Edyburn: Research & Improvement of Sp. Ed. Practice

Research and the Improvement of Special Education Practice

The shadow of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) (http://www.nochildleftbehind.gov) continues to be felt in education. In particular, the demand for evidence that specific instructional practices are effective, has created renewed interest in educational research.

The purpose of this article is to highlight several issues related to the use of research about technology in the field of special education. Emphasis is placed on helping educational leaders in how to access and use the research knowledge base.

1. Demise of ERIC

Effective December 19, 2003 the ERIC system has been restructured. That is, the former ERIC database and services. ERIC clearinghouses websites, including AskERIC, and their toll-free telephone numbers have been closed. The U.S. Department of Education is in the process of identifying a contractor to develop a new model for the ERIC database and services. In essence, no new material will be added to the ERIC system until the new contractor has been identified and engages in a start-up period. For additional information, visit: http://ericacve.org/content/ERICChanges.htm.

Effective immediately, change your ERIC bookmarks to http://www.eric.ed.gov.

Many people are questioning the wisdom of this action in light of the emphasis on educational research in NCLB. While ERIC has always had a backlog between the time a journal was published and the time that the citation appeared in the database, the current situation suggests a void of at least 12-18 months before new journal citations are captured. Further, the new contractor will only be required to index 1,000 educational journals; down from the 4,400 journals that were indexed by ERIC. As a result, significant questions must be raised about how this action will impact the scholarship of the profession.

2. Access Assistive Technology Research from the Source

Within the context of increased accountability and the desire for understanding the value of technology investments, three national research centers have been established to advance an agenda that will substantially increase the knowledge base surrounding assistive technology and its effective use by individuals with disabilities.

First, the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) funded the National Assistive Technology Institute based at the University of Kentucky. This center is charged with conducting AT research, translating research into AT practice, and providing resources to improve the delivery of AT services. To learn more about this center, visit the NATRI home page: http://natri.uky.edu.

A second federal agency has also been concerned about assistive technology and has funded priorities to advance a research agenda concerning assistive technology outcomes. In October 2001, the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) funded two, five-year, research centers to address the gap in data collection efforts concerning assistive technology outcomes, as well as the paucity of measurement instruments and strategies. The ATOMS (Assistive Technology Outcomes Measurement System) Project is based at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and CATOR (Consortium for Assistive Technology Outcome Research) is housed at Duke University. Additional information about each of these projects can be found at their respective web sites: http://www.atoms.uwm.edu and http://www.atoutcomes.org.

Accessing the resources from these three national research centers allows educational leaders to be at the cutting edge of what is known about assistive technology.

3. CARET

CARET is a special project funded by the International Society of Technology in Education (ISTE). The purpose of the project has been to capture and analyze the research literature on the effectiveness of educational technology. Interested readers can access this wealth of information at: http://caret.iste.org/.

The general format makes research especially accessible for educational leaders. Selecting a topic (such as student achievement) then allows the reader to browse common questions and view answers with links and citations to the research that supports the response. This is a very useful resource for busy professionals.

4. Year in Review: Innovative Literature Synthesis Methodology

Most professionals report inadequate time to stay current with their professional reading. In addition, given the wide number of journals that publish work relevant to special education technology, how can a person find all the articles relevant to his/her work?

Edyburn has created a new research methodology that he calls "the comprehensive one-year review." Briefly, he reviews a large collection of professional journals, captures all articles relevant to special education technology, and then creates extensive indexes about the new additions in the past year to the knowledge base. Reviewing this one article each year will provide readers with ready access to new advances in special education technology research and practice.

To obtain a copy of the annual reviews, access:

Edyburn, D.L. (2003). 2002 in review: A synthesis of the special education technology literature. Journal of Special Education Technology, 18(3), 5-28.

Also available at: http://jset.unlv.edu/18.3/edyburn/first.html

Edyburn, D.L. (2002). 2001 in review: A synthesis of the special education technology literature. Journal of Special Education Technology, 17(2), 5-24.

Also available at: http://jset.unlv.edu/17.2/edyburn/first.html

Edyburn, D.L. (2001). 2000 in review: A synthesis of the special education technology literature. Journal of Special Education Technology, 16(2), 5-25.

Also available at: http://jset.unlv.edu/16.2/Edyburn/first.html

Edyburn, D.L. (2000). 1999 in review: A synthesis of the special education technology literature. Journal of Special Education Technology, 15(1), 7-18.

Also available at: http://jset.unlv.edu/15.1/edyburn/first.html

5. The Handbook of Special Education Technology Research and Practice

Given the relative youth of the field of special education technology, we currently do not have a comprehensive synthesis of the literature like those found in more established fields like reading. That void will be filled later this spring as a new book is released: The Handbook of Special Education Technology Research and Practice.

This comprehensive single volume reference will contain over 40 chapters on a wide range of topics: historical, legal, and policy foundations; access for diverse populations, assistive technology, disability specific technology applications; instructional design, technology and instruction; professional development; and trends and issues.

The book is edited by Dave Edyburn, Kyle Higgins, and Randy Boone and features contributions from 100 authors. The hardcover book is expected to be over 800 pages and will sell for $89.95. To view the table of contents and obtain ordering information, visit: http://www.knowledge-by-design.com.

Educational leaders seeking to have ready-access to the research literature will find this one volume book to be an essential desk reference. In addition, each chapter includes a discussion of what we need to know. This information will be especially helpful for graduate students seeking ideas for research projects as well as grant writers looking for citations to support their innovative efforts.

Conclusion

As questions are raised about the research base in special education technology, it is important that educational leaders have access to original research as well as interpretive syntheses and analyses that serve to inform practice. The purpose of this article has been to highlight a number of issues and resources that make the extant knowledge base more accessible.

I welcome your comments and questions (edyburn@uwm.edu).

Author Note

For the purpose of full disclosure, I note my involvement in the following projects mentioned in this article: (1) I am co-principal investigator on the ATOMS Project at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, (2) I am on the Board of Directors of the International Society of Technology in Education (ISTE), and (3) I am president of Knowledge by Design, Inc. publisher of The Handbook of Special Education Technology Research and Practice.