Resources to Inform Teachers of Inclusive Schooling

The Australian Department of Education states that inclusive schooling programs and practices need to be evidence-based. Therefore, it is safe to say that one of the best resources to inform teachers are scientific, peer-reviewed journal articles that provide practical implications. Torres-Carrión, González-González, Bernal-Bravo, and Infante-Moro conducted a systematic review on the topic of gesture-based children computer interaction for inclusive education.

The authors describe the so-called tangible interfaces: systems that are physically embodied in artifacts or environments. The essential characteristic of such an interface is its tangibility and materiality: it encourages full-body interaction in actual spaces and contexts. Within this approach, educational programs and applications are controlled through the hand, face, eye, and body movements, including or excluding voice commands.

Torres-Carrión et al. claim that gesture-based computer interaction might be useful for inclusive education and teaching children with intellectual disabilities in particular. Individuals with fragile X syndrome often have movement and mobility and difficulties. Their motor skills develop slower than in children without their condition. Besides, students with fragile X syndrome often have trouble allocating strength and coordinating their bodies.

As for communication, affected individuals may have impaired social skills and speech development delays. Torres-Carrión et al. report the findings of the analyzed studies that suggest that tangible interfaces might ensure a more personalized approach to inclusive education. As for the Student, one may assume that interacting with a tangible interface might help him develop motor and speech skills by using gestures and voice commands. On top of that, his interest in music may be taken into account as he might like music applications.