Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Mixed Reality (MR) can be an amazing experience for those who may not have the opportunity to experience activities they wouldn’t otherwise be able to do. This could be simple leisure activities like walking in a variety of different outdoor environments, engage in sports, cook, play, exercise, or interact with others. These experiences could even be outside of our reality like flying, traveling through the galaxy, having superpowers, or dangerous survival games.
While going through the posts, content, and resources under the Knowledge Mill, I found that there is not a lot of material regarding Mobile Learning in Special Education. Perhaps this idea can be integrated into the current and temporary definition of “Mobile Learning” in this course: “Exemplary Mobile Learning is any learning experience supported by wireless networks and mobile devices that is unambiguously superior to an equivalent learning experience available on fixed devices and wired networks that meets the needs of all users”. I believe that these technologies should be designed to meet that needs of all users, especially to those with disabilities that restrict learning.
The article “Analysis of Documents Published in Scopus Database on Special Education Learning Through Mobile Learning: A Content Analysis” in the International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning was very informative on how technology plays a significant role in Special Education. This study analysis a variety of articles published in the Scorpus database regarding Mobile Learning and Special Education, just like I will be using the UBC’s Knowledge Mill to analyze and synthesize the same topic. The data collected in eighteen documents all share the overall conclusion that Mobile Technologies have the potential to improve students’ academic outcomes (Genç, Masalimova, Platonova, Sizova, & Popova, 2019, p.200).
In the Knowledge Mill, only two posts had a connection between Mobile Learning and Special Education. Evelyne Tsang (2021) mentioned that web and app developers need to follow strict guidelines when designing content to meet the needs of people with disabilities. This document is known as The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) established in 1999, focuses on topics such as seizure safety, navigation options, text alternatives, sound and visual alternatives, among many other adaptability requirements. These guidelines would allow people with disabilities engage in Mobile Learning, either through phone, laptops, websites, or VR, AR, and MR, without the worries of not being able to use it because of visual, auditory, or dexterous impairment. If this technology is not adaptable to meet the needs of students with disabilities, then they will feel left out and feel self-conscious of their disability (Genç et al., 2019, p.193). Everyone has the right to experience the same learning, but as educators it is our responsibility to ensure that we create the right educational environment.
In addition, new technologies are being proposed, like Wireless Brain-Sensing Technology (Juliano Ng, 2020, Knowledge Mill), to benefit people with disabilities, “especially people whose disability affects their speech or mobility”. There are many challenges of using VR, AR, MR in education like cost, technical support, staff training, safety, implementation, and many more. However, despite all the challenges that Mobile Learning can bring to Special Education, the big idea here is that hopefully one day these resources will be available and will positively impact everyone’s learning. Genç et al. (2019) emphasizes that “mobile learning can be a part of the solution to this resource problem, however, for the technological solution to work, technologies need to be designed and implemented in new ways” (p.194). Therefore, we need technology to continue advancing so that we can find new ways of adapting the technology for the students who need it the most to assist in their learning.
Here is a link video on how using VR can help children with autism:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n87yaF37QEc
Here are some guiding questions:
What could be some concerning aspects of virtualizing reality for the purpose of learning?
Are there any limitations to how VR, AR, and MR can improve learning?
Will VR, AR, and MR improve Mobile Learning or simply facilitate learning?
If learning is composed of life experiences, traditional learning methods, and our natural curiosity for making sense of our reality, how can VR, AR, and MR help with the learning when it is altering reality?
References
Genç, Z., Masalimova, A., Platonova, R., Sizova, Z., & Popova, O. (2019). Analysis of documents published in scopus database on special education learning through mobile learning: A content analysis. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning (iJET), 14(22), 192-203.
Interesting post here, Miguel. As a student with an number of disabilities, including a brain injury that I acquired while working on my Masters,accessibility is an aspect of mobile learning that I have taken a keen interest in. If you get the chance to take ETEC 565C – Ableism, Equity, and Educational Technology – do. It quite frankly should be one of the core courses in the program and was probably the most transformational course for me in the program, and one that allowed me process much of my new reality.
We speak a lot about equity these days, but less so towards disability, and even within disability communities, some judge others based on their disabilities. Institutions say they are accessible to all, but is that just talking the talk. My health has been set backwards badly in post-secondary education on more than one occasion by that disconnect between how accessible we claim to be and people not listening or responding with care when I said I wasn’t okay. As I’ve explored deeper in to accessibility in mobile and post secondary education, I have learned this story is quite common, often resulting in people with disabilities discontinuing their studies. These inequities are also seen at a governing level here in Canada and BC. We have a grant for students with disabilities in Canada, yet if you’ve chosen to study in a part time studies program, as that is what is manageable with your disabilities, you cannot access the grant. When this issue is raised with government officials – the federal government points the finger at the provincial government, and the provincial government at the federal government, and neither acts to change this. This problem extends to federally sponsored First Nations education programs, meaning that many First Nations with disabilities that could benefit from government sponsored mobile learning programs do not, as they can’t access them part time.
The WCAG guidelines are a great start, but they are just that, a starting point to accessibility. One of the issues with accessibility is that often others are making the decisions about what people with disabilities need, as oppose to asking them. Disabilities are very diverse, and what creates a solution for one person with disabilities can be VERY different from another. I’ve seen this within this program with another student who like me has post concussion syndrome. His solution to dizzying and symptom inducing screentime is to use a digital reader. For me, digital readers are an aggravator. So what I need are personally read voice recordings of readings or to stagger my online readings into small pockets with offline breaks in between.
As a result, one of my goals is start a series of open educational resources entitled, Are You Asking, designed to encourage educators to ask and work with their individual students to create accessibility, rather than decide accessibility for them. If you care to join me in that creating, I would love to invite others to participate, and am particularly interested in the idea of building out these resources in multiple languages.
Also, one of the courses that I’m exploring as one of my final courses in MET is on Inclusive Design, offered through OCAD. Here’s a link to their course catalogue: https://www.ocadu.ca/sites/default/files/students/Office%20of%20the%20Registrar/2021-2022%20Program%20Guides/2021-2022%20Grad%20Guides/2021-2022%20INCD%20program%20guide.pdf I’m looking at taking INCD 6016 in the Spring. Here’s a link to the course descriptions: https://selfservice.ocadu.ca/Student/Courses/Search?subjects=INCD
Finally, I am curious about your choice of titles on this post? Why mobile learning as oppose to AR, VR and MR (Immersive Media or XR) which appears to be your central focus in terms of a form of mobile learning here? And why special education as oppose to accessibility? Not everyone with disabilities are in special education programs, and in fact special education also refers to programs like the so called ‘gifted’ programs.
What a beautiful and inspiring response! So much to unravel in your response, we should almost sit down and have a coffee and do some COLLAB in this massive topic. I went to a university that truly advocated for human equality. Hence, my passion for special education. Trinity Western University offered amazing Spacial Education programs and really focuses on having a strong education program. You brought up some very powerful ideas and appreciate sharing so much content and resources, I can very much see your passion in this topic. I am very happy my work connected with you. I like your questions and will think about them and use them in future works. One day we will see all of the above become a reality and make the education system more supportive of students with special needs with the use of technology and mobile learning.
Thank you for your posting Miguel! I am all for AR, VR and MR learning because there is so much potential with the type of learning and training that can be offered. But thinking on another level, if learners can use AR, VR and MR to learn, would they feel that they can stop venturing out into the real world? For example, if I can use VR technology to learn about the culture in France, would I physically travel to France and experience the land first hand? I can sit comfortably wherever I am and put on the VR machine. Why spend money on flight, hotel, and food? Don’t get me wrong, I would love to travel and would travel to experience everything first hand.
I understand that for visual learners or learners with different learning abilities, AR, VR, and MR will set them up for success. I also wonder if learners’ imagination skills would be altered. When learning, there has to be some form of imagination involved. If learning material is delivered visually via the machine, would learners have a sense of imagination when doing other tasks?
Very interesting points you brought up Sarah. In terms of VR and the real world, I believe the intention is not to replace real world experiences with virtual realities but to assist. People always have the options to decide to see France in the virtual world or spend the money to experience the real thing. However, what if someone with a disability or in the autism spectrum wanted to experience how loud, busy, crowded, or visually stimulating France would feel. This technology allows simulations in real life in order to prevent any possible negative outcomes. Perhaps due to special needs circumstances someone cannot leave their house, I think the Mobile Learning experience of VR of visiting France would be more than fulfilling. Perhaps its so interactive that you can click on monuments and learn about them as you walk the streets of Paris. In terms of imagination, I think you are right. I believe that Mobile Learning or technology in general has and will continue altering our minds, but we are adaptable beings that can learn and imagine in different ways. Perhaps VR, AR or MR allows someone unable to use their hands to be a civil engineer and use this technology and their imagination to build infrastructure.
Miguel – thank you for addressing the lack of material related to Mobile Learning and Special Education. Certainly, from a perspective of websites, apps etc., the WCAG guidelines are a step in the right direction. My interest in education focuses on corporate training where the use of mobile learning tools is limited and in my experience, whether it is on-the-job training to improve performance, required HR training, or onboarding of employees, we fall short in being inclusive or thoughtful in the design of the content and fail to consider the needs of employees with learning disabilities such as dyslexia.
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts Nicole. I also believe this should be addressed in the workplace, especially for training purposes and accommodating the needs of workers with special needs. Sometimes we forget that among a group of people there may be someone with a disability and we are not ready to work with and that can be problematic. Someone could even sue a company for not having the resources available to make their experience in the workplace successful. However, that is a conversation for another topic. Although most people think that VR, AR, and MR is aimed towards the young generation because it uses interactive games and focused on videogames, many developers are beginning to create real life simulations, that is either working at a cafeteria, flying a place, driving a car, managing a store, and working at a restaurant. This can be very useful for training, not perfect, but a good tool for someone with a disability practice in the virtual world and implement in the real world.