Preparing Personnel with Expertise in Severe Disabilities in the Electronic Age: Innovative Programs and Technologies

Abstract

Teacher shortages in special education in general and, specifically, in severe disabilities continue to be acute, despite concentrated personnel preparation efforts. The application of telecommunications technologies is viewed as a potentially effective way to systematically impact these shortages. We describe two federally funded distance education programs in the area of severe disabilities, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte project (UNC Charlotte) and project UPLIFT (Utah Consortium for Low Incidence Faculty and Teachers), each of which uses a multi-university consortium. We also discuss the technologies employed in each project. Preliminary data illustrating the use of end of course student evaluations are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of distance education course delivery in the area of severe disabilities. The potential benefit of preparing personnel via distance delivery through using multi-university consortia is discussed and topics for future research are suggested.