Page 108 - International Perspectives on Effective Teaching and Learning in Digital Education

Barbora Bazalová, Dana Zámečníková Veronika Včelíková, and Pavla Pitnerová

According to the mentioned documents, assistive technology enables and
promotes inclusion and participation, especially for persons with disability,
ageing populations, and people with non-communicable diseases. The pri-
mary purpose of assistive products is to maintain or improve an individual’s
functioning and independence, thereby promoting their well-being. They
enable people to live healthy, productive, independent, and dignified lives,
as well as to participate in education, the labour market, and civic life (comp.
UNESCO, 3).
Education is evolving, just as society is evolving. The development of socie-
ty is thus undeniably reflected in approaches to teaching. In recent years, we
have increasingly encountered technology and its use in education, includ-
ing special or inclusive education.
As recognised in the Incheon Declaration (UNESCO, 3), the achievement
of the fourth Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 4) is dependent on oppor-
tunities and challenges posed by technology. Technology appears in six out
of the ten targets. Technology affects education through five distinct chan-
nels: input means of delivery, skill, tool for planning, and providing a social
and cultural context.
For children with special and diverse educational needs, we encounter a
wide range of support that aims to compensate for deficits and offer compe-
tencies, thus enabling a maximum degree of inclusion in all areas of school
life. Technologies have an essential role in this process. They are used both
in learning processes and in communication. However, the benefits of tech-
nology are not limited to these areas. Still, they can also be used as a tool for
social inclusion and the development of relationships at school since social
comfort is one of the critical aspects of school success. The premise that ICT
improves the quality of life, reduces social exclusion and enhances participa-
tion is also recognised internationally. In 11, the European Agency for Spe-
cial Needs and Inclusive Education launched the ICT4I project (Information
and Communication Technology for Inclusion), which focused on the use of
ICT as a means of promoting inclusion in education. Many countries were
involved. Among the outcomes were the findings that ICT has the potential
to enhance respect for diversity and enable all pupils to have equal opportu-
nities to learn (Watkinson, 13).
Flair (3) writes that electronic and digital tools are seen as a means to
enhance learning and provide a rewarding experience for all students. Educa-
tional program administration is also benefiting from the growth of technol-
ogy, allowing for more successful tracking and analysis of student progress.
It provides for finer tuning of learning objectives and corresponding learn-

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