Engagement with Music Technology in Special Educational Settings for Children with Disabilities

Abstract

In line with the broader learning of integrating technology into science, there is growing demand for educational learning to apply electronic technologies in educational practice. Despite a handful of accounts indicating the advantages of this equipment and these tools, objective empirical research on their role in learning and their application in the learning process is lacking. Over the past ten years, studies have proven the Holistic Music Educational Approach for Young Children (HMEAYC) to be an effective method to assist in the learning and development of children with special needs. HMEAYC and technology integrated into instruction are both learning modes that expect learners to achieve learning orientation through musical expression. This study aimed to measure children with specific needs’ language comprehension and self-conduct abilities when HMEAYC was combined with technology integrated into instruction in curriculum design. The research, conducted at an early-intervention center in central Taiwan, included 389 children aged between 4 and 6 years old with specific needs. These participants’ traits of learning and developing more slowly than typical children of the same age were referred to as “specific needs” for this study. They all participated in one 40 min session per week for a total of 16 weeks. The research results showed that HMEAYC combined with music technology could enhance the development of language comprehension and the self-conduct of children with specific needs.

Keywords

• music technology
• Holistic Music Educational Approach for Young Children (HMEAYC)
• children with specific needs
• language comprehension