Libraries at University of Nebraska-Lincoln
The role of Assistive Technology (AT) in Enhancing the Educational Experience of Students with Special Needs in Higher Education: A Case of University of Zimbabwe Library
Date of this Version
The study examined how assistive technology (AT) is being used to enhance the educational experience of learners with special needs at the University of Zimbabwe. Using a case study design, primary data were collected mainly through questionnaires from a sample of 82 respondents comprising students with visual impairment and albinism registered with the University of Zimbabwe Disability Support Services Library, a branch of University of Zimbabwe Library. The study results demonstrated that AT provides freedom by enabling respondents to complete academic activities that they were previously unable to do, such as studying, reading, writing, researching, web browsing, emailing, communicating with lecturers, taking notes, communicating with peers about academic work, and preparing for exams. The study showed that AT enables students with special needs to do academic tasks more effectively and obtain academic material relevant to their studies, as well as improve social interactions, self-confidence, and peer-to-peer engagement. Overall, the study supports the notion that using AT can improve academic engagement and social interaction. Key recommendations for optimising AT usage by students with special needs at the University of Zimbabwe include partnering with organisations and experts in the AT sector to provide more robust training in digital accessibility concepts for personnel, negotiating with the parent ministry to make AT more affordable in higher education, promoting the manufacturing of appropriate AT devices at the University of Zimbabwe through a new faculty, producing experts in the teaching of students with special needs, as well as adopting low-cost AT products.