Touching the Virtual, Touching the Real: ipdas and enabling literacy for students experiencing difficulty

Flewit, Kucirkova, Messer

The experience in using ipads is rich because of the sensory experience and that students are drawn to the machines at the get go. There is immediate response from the ipad. The ipad is flexible: is it mobile, wireless and can be put in any position.  The down sides are: not great for those with fine motor difficulties but can be linked to a larger touch screen? One of the greatest barriers to use is access to technology in schools and homes. Many students still do not have access due to socio-economic reasons.

Ipads and other devices have developed so that students can interact with the device and material through touch. In the case of manipulatives e.g. 3D shapes or base 10 blocks, do virtual manipulatives give the same level of hands-on, sensory experience for kinesthetic learner students?

This article details all the great advantages of sensory experiences with assistive technology. Developing handwriting is one such advantage in that only light touches are required.