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Date	May 2018	Marks available	8	Reference code	18M.3.HL.TZ0.3
Level	HL	Paper	3 (model questions)	Time zone	no time zone
Command term	Evaluate	Question number	3	Adapted from	N/A

Question

Students should be provided with the pre-release document ahead of the May 2018 HL paper 3 examination, this can be found under the "Your tests" tab > supplemental materials > May 2018 HL paper 3 pre-release document: Accessibility.

Improving the accessibility to the curriculum for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)

Source 1: Tayton School

Tayton School is a primary school that teaches 500 children aged between 5 and 12. There are three classes in each year group, with a maximum of 24 students in each class. The school’s motto is “Education for Everyone”, and inclusion is at the heart of the school’s mission.

The school’s Inclusion Department consists of five full-time staff, led by Sandra, and 10 learning support assistants who are active in working with the children. Sandra has recently produced a report on the students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in the school, in which she found that the increasing numbers of students, and the types of SEND, means that the schools needs to invest in expanding the amount of support for the students (see Table 1).

Table 1: SEND at Tayton School

Sandra’s report argues that, next year, the work of the Inclusion Department would be more effective if the school purchased educational digital technologies, such as social robots and assistive technologies.

Source 2: Social robots in education

Sandra researched social robots and came back to the department meeting with this information:

In 2020, a report on the use of social robots in education was published by a prestigious university professor, who concluded that social robots have the potential to be a key player in education in the way textbooks and whiteboards have been in the past. A social robot has the potential to support students in ways that could never have been envisaged 20 years ago. However, there are significant technical limitations, particularly linked to the social robot’s ability to interact with students, that will restrict their usability for the next few years

Source 3: Mary sees the positives

Mary, one of the learning assistants at Tayton School, says:

“As a parent of two school-age children, I think the potential introduction of social robots has both advantages and disadvantages. My children thought the idea of having a robot that sits with them very exciting, and I think they would do what the robot asks without questioning it. The robot will also be much more patient while they are learning their times tables!” (See Figure 1).

Figure 1: Students interacting with a social robot

[Source: pexels.com]

Source 4: James has doubts

James, another learning assistant at Tayton School, is wary of the overuse of digital technology in schools for children with special needs based on his experiences in other schools. He has found some research that supports his ideas.

[Source: pexels.com]

The students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) want to be included in school activities and have appropriate access to the curriculum. 

The two interventions influence a student’s identity in the classroom.

Evaluate the impact of educational digital technologies, such as social robots and assistive technologies, on the identity of students with SEND in Tayton School.

Markscheme

Answers may include:

Social robots and a student’s identity

The student will develop an identity known to the social robot only, which may be different from that of the class teacher / friends.
The social robot will not be prejudiced about the student’s disability and will know the identity of the student based on their interactions with the robot.
Social robots can be programmed to detect emotion and respond accordingly, e.g., if a student is showing signs of disengagement, they can switch activities.
Who will own the digital data that the robot collects through the student’s learning? How does this impact a student’s identity?
The robot may be programmed with biased data, which will influence how the student learns.

Assistive technology and a student’s identity

Assistive technology, such as hardware solutions (e.g., braille keyboards) that allow students to access online sites, where they can develop their own digital identities.
Assistive technology allows students accessibility, which allows them to independently access learning and hobbies and develop online relationships, which help form their identity both online and offline.
Assistive technology can mitigate a child with SEND difficulties and allow them to interact with others online without prejudice.

Both technologies and a student’s identity

A social robot/assistive technology (e.g., apps) may help the student with ASD develop social skills or a student with dyslexia develop communication skills, which helps them interact with others both verbally and in written form.
A social robot/assistive technology may help the student develop skills that allow them to be socially accepted in the community.
Successful learning with a social robot/assistive technology will influence the student’s identity and how they interact with other students or teachers in the class.
A student’s identity may be threatened because the social robot/assistive technology will determine the learning style of the student.
The social robot may be programmed / the apps have activities for emotional development, which influences who the student becomes.

Note to examiners: When discussing the concept of identity, a balance of arguments related to how the technologies will impact the student need to be discussed.

Keywords: identity, ethics, values, data, app, social robot, assistive technologies, hardware, relationships, accessibility, mitigation, access, inclusion.

Please refer to the HL paper 3 question 3 markbands when awarding marks. These can be found under the "Your tests" tab > supplemental materials > Digital society markbands and guidance document.