Assessing Multimedia Technology Use in Enhancing Learning Outcomes for Students with Special Educational Needs

This study focuses on incorporating multimedia in special needs education, with the School of Special Needs in Kwara State, Nigeria, in view. It specifically examines how multimedia technology enhances learning outcomes for students with special educational needs. The study examines the introduction, benefits, and challenges of multimedia use in special needs education. The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Piaget’s theory of cognitive development were adopted to support the research work. A qualitative method was used to conduct interviews with five (5) informants. Semi-structured interview questions were administered to informants using purposive and snowball sampling approaches, and responses were analyzed thematically. The results show a relatively high level of multimedia incorporation in the special needs education school used as the case study. In this study area, multimedia benefits for students with special needs include increased engagement and improved comprehension. However, barriers to its inclusion include infrastructure gaps, human and policy constraints, and the need for adaptive strategies. The study underlined the need for more frequent, up-to-date educator training; infrastructure improvements; and policy review to support the guided use of mobile learning devices and locally developed multimedia content. Educators’ interest in making an impact should drive their need to improve, especially in ICT.