João Correia de Freitas

Playful learning: Educational robotics applied to students with learning disabilities

Since the ratification of the Salamanca agreement in 1994 that it is the concern of schools to seek inclusive approaches that may lead all students to academic success through differentiated strategies and adaptations or curricular and environmental interventions, whenever necessary [1] [2]. In this study we present a strategy for inclusion and knowledge consolidation based on playful learning using educational robotics (ER) projects. Participants were two boys aged 15 and a 14 years old girl. All students attended the third cycle in Brazil, and were diagnosed with special needs, with specific learning disabilities. Students were initially reluctant to participate in the activities but soon were captivated by the project and motivated to take part in all stages, particularly during assembly, programming and interacting with a Lego® Mindstorms® prototype, showing that ER may be significant on allowing students to learn while playing and also by promoting their inclusion on different and engaging activities. By favouring participant relationships, use of language and concepts ER may also prove helpful for students daily life.

Robots & NEE: Learning by playing with robots in an inclusive school setting

In this paper the authors summarize a set of tasks devised as part of a doctoral thesis for two teachers training workshops involving eleven teachers in a distance e-learning approach. Data were collected by teachers enrolled in the workshops, in Portuguese and Brazilian schools with access to educational robotics sets while working with pupils with special educational needs. The project benefitted a total of 26 students with six different special educational needs who have been asked to assemble, programme and interact with a prototype of Lego® Mindstorms® robotics. The collected data helped confirm that educational robotics promotes learning and social inclusion through playing and project learning.

ICEM & SIIE 2011 Joint Conference “Old meets new - media in education” – A review

The ICEM & SIIE 2011 conference was held at the Department of Education of the University of Aveiro and was organized by the University of Aveiro (Portugal) – a member of the European Consortium of Innovative Universities. In addition to international experts in the field of ICT in education, the event brought together 164 participants who represented some 30 different countries. The final evaluation by the organization committee and the external evaluation team determined that the conference was highly successful both academically and professionally. The preconference sessions during the preceding Media Day, were especially successful, with nearly as many participants as the conference itself. ICEM & SIIE 2011 aimed at gathering researchers, teachers and other professionals, at national and international levels, around a focal topic that was designed to trigger and center the discussion on the old/new duality of media in education. Participants were invited to discuss: