Page 116 - International Perspectives on Effective Teaching and Learning in Digital Education

Barbora Bazalová, Dana Zámečníková Veronika Včelíková, and Pavla Pitnerová

The necessity of appropriate support for understanding instructions and
assigning activities or tasks to students with developmental language disor-
ders during classes is currently a topic of high debate within the Czech coun-
selling and educational system. The necessity for support of students with
developmental language disorder is currently most evident in counselling
practice in an inclusive environment, reflecting the actual and real needs of
this group of students. As evidenced by practice, the utilisation of programs
that facilitate communication modelling is essential for language acquisition
and also provides a practical approach to supporting comprehension in the
educational process (Castaneda et al., 3). The programs, as mentioned ear-
lier, enable the creation of individual communication books, core vocabulary
lists, and new terminology, and they can assist in orientation regarding as-
signments through the provision of a dictionary of complicated terms. They
facilitate the successful comprehension of meaning and content, which is
beneficial in an educational context.
Insufficient processing of the speech signal and a weak phonological loop
(insufficient auditory verbal memory) result in significant difficulties during
the teaching process, particularly regarding understanding or recalling in-
structions. The Czech educational system frequently places substantial de-
mands on auditory processing, which can cause problems for students with
language development deficits. Providing printed or digital instruction or
learning texts with underlined or highlighted keywords can facilitate access
to information for these students. ICT-based learning tools and software ap-
plications for teacher education, such as ‘Včelka’ and SymWriter, can be used
to enhance learning. Alternatively, a regular computer and text editor can be
employed.
What, then, are the principal criteria for the selection of one of the listed
software and applications? The choice of an appropriate software program
in a Czech inclusive environment is based on several fundamental consid-
erations. Primarily, the software should reflect the individual requirements
of the student. Secondly, the program should be designed to suit the specif-
ic requirements of the environment, allowing for the broadest possible use.
In conclusion, as Koudelková (3) indicates in her research, the decision
should be a collective one, with input from all relevant parties. The decision
to select an appropriate programme or software for the required system –
the AAC system – requires a comprehensive assessment of the individual’s
current abilities, strengths and needs. It is of the most significant importance
to avoid imposing any limitations on its potential (American Speech-Lan-
guage-Hearing Association, n.d.). In their study, the authors Foster Skalová et

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