Inclusive Didactics Research Articles

Development of three-dimensional pieces of inclusive didactics to assist in the teaching and learning process of people with visual impairments

The teaching of some contents of the disciplines of the exact sciences and the earth are considered complex and this scenario worsens when the student has some disability, among these visual deficiencies is one that presents a higher degree of complexity, because the student cannot see what is being demonstrated. Based on this panorama, this article has as its central objective to present some three-dimensional pieces of inclusive didactics, which were developed in software that design three-dimensional objects and later printing in 3D printers, a process that resulted in handleable parts and with information of dimensions, shapes and writings in braille, this set of information aggregated in the construction of these pieces aims to collaborate in the process of teaching and learning of content related to exact disciplines.

The Differentiated Didactic Approach to Teaching the Arts (D.D.A.T.A.) in Special Education and Positive Psychology

The Differentiated Didactic Approach to Teaching the Arts (D.D.A.T.A) is a modern teaching approach in the field of Special Education. Its main goal is to teach in a differentiated manner Music and Dance to artistic ensembles such as an orchestra or dance group comprising mentally disabled members. It has been implemented and taken shape successfully within the framework of the clinical work carried out by Dr. Ioannis Makris on a sample of 100 individuals with mental disabilities during the period Oct 2012-Jan 2020. The main reason the D.D.A.T.A. model has been so successful does not rely solely on the differentiating teaching itself. It also hinges on being able to create the appropriate positive psychology for mentally disabled individuals with a view to empowering them to attend the training program suitable for them. The following were observed during the implementation of D.D.A.T.A.: the mental and physical health of the mentally disabled participants improved and was reinforced; their various strengths were further developed and honed; their ability to forge and/or sustain interpersonal relationships improved; and the personal goals they had set were accomplished. All of the areas in which improvement was observed constitute key goals of Positive Psychology. Thus, the goal of the present study is to examine how Positive Psychology relates to the D.D.A.T.A. model which is addressed to people with mental disabilities. The group under study is the Ichochroma (Timbre) Orchestra which was established by Dr. Ioannis Makris. Within the framework of inclusive didactics, the orchestra has successfully and harmoniously collaborated with both professional and amateur choirs at concerts and festivals.

Roboable project: educational robotics for inclusive didactics

Roboable is a project aimed at weak users: the goal is to create a new edutainment tool that can convey therapeutic and rehabilitative contents. Moreover, the aim is to make technology accessible to create a playful and didactic tool that can also be loaded with therapeutic contents. The project draws inspiration from the expressive potential of the mask, already a well-known tool used by psychotherapy in order to bring out emotions and feelings. Once identified with the device, users have the opportunity to express their emotions; they are also motivated to maintain a high level of concentration and collaboration. Progetto Roboable: didattica inclusiva con la robotica educativa Roboable e un progetto rivolto all’utenza debole: l’obiettivo e la creazione di un nuovo strumento di intrattenimento educativo in grado di veicolare contenuti terapeutici e riabilitativi. Lo scopo e quello di rendere accessibile la tecnologia per creare uno strumento ludico e didattico che possa caricarsi anche di contenuti terapeutici. Il progetto trae ispirazione dalle potenzialita espressive della maschera, gia noto strumento di cui si avvale la psicoterapia allo scopo di far emergere emozioni e sentimenti. Attraverso l’identificazione con il device, l’utente ha la possibilita di esprimere le proprie emozioni, motivato a mantenere un alto livello di concentrazione e collaborazione.

“El Sistema” e il “Coro de manos blancas”. Modelli educativo-musicali tra realtà consolidate e scenari futuri

This article provides an introduction to, and a critical discussion of, the educational model referred to as El Sistema, founded by Jose Antonio Abreu. In the course of over 40 years, starting from Venezuela, Abreu’s system has inspired educational programs for social change all over the world. The program, which thanks to the work of its founder has become an element of national interest, is currently managed by the Ministry for Family, Sport and Health, and has spread globally. After a short historical overview, the article discusses the primary aspects of the educational approach that forms the basis of the Venezuelan model, which today is also part of the Italian educational experience. The discussion is complemented by a preliminary examination, the first in our country, of the peculiar features of inclusive didactics in the main special education program connected to El Sistema, called Coro de Manos Blancas.

Reinterpretando la Dislexia. Propuesta diferenciadora para una neurodidáctica inclusiva

Hasta la aparición de las técnicas de neuroimagen las investigaciones sobre la Dislexia se centraron en el déficit fonológico como uno de los factores causales. Estas técnicas han permitido avanzar en el conocimiento anatómico-funcional de las distintas áreas del cerebro revelando la amplitud y complejidad de la red de lectura del cerebro.
 Con el objetivo de una mayor compresión de este trastorno del neurodesarrollo, se analizan los últimos avances sobre las funciones neuroanatómicas de las distintas áreas del cerebro implicadas en la lectura y las investigaciones sobre la etiología neurológica de la Dislexia. Se concluye con la necesidad de considerar un trastorno del neurodesarrollo sensorial localizado en áreas primarias auditiva y visual que conlleva un deficiente procesamiento de la información viso-espacio-temporal. Se considera la Dislexia, y por tanto también el déficit fonológico, como una consecuencia de este trastorno. Esta diferenciación permite visibilizar otros síntomas menos atendidos por la investigación y la didáctica.
 Se extraen implicaciones cognitivas del déficit del procesamiento espacio-temporal en las etapas de educación infantil y primaria ante tareas típicas del aula a partir de las cuales diseñar una didáctica inclusiva, comprensiva con la naturaleza neurológica del trastorno, que no penalice a los alumnos que padecen este trastorno neurológico.

Inclusive didactics and assistive technologies: the experience of a group of special needs teachers

This paper describes the results of an exploratory survey aimed to examine the experience of a group of special needs teachers on the use of ICT in teaching to students with autism spectrum disorder. It is focused on the effectiveness of video modeling as a tool through which to learn (self-learning and imitation) specific skills in the field of personal autonomy. By sharing the thought of Rossi (2012), which has stated that "digital technologies provide to school an extraordinary opportunity to put on the agenda the issue of learning and, together with it, the professionalism of teachers", the authors handed out a questionnaire to a group of special needs teachers of a Comprehensive School in Palermo with the purpose to investigate the perceived effectiveness experienced in the use of ICT for the achievement of different learning objectives and on critical issues. This work offers a detailed analysis of the investigated areas and the results from the survey, proposing a critical reflection on the emerged issues.

Inclusive Didactics at the University: innovation and training success of students with Special Educational Needs

The evolution of university teaching towards inclusive didactics is a complex issue that requires reflection about strategies to be taken involving university teachers for developing innovative and open contexts to the diversities. We need to rethink traditional transmission models because, as evidence proved, generating innovation for all implies going beyond the individual approach to Special Educational Needs (SEN). We describe some practical proposals based on guidance, reception and accompaniment devices provided for students with SEN, focusing on teaching and the use of ICT. These best practices derive from the research carried out by the group of Pedagogy and Special Education of University of Rome “Foro Italico” and by the work of the CNUDD group “Improving the quality of inclusive education”. According to the Universal Design approach, these devices and strategies promote not only inclusion and access of students with SEN, but they are a resource for all student population supporting training success. La Didattica inclusiva nell’Universita: innovazione e successo formativo degli studenti con Special Educational Needs L’evoluzione degli insegnamenti universitari verso una didattica inclusiva e una questione complessa che impone una riflessione su quali strategie attuare, coinvolgendo maggiormente i docenti universitari nello sviluppo di contesti innovativi e aperti alle diversita. I risultati suggeriscono che generare innovazione per tutti significa sia ripensare i modelli trasmissivi tradizionali, sia andare oltre la logica dell’approccio individuale agli Special Educational Needs (SEN). Sono descritte alcune proposte operative basate sull’utilizzo dei dispositivi di orientamento, accoglienza e accompagnamento previsti per gli studenti con SEN, con attenzione alla didattica e all’utilizzo delle TIC. Queste buone prassi derivano dalle ricerche del gruppo di Pedagogia e Didattica Speciale dell’Universita di Roma “Foro Italico” e dai lavori del gruppo CNUDD “Miglioramento della qualita della didattica inclusiva”. Secondo la logica dell’Universal Design, tali dispositivi e strategie oltre a favorire l’inclusione e l’accesso degli studenti con SEN, si rivelano una risorsa per l’intera popolazione studentesca ai fini del successo formativo.

Sport & technology to support the development of inclusive didactics

The aim of this paper is to introduce the importance of the sport-technology pair to support the possibility to generate the psychophysical,inclusive and athletic benefits for non-disabled and, especially, disabled athletes.In the school context, the technological innovations represent an excellent tool to develop inclusive education policies, and it isbelieved that they can be developed in the sports context too. Sport has always carried an important and inclusive value and,through an appropriate and efficient management of the technological potential available, it is possible to break down furtherbarriers.In this regard, a research analysis on some athletes of an amateur football club composed of 4 subjects with disabilities was carriedout to assess the differences in terms of final performance, a training strategy carried out through a technological support(Powersprint), and a traditional one.

What is Inclusive Didactics? Teachers’ Understanding of Inclusive Didactics for Students with EBD in Swedish Mainstream Schools

Including students with emotional and behavioral difficulties (EBD) in general education is one of teachers’ greatest challenges and make the dilemma of inclusion displays its most difficult side. This article contributes to the understanding of how teachers in Swedish mainstream schools understand the concept of inclusive didactics for students with EBD. This article employs a directed qualitative content analysis supplemented with descriptive statistics related to the categories of inclusive didactics. Didactic theory was the basis of the predefined categories by which the analysis was completed. Empirical data were collected through 6 focus-group interviews and 37 individual follow-up interviews. The findings indicate that three didactic aspects were dominant in teachers’ understanding of inclusive didactics: Student(s), Methods, and Teacher. Less accentuated were Subject, Rhetoric and Interaction. Thus these teachers’ understanding and previous research is not consistent. The overall conclusion is that the concept of inclusive didactics is complex, complicated, and difficult for teachers to relate to. The descriptions are both vague and simplistic and therefore difficult for teachers to implement. This article clearly highlights that teachers often feel frustrated and inadequate, and blame themselves for the students’ deficiency and failure, thus concluding that strategies for distinct descriptions and teacher practices are needed.

Design and Development of an Inclusive Learning Videogames Aimed to Promote the Development of Reading and Writing Skills

Inclusive didactics can be defined as the set of strategies, methods and resources that enable the teacher to pay more attention to the personal profile of the student in terms of learning. With reference to the teaching resources applied, technology offers effective opportunities for the implementation of an inclusive approach. The aim of this paper is to illustrate, on the basis of recent literature, how action videogames can foster the development of reading and writing skills in an inclusive way, through the specific types of human-machine interactions on which they are based. In addition, the design and development phases of the game, targeted for pupils attending Italian primary schools, is presented.

Inklusion: Herausforderung an die Religionsdidaktik?! Religionsdidaktische Konzepte auf dem Prüfstand

Abstract ‘Inclusion’ is a catchword which indicates both a paradigm shift and a challenge in the field of religious education and the didactics of religion. In this paper basic principles of inclusive didactics will be explained and applied to concepts of religious education. It can be shown that inclusion has not yet been accepted as a central topic within religious education. There are intersections, however, and some aspects of inclusion are indeed discussed here already. Finally, the paper raises some essential questions for a - still to be developed - concept of “inclusive religious education”.

Inklusiver Religionsunterricht: Einführung und ausgewählte Grundlagen

Inclusive Religious Education: Introduction and Selected Basic Principles. The article informs on backgrounds of the concept of inclusion in school education and religious education. Successful inclusive learning requires changes in structure, profession and attitude on all levels. Inclusive didactics works with internal cooperative differentiation and the whole range of perception, action, visuality and abstraction.