Degree Name

Master of Science in Education (MSEd)

Semester of Degree Completion

1990

Thesis Director

Judith J. Ivarie

Abstract

This descriptive research was conducted to collect data concerning the accessibility of school microcomputers to students who have been labeled as having a mild (high prevalence) handicapping condition. One hundred thirty nine randomly selected school administrators in East Central Illinois were surveyed to determine the number of microcomputers in their schools and the types of programs that were offered to students with special needs. The schools were divided into seven categories depending on the type and size. Total school enrollment figures were divided by the total number of microcomputers available at the school to determine a student to microcomputer ratio at the school. As 99% of the survey respondents reported seeing students with mild handicaps using microcomputers in the schools, this ratio was considered a measure of accessibility for the purpose of comparison. The findings were that students with mild handicaps had decreased accessibility to microcomputers in their schools by an. average of 8.5 students per microcomputer in the elementary and middle schools. In the high schools, however, students with mild handicaps had increased access to microcomputers by an average of 5.5 students per microcomputer. It was concluded that special education funding for classroom technology is probably concentrated at the secondary level.

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