Paula Escudeiro

By Paula Escudeiro, Bruno Galasso, Dirceu Esdras and Márcia Campos Gouveia

The deaf and blind communities often struggle to communicate. In scenarios such as academia, these communication challenges prevent these communities from progressing within the wider intellectual communities, as most digital content and tools used for disseminating information remain inaccessible to them. Our work aims to revamp the learning experience of deaf and blind students by granting them access to education in their first language and through proper effective channels. Massive and Open Online Courses (MOOCs) provide a new opportunity for education. MOOCs are easily accessible; however, their availability tends to be non-inclusive. The aim is for them to be viewed broadly, even though minority groups, with needs for specific channels and languages, such as deaf and blinds, are usually not considered. To maximize the potential of these courses, an inclusive MOOC was developed, a broad pedagogical model with technologies that enable deaf and blind people to access digital educational content.

Part of the book: Massive Open Online Courses - Current Practice and Future Trends

By Paula Escudeiro and Márcia Campos Gouveia

Promoting equity and social and educational inclusion of disabled people is a priority of European Education. Disabled students often feel challenged to communicate or access information. However, with the emergence of new technologies, disabled students are offered more chances to have the same learning opportunities as others. Our current work contributes to the field of Educational Serious Game. Elementals, a chemistry-inclusive serious game, aims to assist all students in the learning process. It was designed to be inclusive for players with visual, hearing, and mobility impairments. Its purpose is to help students with chemistry and to be a complementary solution to common learning methods to enhance education. In our chapter, we will provide information about this developed game that educates, informs, entertains, and motivates chemistry students in their learning experience through a card game in which they learn the Table of Periodic Elements and use them to form molecules.

Part of the book: Computer Science for Game Development and Game Development for Computer Science

By Paula Escudeiro, Márcia Campos Gouveia, Nuno Escudeiro and Francisca Escudeiro

The field of education is increasingly recognizing the importance of fostering students’ abilities through project-based learning across disciplines. To address the challenges faced by teachers, especially in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics, and Entrepreneurship (STEAME) fields, the STEAME Teacher Facilitators Academy project is dedicated to comprehensive training and support. It aims to develop a Teacher Facilitators Competence Framework, guiding teacher education providers in integrating STEAME teaching into programs. The project will offer accessible learning modules and workshops for both students and teachers, fostering competence in STEAME teaching. Collaboration among teachers will be promoted through a community of practice and mentoring program. The ultimate goal is to guide teachers toward Education 3.0 and 4.0, leveraging the latest trends and technologies for a world-class education. The project’s pioneering solutions have the potential to influence teacher development and elevate education quality in Europe, creating a transformative educational landscape through local academies.

Part of the book: Level Up! Exploring Gamification's Impact on Research and Innovation