Implementing Project SIED Special Education Teachers’ Perceptions of a Simplified Technology Decision-Making Process for App Identification and Evaluation

• Published in: Journal of special education technology Vol. 32; no. 1; pp. 12 - 22
• Main Authors: Schmidt, Matthew M., Lin, Meng-Fen Grace, Paek, Seungoh, MacSuga-Gage, Ashley, Gage, Nicholas A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01-03-2017; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subjects: Computer Oriented Programs; Computer Software; Decision Making; Electronic Learning; Faculty Development; Handheld Devices; Inservice Teacher Education; Software; Special Education; Special Education Teachers; Teacher Attitudes; Teacher Surveys; Teacher Workshops; Hawaii; app era; mobile apps; app rubric; special education; decision-making process; mobile learning
• ISSN: 0162-6434; 2381-3121
• DOI: 10.1177/0162643416681160

The worldwide explosion in popularity of mobile devices has created a dramatic increase in mobile software (apps) that are quick and easy to find and install, cheap, disposable, and usually single purpose. Hence, teachers need an equally streamlined and simplified decision-making process to help them identify educational apps—an approach that differs from traditional technology decision-making approaches that are cumbersome and require significant time, resources, and effort. Project Software Identification and Evaluation for Decision-Making (SIED) attempts to fill this gap. In this article, we describe Project SIED, how we designed a series of professional development workshops for in-service special education teachers based on Project SIED, and the evaluation outcomes of the workshops. Results suggest that workshops were successful from in-service special education teachers’ self-reported confidence and comfort levels. Limitations and future plans are discussed.