blogging devoted exploring iPad apps instead.  Since I'm new to the world of iPads, I'm still in discovery mode. What an adventure!


There are plenty of educational apps out there, and many of them are suitable for students with special needs.  On the other hand, there is much room for improvement - across all iPad app categories.  Since there is very little research about what makes up a killer app- or suite of apps- for students with special needs, experimenting with  iPad apps is uncharted territory. 


I made the decision to bring my personal iPad2 to work after I discovered a number of apps that I thought would be useful in my work as a school psychologist with students who have special needs, including autism spectrum disorders.


One of my intervention themes this year focuses on social skills.   This is especially important for students who participate in our schools community-based job training program.  I'm using some content from Unique Learning's transition materials,  as well as on-line activities from Do2Learn's JobTips website, because my aim is to facilitate social skills that will be useful in a variety of job and community settings.  


Although my main technology tool for working with groups is the SMARTBoard,  I've found that using a combination of interactive whiteboard and iPad activities to be especially effective.  I'm paving the way for more role-play activities in the future, and attempting to use technology to my advantage.


This past week, I used the iGaze app, created by Dunedin Multimedia, to help a group of high-school level students practice establishing and maintaining eye gaze, something that is difficult for most of them to demonstrate "in-person".  I was amazed.  Each student was excited to take his or her turn.  Even more amazing?  When each student took a turn, the other students looked at their eyes and faces.  No one rocked or "stimmed".  No one made noises.  I observed several instances of joint attention, much to my delight.   

Below is a video from Dunedin Multimedia's YouTube channel that is similar to what the students viewed during their group activity:

Here is some information from Dunedin Multimedia about the iGaze app:

"Eye contact is important to communication and social development, and yet the impaired ability to make and maintain eye contact is one of the most striking aspects of autism. iGaze is an eye contact simulator that can help to build confidence in using this important means of nonverbal social communication.  The app also contains information on eye contact and eye gaze, with links to relevant research."

During the social skills activity involving the iGaze app,  I used the SMART Board to display a large picture of a boss and a worker standing face to face, making eye contact, engaged in conversation.  The picture served as an anchor to remind the students of pictures and videos they'd previously viewed that illustrated the concept of face-to-face interaction and the importance of establishing eye-contact with others from time-to-time.

I'm hoping I will be able to access the YouTube videos from Dunedin so I can use them on the SMART Board. It will be interesting to see how this plays out!   I'm also planning to take a closer look at Dunedin Multimedia's emotion x app for the iPad.

RELATED 
Screen-shot of iGaze for the iPad Dunedin:



SOMEWHAT RELATED
The SMART Table at my school was updated today - I'm looking forward to using it for some group activities, now that it is back in working order and has new applications loaded up and ready to go!


If you are interested in learning more about technology related to students with special needs, be sure to check out Kate Ahern's blog, Teaching Learners with Multiple Special Needs

Kate's post about the features of Unique Learning Systems.


Upcoming:  more about tablets, interview with folks from Stantum, social-skills game-in-progress.....large displays in public spaces update....

NY Times article and Video: iPad Opens World to a Disabled Boy

I meant to post a link to this article a while ago:


iPad Opens World to a Disabled Boy 
Emily B. Hager, New York Times, 10/12/10



Cross posted on the Interactive Multimedia Technology Blog

UPDATE: TRUESCORES blog post: Trends in Alternative Assessments (with links and resources about/for the "2-percent" group)

I recently discovered an interesting post, Trends in Alternative Assessments, written by Natasha J. Williams, Ph.D., Senior Research Scientist, Psychometric and Research Services at Pearson. The post was published in the TRUESCORES blog, and raises some very good points regarding the assessment of students who are assessed using the "2 % test", a term used in educational circles that describes alternative assessments that are given to students who have cognitive disabilities. One of the goals behind this is to measure AYP (adequate yearly progress.) for this group of students.

At the high school level in my state, North Carolina, the "2-percent test" refers to the OCS Extend 2 exam. Many of the students within this category are classified as Intellectually Disabled, Mild,  and function cognitively  below the 3rd percentile for their age -  at or below two standard deviations from the mean.  The OCS Extend 2 exams were recently eliminated in North Carolina.  Current 9th grade students in the OCS program will be required to take Algebra I, Biology, and English 9 exams at the end of the 10th grade.  A cohort of students will take these exams at the end of the current school year. 

How will these changes impact they way we conceptualize and measure transition outcomes for these students?  In the US, in many high school,  students who receive special education services have a much higher drop-out rate when compared with their peers.   We haven't solved this problem!   Those within the "2 percent" range need a high degree of support to develop the skills needed join the workforce and participate more independently within the community.

Here are some quotes from the  blog.  I encourage you to read the original post!

"There are differences in opinion about how students should be performing on the 2% test. If students perform poorly is that to be expected because they shouldn’t be able to perform well on grade level material or does that indicate that the test has not been modified enough for these students to be able to show what they know? If students perform well on the assessment does that mean that the modifications have been done well or that the wrong students are taking the test? We would like to think that the intent of the legislation was for states to develop a test that assesses grade-level content in such a way that students could be successful. Even so, we have heard the argument that if students taking the 2% test are not doing well they are still performing better than they would have if they had taken the general test."


"Growth models for both the 1% and 2% assessments are also being developed. Again, the type of growth expected from the students taking these assessments is questionable, especially for the 1%. The question is how to capture the types of growth these students do show. Models are being implemented now, and we are curious to see what the evaluation of these models will show. Are we able to capture growth for these students?"


One of my concerns is that no-one is exactly sure how to appropriately measure AYP for students with cognitive disabilities:

The No Child Left Behind Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Act: A Progress Report (2007)
Scott Swail, Educational Policy Institute, Betsy Brand, American Youth Policy Forum  (National Council on Disabilities).
This 2007 progress reports includes a discussion about  issues related to the assessment of students with disabilities who fall within the lowest 1% and 2% of the population.

"Most interviewees voiced these two concerns: first, education policy needs to recognize that some students will need more time to meet grade-level proficiency standards, and second, we are too bound by the traditional structure of education and the requirement to complete high school in four years."  Recommendations begin on page 97.

Additional reading:
NCLB and Special Populations, Selected Readings (Pearson)
NASSP President Testifies Before Congress (2007)


RELATED READING AND RESOURCES
Although some of the resources below focus on K-8 students, they may be appropriate for assisting high school students with cognitive disabilities:


Universal Design for Learning Guidelines
Video Series:  Universal Design for Learning
On-line Planning for All Learners Template
National Center on Accessible Instructional Materials
CAST: Center for Applied Special Technology
Curriculum Access for Students with Low-Incidence Disabilities pdf (Richard Jackson, National Center on Accessing the General Curriculum
Developing Effective Fractions Instruction for K-8 Students pdf
IES Practice Guide, What Works Clearinghouse
National Dropout Prevention Center for Students with Disabilities
Special Education Resources, Grades 7-12
What Works Transition Research Synthesis
Evidence-Based Secondary Transition Practices
Resources for Implementing Evidence-Based Interventions Across Transition-Related Indicators
Transition Assessment Toolkit
Predictors of Post-School Success

Alternative Assessment Tools for Students with Complex Disabilities

Below is a SlideShare version of a presentation I gave for my colleagues.  I hope it is helpful to those searching for innovative ways to reach and understand students who have many complex challenges!Alternative Assessment Tools for Students with Complex Disabilities

View more presentations from Lynn Marentette.

Assistive Technology: Eye Gaze, Face Tracking, and HeadMouse Open Source, Free, and Low-Cost Alternatives

I'm working with a few students who have multiple special needs who are in need of assistive communication technologies that are not expensive. Although my first idea was to look at eye gaze technology, the possibility of face tracking is also appealing. Take a look at the following video from SeeingMachines, a commercial company:



SeeingMachines offers a free version that doesn't provide all of the features I'd need.

The HeadMouse concept is something that I think has potential.

The $$$ option is the HeadMouse Extreme. It provides head-controlled wireless computer access, and uses a wireless optical sensor that tracks a disposable target that can be affixed to glasses, a forehead, or hat.  The resolution is very precise, and allows control over a range of activities such as graphics work, CAD, and gaming, in addition to typical productivity tasks.

 

Photos are from the Origin Instruments website, where you can find additional information about the HeadMouse Extreme system as well as other assistive technology and augmentative communication systems.

Alternative to HeadMouse Extreme:

HeadMouse2 is an open-source project from the Grupo de Robotica at the University of Lleida in Spain. The free software works with Virtual Keyboard, another free application.



Here are the links:
HeadMouse2

Virtual Keyboard



FREE, LOW-COST, AND OPENSOURCE ALTERNATIVES


COGAIN

COGAIN stands for Communication by Gaze Interaction.  This group was created to overcome the current problems in research and development in the field that include software that works solely with a certain eye tracking device, and in the process, contribute to bringing down the price of eye tracking systems so that more people will benefit from this technology.

The COGAIN website provides a list of open-source gaze tracking, freeware, and low-cost eye tracking resources. There is enough information available for DYI purposes:

Open Source Resources

COGAIN's Early Language and Literacy Resources


Links to books and games can be found on the COGAIN Early Literacy web-page. Children in the Picture  collaborated with COGAIN for some of the literacy resources.

• Note:  "Scope's In The Picture campaign is about encouraging publishers, illustrators and writers to embrace diversity - so that disabled children, who have been virtually invisible until recently, are included alongside others in illustrations and story lines in books for young readers."

COGAIN's Bibliography:  Eye Tracker Development and Gaze Tracking Implementation:  Systems, Hardware, Software, Algorithms

Gaze-Aware Systems, Attentive Interfaces, and Applied Eye Tracking

Research Papers, Bibliographies, Article Collections

COGAIN's Links

COGAIN's Downloads

More to come!

Update on Game Accessibility Resources

I posted information about game accessibility resources on the Interactive Multimedia Technology blog:

Update on Accessibility and Interactive Games



The post is full of information, resources, and links from the IGDA Game Accessibility Special Interest Group blog:

.