Case Study 2
Click to set custom HTML
|
It is just another December day for students at Humberside High, but not for a 14 year old Kai. He is new to the school, and has just moved with his parents from a small town to Ottawa. His parents are full of hope and concerns. I say concerns, because when Kai was a preschooler he was diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). (Student’s perspective and expert’s perspective). Every individual with an ASD is different, but they all face a set of challenges with a varying degree of intensity (that is why it is called a spectrum disorder) when it comes to social interaction, communication, and behaviour.
Kai does struggle with these as well, but he is higher functioning student with autism. He does quite well in Math and Science. He faces challenges when it comes to deciphering human emotions and facial expressions, establishing and maintaining eye contact, reading and responding appropriately to social situations, or anything that happens on the spur of the moment in the classroom (even misplacing project papers or changing the set of instructions on the spot are highly stressful and disruptive for him). He prefers clear and structured lessons, well established routines, and language with no sarcasm or metaphors. He still needs to work on the above mentioned, but he thoroughly enjoys technology in any shape or form.
His parents Zoe and Cole would like him to be just like other kids, to be and feel included in any setting, and learn from his teachers and peers and be exposed to them as much as possible. When it comes to the use of technology and Kai, they are apprehensive as they want their son to exhibit “human” traits and not the opposite. They believe that humanoid robots and technology in general take away Kai from this goal although they recognize Kai’s burgeoning interest in the same. They think that overpopularized use of technology (e.g. video games) pushes educators to use the same in their practice.
Ms K is a Special Education Specialist for students with autism at Humberside High, who after an initial assessment with Kai and Milo (and another Milo expert), and careful reflection, thinks that Kai could benefit greatly from a structured time with a humanoid robot Milo and careful social interaction scaffolding (a step-by-step instruction) led by a teacher-specialist. Also, Ms K is a strong proponent of assistive technologies (that help students with disabilities) for learning and teaching of all students, and is familiar with the current research that these could be used effectively for students with ASD. She sees Milo as one of many teaching and learning tools for students with autism. If you would like to learn more about Milo, visit here.
On the other hand, Mr. Brown, who is a Special Education generalist at the school and a guidance counsellor, strongly disagrees with Ms K. He thinks that Milo is an expensive investment in terms of cost, time, and staff training (no staff member has never worked with Milo before) and overall support for this project. After all, his argument is that he is unconvinced that Kai’s time with Milo will help Kai to integrate this robot-time learning to his daily life with humans. After all, more time with Milo would translate to less time with peers and in “natural” social settings. After reading two papers with titles fMRI study of young adults with autism interacting with a humanoid robot and Initial Response in HRI a Case Study on Evaluation of Child with Autism Spectrum Disorders Interacting with a Humanoid Robot NAO, the fact that students with autism do not differentiate between robots and intentional beings, is not an argument enough to introduce Milo nor that Milo might be able to suppress autistic traits in Kai (for example, some students with ASD are able to maintain an eye contact for longer periods with Milo than with his teacher during classroom time). In his opinion, it is laughable to think that humanoid robots can replace teachers and are a solution to ASD.
Initially, Kai’s parents seem to agree with Mr. Brown and are concerned that Kai will need to be pulled out of his regular classes to learn with Milo and another teacher. This does not fit into their inclusive approach to learning and what they have in mind for Kai. They are worried if and how they can support this time of learning at home.
Kai reports that he really enjoyed being introduced to Milo, and is quite attracted to idea of working with this humanoid robot. His interest is piqued, and he thinks he will be less stressed with Milo than spending a whole day in the classroom. There is no odd classmate who makes faces or fun of him when he says or does things which makes him upset. He claims that is able to focus better on this type of interaction and understanding of what he is supposed to do, and likes the predictability of working with Milo and Ms K. It just makes more sense to me Kai says, and it is so much fun!
Discussion Questions
1. In what ways are technological changes such as Milo, advantageous (to some) while disadvantageous (to others)? 2. How can Milo used to increase Kai’s engagement and learning? What are some of the risks of increased use of technologies such as Milo in schools? What are some of the ethical dilemmas associated with new educational technologies (e.g. Milo) in schools? How would the increased use of Milo or other humanoid robots affect school culture in some high schools? 3. Explain how technological advances in education lead to cultural adaptations. How has the introduction of robotic technology affected teacher/student’s role in education?” “What is a cultural lag? What kinds of social problems can arise from cultural lag?” 4. What does the example of Kai teach us about the effect of educational technology on language, and/or intellectual, and/or emotional development?” “What do we know about the effects on social skills of substituting virtual social experiences (e.g., through television substituting virtual social experiences (e.g., through television or computer games) for face-to-face social experiences with peers?” 5. In the case of Kai, how might the situation differ if all peers and staff were more supportive and accepting of his disability/open to new ideas? Extension Activity
Watch a TedTalk below and think about what Rosie King has to say on autism, and then reflect on the case study in the context of technology. How do you, if at all, see the case study differently? Why/why not? How would you change one of your answers to to incorporate your new findings if at all. Justify your
answer.
|