Digital Transformation Stands Alongside Inclusive Education: Lessons Learned from a Project Called “Waking Up in the Morning”

Abstract

Abstract The right of people with special educational needs and disabilities to be educated alongside their typically developing peers is a fundamental human right protected by national laws and international conventions. However, education systems around the world still face the challenge of providing effective education for all children and young people. Nowadays, academic research on the implementation of inclusive education has shifted from “where” students should be educated to “what” and “how” they should be taught. Although teachers express willingness to implement inclusive education pedagogy, they nevertheless state that they lack educational materials and even encounter difficulties in creating their educational resources due to a lack of expertise. In this context and under the current research imperatives in inclusive education regarding the benefits of digital transformation, an inclusive transmedia application based on gamification techniques, called “Waking Up In the Morning” (WUIM), was designed and developed to supply an integrated educational method that can be applied in inclusive learning environments. The purpose of WUIM providing content for teaching Activities of Daily Living is to emphasize the participatory design for developing inclusive learning materials, while also using formative assessment elements that actively engage end-user. The conclusions of the formative assessment were drawn from the data collected to answer the main research question: “Can educational applications, based on transmedia learning principles, cutting-edge technology and game elements support inclusive education?“. Since for every educational innovation, it is necessary to identify teachers’ opinions about it, two parallel surveys were conducted on teachers’ attitudes towards inclusive education and digital games for learning and teaching. Based on the results, it can be concluded that teachers were hesitant in both cases, a reluctance that was not solely driven by ideological barriers but also by a lack of training in educational practices. This work highlights the lessons learned about teachers’ attitudes regarding inclusive education and digital educational games, the pedagogical foundations of game design, the power of transdisciplinary teamwork, and the affordances of virtual reality, augmented reality and digital games to support education and treatment of individuals with special educational needs and/or disabilities in inclusive settings.

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