Enhancing Collaboration and Skill Acquisition through the Use of Technology

Overview & Synopsis

The research study presented here was conducted by two educational technology faculty members, one from special education and the other from general education, and their respective undergraduate classes. This study applied an action research model (Hubbard & Power, 1999; Mills, 2000), coupled with a pre and posttest design, in examining the professional development of preservice teachers in the areas of collaboration and technology. As instructors examined their courses in comparison to the NETS-T, a void within the required technology classes for both special education and general education majors was discovered. Three primary outcomes were sought: (a) Provide special education teacher candidates with more exposure to multimedia technologies for P-12 classrooms; (b) provide general education teacher candidates with more exposure to assistive technologies for P-12 students; (c) create an environment in which special education and general education teacher candidates could build collaboration skills through mutually beneficial activities. Pre and postsurveys were administered to 42 students enrolled in the participating classes. Data positively supported each of the project's outcomes. The major implications of this study are three-fold, encompassing the domains of teacher candidate technology expertise, collaborative practice, and the feasibility of replicating the model described here into other teacher education programs.