Quality education for all

"Before, I felt lost in class. Now, with these tools, I can finally follow and understand." These words from a student with academic difficulties illustrate the impact of the "Neuroscience, Education and ICT" project, carried out in collaboration between several universities in America and Europe.

Led by the Université de Sherbrooke (Quebec, Canada), in partnership with the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana de Cali (Colombia) and the Institut Catholique de Paris ( France), this project was supported by the AUF through its PRISA program (Interuniversity Solidarity Projects in the Americas). Institut Catholique de Paris (France), this project was supported by the AUF through its PRISA program (Interuniversity Solidarity Projects in the Americas). Its aim: to bring advances in neuroscience and educational technology closer to the classroom, to better meet the needs of students in difficulty.

How can neuroscience and information technology transform education?

In Latin America, between 20% and 30% of students have learning difficulties or disabilities. Despite technological advances, assistive tools are still struggling to become fully integrated into local educational practices.

In response, the "Neuroscience, Education and ICT" project has set itself the task of bridging the gap between research and its application in the field. Over two years, from 2021 to 2023, it will :

• Train a new generation of students and teachers in the use of innovative educational technologies. A total of 400 people have been trained, including undergraduate and graduate students, as well as professionals and practitioners working with vulnerable and at-risk children in Colombia. To illustrate the impact of this training, several specialized educators, speech therapists and therapists said they felt better equipped to work with this complex clientele.

• Create a university curriculum on neuroscience, education and ICT, including four hybrid courses and a supervised internship in a school.

• Develop an inter-university and international research dynamic, with published works and upcoming conferences. The project enabled the formation of an interdisciplinary and inter-university team, which subsequently published several research articles and edited a book entitled Neurodiversity, Technologies and Educational Inclusion. The book listed evidence-based educational strategies to facilitate the learning and development processes of vulnerable and at-risk children. Similarly, seven applications using virtual and augmented reality have been developed to help children with sensory impairments.

From research to the classroom: what are the challenges?

Implementing such an ambitious program has not been without its obstacles. One of the major challenges has been to bridge the gap between research and its application in the field.

Thanks to close collaboration between researchers, teachers and educational technology specialists, appropriate solutions were developed and tested directly in the school environment.

"The use of virtual and augmented reality technologies faces several challenges, but the most important is the lack of awareness among parents, caregivers and teachers of the benefits associated with these technologies. However, during the workshops, adults ended up participating directly in the experience when they observed the children's motivation. "The project's scientific leader, Dr. Gerardo Restrepo, Professor of Applied Neuroscience in Education at the Department of Social and School Adaptation Studies (Université Sherbrooke), shared his views.

International collaborations

From the outset, this project was conceived as a collective effort, in line with the PRISA program's solidarity criterion. Alongside the founding universities, other institutions joined the initiative, including the Universidad de Valparaíso (Chile) and the Universidad de Cartagena (Colombia). Courses in neuroscience and educational technology are now integrated into the curricula of several universities, notably in Cali and Cartagena.

In May 2023, a first supervised internship was carried out in a specialized institution in Colombia, with a very positive impact. The first internships not only transformed teachers' perceptions, but also provided essential support for the families of children in difficulty. These successes have led to the organization of international colloquia and to prospects for lasting cooperation, such as the invitation of the principal researcher to join the UNESCO Chair on educational inclusion, thus strengthening the project's international influence.

"The project is currently continuing in collaboration with researchers from several universities in Latin America and Europe. Our team is preparing an international congress on the subject in autumn 2025", enthused the project's scientific manager.

As the project continues to roll out, ambitions are growing. Research projects are underway to measure the long-term impact of these initiatives in primary and secondary schools. And this is just the beginning: the partners are already planning new collaborations to extend the reach of this educational revolution.

The "Neuroscience, Education and ICT" project is much more than a response to an educational need. It is proof that science and education, when united, can change the world.

The PRISA program will be relaunched in a few weeks' time. This is an opportunity for other AUF member institutions to join this dynamic inter-university collaboration.

Source: www.auf.org/