Purpose: Reading impaired students can read and write with the aid and support of tablets and apps. This study explores how teachers perceive the usefulness of tablets and apps for reading impaired students in Grade 4, 8 and in upper secondary education as well as perceptions of usefulness for pedagogical practice after leading a six-week assistive technology intervention.

Method: After participating in the training, and after leading a six-week intensive intervention, the teachers were surveyed on their experience and the perceived usefulness of tablets and apps. The survey contained both closed and open questions and the responses were analyzed in terms of the social validity of the technology. Quantitative measures of teacher and student characteristics as well as reading measures were linked to teacher perceptions.

Results and Conclusion: Results show that the teachers perceived the tablets and the apps as very useful for a majority of the students regarding motivation to read and write as well as facilitating the reading and writing ability. Several teachers also meant that the digital tools may be essential for their students to succeed in school and nearly all were positive of using tablets and apps as part of their pedagogical practice. Additional analyzes, involving the quantitative measures, are discussed at the presentation.