Teacher-Directed Software Design: The Development of Learning Objects for Students with Special Needs in the Elementary Classroom

Working with special education teachers in elementary settings student instructional designers created three instructional tools based on the concept of “Learning Objects.” Graduate and undergraduate students under the supervision of two faculty members in their university’s Department of Teaching and Learning worked with local teachers to produce flexible, computer-based, interactive instructional activities, designed for use in both one-to-one and group settings. The following is a description of why and how the Learning Objects were created, as well as discussion of the project goals and implications for further study in this area.