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133 - Digital Literacy, Special Education Support Service, Ireland
CONTACT
Special Education Support Service
Mr. Tom Daly
Ireland
+ 353 87 293 14 22
OVERALL GOAL /MISSION
The project seeks, as a part of the national literacy strategy, to offer support for teachers that are working with students
with moderate, severe and profound learning disabilities in the areas of literacy and digital literacy and to produce clear
conceptual understandings of what literacy and digital literacy means for "non-literate" students. Because of the rapid
increase of the usage of digital devices, the project also wants to reduce the increasing digital divide for the mentioned
group to cut back existing barriers and to enable full access to education and inclusion within the society. It also wants
to produce a practical framework for through which curricular targets could be achieved for these students and develop
a continuing professional development structure through which teachers could be supported in implementing concepts
and strategies to reach the projects goals.
THE SOLUTION THAT HAS BEEN DEVELOPED
Because of an existed lack of understanding what literacy and digital literacy means for those with cognitive disabilities,
who are not literate in a conventional sense, a strategy to combat the increasing digital divide and a clear framework for
teachers through which digital literacy and new technologies could help teachers to achieve curricular targets, the staff
has developed a digital framework of competencies for teachers to be used in supporting students, an in-service
continuing professional development mechanisms to qualify teachers in these understandings, technologies and
strategies and a clear articulation and definition of literacy and digital literacy for students with cognitive disabilities.
COUNTRIES IN WHICH IT WAS DEVELOPED: Ireland
COUNTRY/ COUNTRIES IN WHICH IT IS OPERATING: Ireland
FACTS ABOUT SIZE AND SCOPE
5. The main beneficiaries are students with moderate to severe and profound general learning disabilities, in Ireland
and international
6. The secondary beneficiaries are teachers of these students
7. Concerning the two points mentioned before it is difficult to numerically quantify the impact but is potentially
significant