Professionals’ and parents’ shared learning in blended learning networks related to communication and augmentative and alternative communication for people with severe disabilities
- Författare
- Wilder Jenny, Magnusson Lennart, Hanson Elizabeth
- Titel
- Professionals’ and parents’ shared learning in blended learning networks related to communication and augmentative and alternative communication for people with severe disabilities
- Utgivningsår
- 2015
- Tidskrift
- European Journal of Special Needs Education
- Volym
- http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08856257.2015.1023002
- Nyckelord
- augmentative and alternative communication; blended learning networks; severe disabilities; professionals; parents; perspectives on disability
- Sammanfattning
People with severe disabilities (SD) communicate in complex ways, and their
teachers, parents and other involved professionals find it difficult to gain knowledge
and share their experiences regarding the person with SD's communication
methods. The purpose of this study is to contribute to our understanding of how
parents and professionals share learning about communication and augmentative
and alternative communication (AAC) for people with SD by participating in
blended learning networks (BLNs). Thirty-six parents and professionals participated
in online web-based BLNs according to a prepared format; four groups
were formed, and all of the groups participated in four discussion sessions and
an evaluation session. Detailed minutes from the 16 BLN sessions, an evaluation
session and course evaluation data were thematically analysed. The theoretical
frameworks were different perspectives on disability within communication
research and special education research, and theories about shared learning in
networks. The analyses revealed themes that focused on communication partners'
knowledge, attitudes and strategies regarding communicating with people
with SD; the importance and power of using multimodal AAC; and the universality,
user-friendliness and empowering aspects of iPads and apps. The findings
suggest that participants perceive communication and AAC with people with SD
from relational, dialogical and interactional perspectives, whereas the categorical
perspective was less pronounced. In accordance with other professional competence
research, the use of online web-based BLNs with mixed groups that was
described in this paper yielded positive evaluations from the participants. The
opportunity for meeting others involved in caring for people with SD, the actual
blended groups and the sharing of technology and AAC experiences in particular
were highlighted.