Analysis of Article: Using Information Technology Based Exercises in Primary Mathematics Teaching of Children with Cerebral Palsy and Mental Retardation:

Summary:
Reserachers believe that performance and social competence of a primary school pupil is indeed highly dependent on the type of participation that parents offer their children. By incorporating Web 2.0, they believe that a new paradigm of education can begin. They suggest a series of multi-media exercises for students with cerebral palsy and students with mental disabilities. The exercises are composed of several multi-media interactions which through research, have proben to be the children’s favorite. The researchers found that through completion of the multi-media exercises, students were more autonomouse, happy and interested in learning. One key idea that could apply to all schools is that researchers claim that students are also more easily able to absorb material and to continue working after doing the exercises. The exercises are not meant to replace face-to-face teaching, but to act as an additional resource for students and teachers alike.
Analysis:
As this article was written in Turkey about Turkish students, the social mores, medical care, and language issues may be vastly different than in the United States. Though Turkey has many different ethnic groups within its borders, it is not linguistically and racially not as diverse as the US. IT is also interesting that the researchers lumped cebral palsy in with being mentally challenged. Indeed, they call it, “mental retardation.” This outdated and often inflamitory term may cause those who could benefit from the research to ignore it.
References
Reis, M., Cabral, L., Peres, E., Bessa, M., Valente, A., Morais, R., et al. (2010). Using Information Technology Based Exercises in Primary Mathematics Teaching of Children with Cerebral Palsy and Mental Retardation: A Case Study. Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology - TOJET, 9(3), 106-118. Retrieved from ERIC database.