The main idea of the project (INTELed) is to advance social inclusion through inclusive education. INTELed proposes the development and promotion of a method for training in-service, special education teachers. The method will be driven by embodied cognition and kinesthetic learning, and will promote the use of interactive ICT multi-sensory techniques for learning and assessment for children with special educational needs, such as those diagnosed with autism, dyspraxia, ADHD, emotional disorders and other learning disabilities. The INTELed innovative training method will be presented, accompanied by evidence of its effectiveness through pilot studies in schools at the partner-countries and collection of best practices. The partners will work on presenting the pedagogical framework, the training model and instructional materials, and the procedures for implementation and evaluation. INTELed will further target the development of a community platform and sustainability of a community of practice (CoP) around this effort. The European policy agenda gives increased attention to teacher education for social inclusion, requiring teachers to acquire new knowledge and skills. This challenge can be met by strengthening the profile of the teaching profession through teacher training on new methods and tools that enable them to deliver high quality teaching in complex classroom realities. However, initial teacher training rarely prepares special education teachers for working in diverse classrooms and does not equip them with the confidence, knowledge and skills in using modern ICT multi-sensory techniques for learning and assessment. This absence of appropriate training and resources is disheartening for teachers, who need an active participatory form of training that links theory and practice. INTELed proposes the development of a method for training in-service special education teachers on the use of modern, interactive ICT multi-sensory techniques for learning and assessment for children with special educational needs. The emphasis on ICT multi-sensory techniques, such as motion-based games via kinect, wii, leap-motion tools, builds on ideas of kinesthetic learning and embodied cognition. That is, multi-sensory technologies can provide opportunities for powerful learning experiences in context and can encourage students to use their senses to understand relationships between concepts. For example, in INTELed, teachers will expertise on how to help children to coordinate their hand and body movement and thought, using interactive and embodied learning learning games. This reunification of body, action, and the mind is a key consideration in contemporary debates around embodied cognition (Farr, Price, & Jewitt, 2012). INTELed has the following objectives: -Development of a pedagogical framework for innovative special education driven by theories of embodied cognition and kinesthetic learning. -Development of a methodological framework for training in-service special teachers on ICT multi-sensory techniques for learning and assessment. -Development of educational resources for special teacher training, under the license of creative commons. -Implementation of training events for in-service special teachers. -Validation of the acquired knowledge and skills via pilot studies in authentic school environments (see letters of support from associated supporters/collaborators). -Assessment of the effectiveness of the method on special education students’ skill development, via pilot studies. -Dissemination activities and multiplier events, for the promotion of the INTELed method at the partner countries. -Establishment and sustainability of a community of practice (CoP) around INTELed. -Wider dissemination activities, such participation in conferences, for the promotion of INTELed at the international level. The main target audience of the project is in-service special teachers who work in mainstream or special schools. At least 20 teachers from each partner country (total 80) will engage in the INTELed training, followed by pilot studies implemented with SEN students (more than 250; 3-4 SEN students per trained SEN teacher) in mainstream and special schools at the partner countries. The ultimate beneficiary will be special education students. The evaluation of the pilots, is expected to encourage educators, practitioners and policy makers to adopt the proposed method in order to reach disadvantaged children and promote social inclusion through inclusive education. A wider audience of more than 20000 educators and other stakeholders are expected to be affected by this work through dissemination events at the partner countries and in Europe.
BACKGROUND OF THE PROJECT According to the European policy agenda ‘Changes in education and society place new demands on the teaching profession [...] classrooms now contain a more heterogeneous mix of young people from different backgrounds and with different levels of ability and disability [...] Yet, to date, initial teacher training rarely prepares teachers for working in diverse classrooms and does not equip them with confidence, knowledge and skills on the use of modern ICT multi-sensory technologies available today, to effectively support children with and without disabilities. OBJECTIVES INTELed aimed at supporting SEN teachers in acquiring knowledge and skills about the use of interactive multi-sensory techniques for learning and assessment, for addressing the needs of SEN children. PARTICIPANTS As part of INTELed there were two main target groups involved in the project activities: • In-service SEN teachers: The main target audience of the project were in-service SEN teachers who work in primary education schools in mainstream or special education settings and special units with SEN children. In particular, 115 in-service SEN teachers across the four participating European countries (Cyprus, Greece, Italy and Spain) were positively affected by the INTELed project. • Students with and without disabilities: INTELed's ultimate beneficiary were SEN children, such as those diagnosed with autism, dyspraxia, ADHD, emotional disorders and other learning disabilities. However, given that some of the INTELed school pilots took place in mainstream educational settings a significant number of students without disabilities benefited from the INTELed pedagogical framework as well. In particular, 877 students took part in the INTELed school pilots, 642 of which (73.2%) were students with no disabilities, and 235 (26.8%) were SEN students, with disabilities. UNDERTAKEN ACTIVITIES This INTELed project developed a novel pedagogical framework and an innovative training method, driven by theories of embodied cognition and kinaesthetic learning. The training materials emerged during the INTELed project had the form of educational resources under the licence of Creative Commons, in order to be adaptable, accessible and widely available to educational institutions, teacher trainers and teachers. The INTELed training materials were also accompanied by evidence of its effectiveness through pilot studies in schools at the partner-countries resulting in a set of a good practices. The good practices are available on the project’s website (https://www.inteled.org/channel/). A Community of practice (CoP) was also built around the INTELed thus contributing to the further exploitation and sustainability of the project outcomes (https://platform.inteled.org/). The project was also disseminated though multiple press releases and three main newsletters (https://www.inteled.org/news-events/), as well as via the partners relevant organizations. Finally, a Facebook page was also created (https://www.facebook.com/INTELedErasmus/) to contribute to the INTELed project’s social media publicity. RESULTS & IMPACT ATTAINED Quantitative results: • 115 teachers attended the INTELed training events from which 75 participated in the school pilots across the 4 partner countries • A total of 877 students took part in the INTELed school pilots across the 4 partner countries • A total of 480 (date: 10/12/2019) relevant stakeholders joined the INTELed online community platform during the project • A total of 230 relevant stakeholders, participated in the multiplier events for the dissemination of the project outcomes • More than 2400 academics were reached via INTELed presentations/publications at national and international conferences • More than 20000 relevant stakeholders were reached through the INTELed dissemination activities Qualitative results: • High level of satisfaction of teachers’ participants following the completion of the INTELed teacher training • Development of cognitive and social/emotional aspects of the pilot SEN-student participants • High level of satisfaction of parents of the piloting of SEN children • Interest by SEN teachers, parents and other stakeholders to continue using the INTELed method and being active members of the CoP via the community platform LONG TERM BENEFITS & IMPACT After the end of EU funding, the partners will maintain a contact will all stakeholder who attended the multiplier events, participated in the training events and pilots, joined the INTELed Community of platform, liked our social media channels etc. and use these contacts as liaisons to continue to promote the INTELed method. The INTELed CoP is also expected to continue functioning even after the project is completed, providing immediate access to the project educational resources. Finally, the project partners will continue to present the outcomes and results of INTELed in conference venues and publish in scientific journals.