Inquiry based learning and technology, negative or positive?

Abstract

I completed this research study because I wanted to find out if assistive technologies in the elementary classroom are helping students with attention deficit disorder (ADD), attention deficit, hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and anxiety issues to succeed, and what other people’s perspectives on the uses of those technologies were. An online survey was sent out using social media to reach parents, students, and teachers in order to get their perspectives on this question. I found that 45% of the people surveyed indicated that assistive technologies, in their opinion, are helping those students, while 13% said that they are not helping students. I also found that 72% of the people surveyed stated that, in their opinion, the use of these technologies is not giving students an unfair advantage, but rather leveling out the playing field, while 5% said that they believe that the use of digital technologies is giving students an unfair advantage. Based on my findings, I would say that these assistive technologies are benefiting students with ADD, ADHD, or anxiety issues, and that it does not give them an unfair advantage over other students, it just helps them to have the same chance at success as the others.