Digital technology and increasing engagement among students with disabilities: Interaction rituals and digital capital

As the number of students identified with disabilities grows, schools moving towards inclusive classrooms are concerned with ensuring engagement of all students. Research has shown that digital technology provides support for students with disabilities so that they can participate in classroom activities. This research has been largely quantitative with a focus on student participation and improving academic outcomes. Moreover, the qualitative research has defined engagement as increasing attention on learning tasks. However, we do not know how and whether digital technology can generate interactions among these students and their peers or their teachers. This paper uses qualitative data from six Ontario, Canada school boards, including 27 classroom observations and interviews with teachers, to explore the role that digital technologies (i.e. robotics, smartboards, iPads) play in facilitating greater engagement among students with disabilities. Drawing on Randall Collins’ interaction ritual chains theory, and Pierre Bourdieu's theory of cultural capital, we posit that digital technologies can alter classroom routines and rituals that can lead to greater engagement. In particular, this study confirms that digital technologies can play a major role in boosting engagement through support and greater access to classroom content and learning processes. We add to the literature by postulating that digital technologies enhance classroom rituals and interactions by giving students a literal and figurative voice, and through changes in interactions among students with disabilities, their peers, and teachers. Additionally, students with disabilities who are adept at using digital technology can generate a form of capital that displays a type of credibility with their teachers and peers