Assistive Technology in Education: Conceptions of a Socio-technical Design Challenge

This article offers a socio-technical framing of assistive technology design for in-classroom use to enable a better understanding of how to improve educational opportunities and outcomes for learners with disabilities. By addressing social inequities in public education and recognizing user-centered design faults and inadequacies in the current implementation of assistive technology in the educational environment, this paper focuses on understanding the experiences of learners with disabilities. This article discusses challenges faced when adopting such technology and the effects of the current well-intentioned but flawed implementation of assistive technology. The authors highlight the limitations and shortcomings of the current approaches portrayed in previous research and educational practices. The article concludes with a call for a socio-technical approach to the adoption of assistive technology to augment the learning experience for a more inclusive atmosphere, and encourages a deeper appreciation for the interrelatedness between people, educational organizations, and technology