How Assistive Technologies Can Help Educational Publishers

[Approximate Reading Time : 4 mins]

The educational needs of children with disabilities and adults continue to be a challenge to educators, despite current technology. This growing need presents an opportunity for the education publisher to reach another audience and potentially have an even more profound impact through assistive technology. However, it isn’t just the technology and devices that are needed to connect to students in an impactful way. It is the accessible educational materials that the devices are there to deliver that offer the greatest challenge and potential opportunity for education publishing.

Augmented or Virtual Reality

Attention deficit disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorders are on the rise in schools. VR headsets help these children focus on learning without distraction from other students, sounds or activities in the classroom. AR or VR can transform books or lectures into an immersive experience that allows ADD or ADHD students an opportunity to learn in a way that they may not have been able to before.

Virtual and augmented reality is extending education publishing in other ways as well. Students who may otherwise be disenfranchised due to medical conditions can join students in classrooms virtually. Additionally, classes that may not be available at the student’s location may be accessible through VR. There is a huge opportunity for AEM that allows a collaborative environment for learning.

Experiential Learning

Students retain information more readily when they’ve participated in a learning experience. Beyond opportunities for disabled learning, experiential learning can provide an enhanced experience to any student. There are huge opportunities in the STEM subjects, and up to 90% of medical schools are using experiential learning for clinical training and physical diagnosis.

The Royal College of Surgeons in London is using VR in surgical training. In other subjects, students may take virtual field trips where physical or financial limitations may have made that impossible otherwise. Lab experiments may be conducted without being collocated and the results shared instantly. AEM is a huge arena where the education publisher can change the entire learning experience.

Game-Based Learning

Student engagement is key to learning, whether the student is disabled, present in a classroom or learning virtually. Gamification can draw a student in with these three components:

• A challenge with a possible solution
• Involvement and personal responsibility
• Social support and connection with the group involved

Educators everywhere have always struggled with how to connect with students in a way that ignites the desire to learn. Game-based learning not only achieves that but inspires them to seek out more difficult and compelling challenges.

The key for publishers is finding a partner who understands “technabled” publishing services. When you are ready to take your educational materials to the next level, let Amnet show you how.

Sources:
1. http://aem.cast.org/about/aem-basics.html
2. https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2019/08/arvr-k-12-schools-use-immersive-technology-assistive-learning-perfcon
3. https://www.eypae.com/publication/2019/increasing-opportunities-experiential-learning-simulation
4. https://www.insidehighered.com/digital-learning/article/2017/07/12/vr-and-ar-more-just-cool
5. https://www.eypae.com/publication/2019/increasing-opportunities-experiential-learning-simulation