ABSTRACT
The classroom environment is an important consideration for all pupils. This includes the physical environment, the emotional needs of the class and the creation of a culture of learning. For most pupils, getting them to type up neat answers on computers is essentially a waste of time, unless of course a pupil has a problem physically writing. Information technology (IT) is useful where it helps historical thinking and makes the processing of historical information easier. It is important, though, to consider whether IT will actually add an extra barrier to learning. If pupils have to produce a multimedia presentation, the complexities of IT can get in the way of learning history. Pupils are increasingly intuitive users of IT and those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are no exception. For some pupils, simulations on computers can be useful in exploring what actually happened and discussing causal factors.
