ICT and Inclusion in Higher Education: A Comparative Approach

Abstract

The following research describes an attempt to combine ICT and Special Education through an inclusive pedagogical perspective. It examines how an innovative use of Information and Communication Technology can help create inclusive environments on the web. Specifically, the study focuses on the way the University responds to diversity and to e-inclusion through some development phases of an experimental research project, which is most far-reaching called "Network@ccessible: teaching/learning together and for everyone in a life project" carried out by six Italian universities and research institutions, from 2009 to 2014, and involved 1174 students (1.6% disabled students). This study is split into two main parts: 1) description and analysis of the data collected following the administration of an inquiry tool, developed to detect the climate experienced by the students involved in the online working groups; 2) investigation and detection of the elements of change that can encourage the process of inclusion in online learning environments to acquire credits allocated to the university courses. This study proposes further research to take place in the area of inclusive online university courses.

Distance learning in Higher Education during the first pandemic lockdown: The point of view of students with special educational needs

“…Socio-emotional aspects and didactic-organizational ones were both identified as strengths and weaknesses, as a confirmation of what has been stated above. Previous research on e-tutoring suggested that the tutors can play an important role in supporting social relationships online (Della Volpe, 2015). However, in our case, the building of the relationship with the tutors during DL was perceived as less effective if compared with face-to-face tutoring.…”