Inclusive Education with Tablets Erasmus Project

Project Title

Inclusive Education with Tablets

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships addressing more than one field

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2014

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: ICT – new technologies – digital competences; Inclusion – equity; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

The IncluEdu project was launched against the background that smartphones and tablet computers are widespread representatives for mobile information and communication technology (ICT). ICT is expected to innovate learning and teaching in numerous ways, including individualised, anytime and mobile access to learning opportunities for all. Research suggests a profound effect of mobile ICT on pedagogy and on learners. For learners with special educational needs (SEN) mobile ICT allows for an even wider individualisation of learning materials and adaptation to personal learning styles. Inclusion for people with SEN in education is a primary goal in Europe. Analyses conclude that what is good practice and provision for learners with SEN is good for all learners.
Yet, educational organizations were not ready to adopt mobile ICT and to realise the potentials of this technologies for broadening inclusion. To become more inclusive and to adapt teaching and learning structures and approaches correspondingly, deciders, managers and teachers of educational institutions needed new competences.

Hence, IncluEdu aimed to create an innovative, European-wide, modularised further education programme for, and network of, education providers by exploiting the huge potentials of tablet computers for wider inclusion of learners with SEN. The aim was that these organisations gain the necessary competences to successfully introduce mobile ICT such as tablets to support inclusion within their offers.

The Strategic Partnership developed, tested and implemented outcomes relevant to stimulate a wider uptake of ICT in teaching and learning to increase the level of inclusion of a wide array of educational organisations, with a particular focus on compulsory education. A set of activities and outputs formed the “heart” of this partnership: a Quality Guideline for customised courses; a competence model and set of key modules for individualized courses; a module on personalized learning with tablets; a collection of practical inclusive learning and teaching scenarios; a unique online community and resource platform for educational professionals; and a benchmarking approach that fosters a high level of quality to make this project a strategic partnership of excellence.

IncluEdu followed a rigorous structure of developing, implementing, evaluating and re-working of a course programme with the active involvement of teachers, managers, and learners with SEN. The project duration of three years allowed for an iterative approach to develop high quality courses that fit the course structure and contents to the requirements of educational organisations. The overall structure during the project’s lifetime had been aligned along the following clear and easy elements: Year 1: Planning and Development; Year 2: Piloting and Testing; and Year 3: Dissemination of Results. Towards the final project phase, 5 National and 1 European multiplier event have been performed to disseminate results and outputs to education organizations and other stakeholders.

Education organisations that participated in IncluEdu courses were able to build up new competences in their staff to provide more inclusive, personalized education for learners with and without special educational needs. Participating teachers and managers were able to link to a community of likeminded organisations that are steering towards the same goals. Becoming a member of this community enabled them to network and exchange ideas on inclusive education and on the use of mobile ICT, and to find help when needed. The long term perspectives, formulated at the beginning of the project, are still valid, that the whole European education sector should benefit from the outcomes of this project in various ways: educational organizations will be enabled to better include all different kinds of learners in their educational offer; educational staff will gain competences necessary to use tablets in inclusive teaching and learning settings; learners with SEN will have better choices and will be more able to take part in mainstream education just like anybody else.

The IncluEdu partnership consisted of five partner organisations. atempo (Austria) as the project’s leading organisation is specialised in ICT training for educational professionals and people with SEN at the same time. The Rix Research Centre (London) works with people with disabilities alongside their teachers and supporters to explore innovative, inclusive approaches to learning. The Finnish Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (FAIDD) promotes education and participation for people with intellectual disabilities, and organizes training for professionals specialized in inclusive education. UrAbility (Ireland) is specialized in Assistive Technology solutions for schools. ITA (Germany) is a research institute with expertise in benchmarking and organizational development.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 327885,51 Eur

Project Coordinator

ATEMPO BETRIEBSGESELLSCHAFT MBH & Country: AT

Project Partners

• UNIVERSITY OF EAST LONDON
• Institut für Technologie und Arbeit (ITA) e.V.
• Urability
• KEHITYSVAMMALIITTO RY