Dimensions Underlying Assistive Technology (AT) Practices and Quality of AT Outcomes from the Perspective of Special Education Professors

Abstract

This study validated items for assistive technology (AT) evaluation and, accordingly, identified dimensions underlying AT practices and the quality of AT outcomes from the perspective of professors preparing preservice teachers for careers in special education. The statistical approach of multidimensional scaling was used, in which the proximity of similarity and dissimilarity between items was compared. Participants rated 4,851 comparisons, resulting in a dataset of 19,404 pairwise comparisons (4,851*4). Stress and fit measures showed that the normalized raw stress was .07136, S-stress was .19190, dispersion was .92864, and Tucker’s coefficient of congruence was .96366. These results revealed four underlying dimensions—Dependability and Support, Device Features, Ease of Use, and Efficiency—along with 11 clusters of quality of AT outcomes as being applicable to evidence-based AT implementation. These findings also reflect an effective framework for teaching those being prepared to work with students with mild or moderate disabilities about quality AT evaluation.