Selecting Software for Special Education Instruction. Selecting Software for Special Education Instruction. Microcomputers are found in special education classrooms in steadily increasing numbers. How they are used depends in large part on the software selected for instruction. Teachers and administrators must decide which of the many products available are best for the special education students they serve.
Educators make two basic kinds of decisions when selecting software.
Depending on the design and content, courseware can reinforce previously learned skills, present new subject matter, or require the use of problem-solving skills. Each format can be used effectively with special education students. Courseware that reinforces previously learned skills or concepts is called drill and practice. It is the most common format, accounting for over half of all software used in schools. With drill and practice programs, it is assumed that the content of the lesson has been previously taught.