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Digital Technology for Inclusive Education and Transformative Pedagogy: Reaching for the Stars

HAMPLOVÁ, Barbora

Basic information

Original name

Digital Technology for Inclusive Education and Transformative Pedagogy: Reaching for the Stars

Edition

TSTT 2023 International Conference Rethinking How We Train: Teachers of Tomorrow. 2024 Univerzita Karlova, Pedagogická fakulta. 2024

Other information

Language

English

Type of outcome

Konferenční abstrakt

Field of Study

50300 5.3 Education

Country of publisher

Czech Republic

Confidentiality degree

není předmětem státního či obchodního tajemství

Organization unit

Faculty of Philosophy and Science in Opava

ISBN

978-80-7603-482-2

Keywords (in Czech)

pedagogika; mozek a pamět; aktivní učení; hluboké učení; digitální nástroje; inklusivita; psychologie; neurologie; TPACK; SAMR model; povrchové učení

Keywords in English

pedagogy; brain and the memory; active learning; deep learning; digital tools; inclusivity; psychology; neurology; TPACK; SAMR model; surface learning

Tags

International impact
Změněno: 13/1/2025 09:27, Mgr. Barbora Hamplová

Abstract

V originále

Digital technologies are nowadays broadly used not only by teachers but also by students. Now comes the right time to integrate it in classrooms as it may play a significant role in supporting deep learning practices. The comprehensive psychological and neurological understanding of the executive function of attention is also critical for teachers to move students from a surface learning stage to deeper engagement. This paper provided insight into using digital technologies in inclusive education by introducing three essential reference frameworks, namely 4C (Creativity, Critical Thinking, Communication, and Collaboration), connected to the playful challenges students are exposed to. In this case, the word “challenge” means to support students and activate their full attention span. For teachers to engage in digitalization is essential to adopt the so called TPACK (Technological, Pedagogical and Content Knowledge), and SAMR model (substitution, augmentation, modification, and redefinition) created by dr. Ruben R. Puentedura (2007), not only to be implemented in everyday teaching practices but also to enhance digitalization as a pathway for inclusion. Present digital technologies, such as padlet, quizzlet, bigbox, wordmint, answergarden, and more, can assist in fostering an active approach to develop deep learning practices while supporting active student engagement to encourage and cultivate inclusive education. According to the neural network model created by Posner (2007), the brain’s attentional system consists of three distinct neural networks (alerting, orienting, and the executive control network). As Posner defines, ‘‘Alerting is defined as achieving and maintaining a state of high sensitivity to incoming stimuli; orienting is the selection of information from sensory input; and executive attention involves mechanisms for monitoring and resolving conflict among thoughts, feelings, and responses.“ (p.7). To prove these networks, an experiment with 85 University students of bachelor’s program was conducted in which they were given a collaborative task to challenge their thinking while presenting their work later on through the padlet app, aiming to be intrinsically motivating. During the process of creating, their ability to selectively focus on the relevant information while filtering out distractions to complete tasks was tested by playing an oriental song in the background. Random distracting questions that were not related to their specific topic of expertise were asked accordingly. Research showed that autistic students (5%) found it harder to focus, whereas those with ADHD (42%) noticed a pleasant change as their brain was stimulated by different notions at once. On the other hand, students with autism and mental illnesses (17%) expressed their enthusiasm towards fulfilling their task. The remaining 27% of students energetically engaged in activities, and only 9% in total expressed their conflicted attention. An ultimate state of intrinsic motivation is activated when students are challenged to accomplish something difficult but achievable, leading to a feeling of enjoyment. The state of full attention and deep engagement is called the flow, coined by a Hungarian psychologist Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi (2008). By practicing inclusive teaching and transformative pedagogy, we can reduce the achievement gap between underrepresented or minoritized students by focusing on inclusive teaching with the assistance of digital tools. By actively using the neural and psychological knowledge about the activation of the attention of the student, it is possible for a teacher to activate deep learning processes instead of just the surface learning by providing students with a positive, playful, yet challenging environment. Let us bridge the differences and biases to be the change we want to see to create confident leaders of our future.