🥇Uniservitate Award 2022 winning experience

Summary 

Educational Therapy students produce didactic material adapted for Special Education Centres in Madrid.

This experience of professional university voluntary service with a service-learning approach is a joint work between the subjects Production of educational resources for children with difficulties at school and special learning needs and Sensory and motor disability. Both subjects are part of the Concentration in Educational Therapy after the Degree in Early Childhood and Primary Education.  

Fifth-year students of the Concentration in Educational Therapy have noticed a lack of specific materials for special education. Therefore, as part of their internship, they design, produce, show and train teachers in the effective use of didactic resources for children with motor disabilities and difficulties at school from the Educational and Social Support Centers with which the University collaborates.

Students visit special education centres and interact with educators as well as children. Then, they identify the priority needs and agree on the didactic materials required while their professors guide them to plan activities and resources following the regulations.

Next, they return to the Center to test them with the children, make modifications and exchange information with the Educational Therapy teachers. One group developed materials to teach and reinforce math learning for children from 9 to 12 years old —for example, card games, multiplying goose, multiplication wheel and Jenga. On the other hand, another group worked for the school partners in the project that helps children with diverse intellectual diversity (ID) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD). In this case, the materials were connected to the child’s autonomy development, fine motor skills improvement, daily living skills and clothing.

As a result of the experience, students delivered didactic materials which are not easily found in the market. In addition, the beneficiaries confirmed that they are very useful in their educational centres, due to their quality, variety, creativity and therapeutic relevance, helping educators and children achieve learning goals at different levels.

As far as the students are concerned, they became aware of their role as transforming agents and citizens capable of bringing about positive changes in their environment to improve other people’s lives, developing prosocial attitudes.

Video Presentation 1 (in Spanish)

Video Presentation 2 – Testimonials

 

DATA SHEET

  • Name: Production of educational resources for children with difficulties at school and special learning needs

  • Region: Western Europe South

  • Country: Spain

  • University: Pontifical University of Comillas

  • Area or School involved: Course “Production of educational resources for children with difficulties at school and special learning needs.” “Sensory and motor disability.” Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Degree in Early Childhood and Primary Education and Concentration in Educational Therapy.

  • Theme: Education. Educational Inclusion. Production of training material

  • Place of implementation: Institutions, Specialized schools and others in Madrid.

  • Responsible for the experience: Salas Labayen, María Rosa y Fernández González and Raquel Rosa

PLACE OF IMPLEMENTATION