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Given the proliferation of makerspace experiences in K-12 education, there is a growing need to ensure accessibility for all learners, including those with disabilities and those at risk of academic failure. The limited research on these populations suggests that it is essential to examine how a broader range of learners participate in K-12 maker activities and any barriers that they face. We employed a cross-case qualitative methodology to investigate issues of participation and engagement by collaborating with four teachers who incorporated maker activities into STEM or science classes in four different middle schools. Across the four schools, teachers reported multiple challenges faced by learners including student-specific, instructional, and systemic barriers. Despites these challenges, however, we found evidence of students with disabilities meaningfully participating in maker activities. Implications for future research and practices are discussed from an ecological model perspective.
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An Accessible Portal to Teach Computer Science Modules to Typical and Special Needs Children: A Prototype
Society’s increased reliance on technology has simultaneously increased the demand for people who can develop and design these new advancements. This has led to an influx of students looking to learn how to code and gain the technological skill set that is currently among the most marketable. Learning to code is challenging; without the right tools, resources, and assistance, it can be tough to build the foundation needed to understand key computer science fundamentals. The existing web platforms focused on assisting K-12 learners are competitive from an educational and technical perspective. There is a huge lack of virtual educational platforms that can deliver resources to students with disabilities through innovative accessible features and provide guidance to K-12 teachers that are trying to support this area. This lack of guidance is especially evident when examining resources available to teachers about increasing access and engagement of struggling learners including students with disabilities. The motivation of this paper is to introduce a prototype of a centralized portal, Accessible Virtual Learning, that implements user experience strategies and accessible usability principles aiming to be accessible to any student and also educators who need guidance on finding suitable materials. The success of this portal relies heavily on its ability to allow teachers and self-directed learners to facilitate curriculums effectively while maximizing student engagement, ease of learning, and digital assistance for students at various ages with different learning abilities, both physical and cognitive.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1842092
- PAR ID:
- 10308634
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- CENTRIC the International Conference on Advances in Humanoriented and Personalized Mechanisms Technologies and Services
- ISSN:
- 2308-3492
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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