TEACHING MATH FOR LIFE TO STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS: AN EXPERIENCE WITH LEARNING SCENARIOS USING ROBOTS

Mathematics for Life aims to help students with Special Educational Needs (SEN) the develop skills that broaden their personal and social skills, promote autonomy and assist their integration into society.

To learn more about how students with Special Educational Needs learn Mathematics for Life, how they build meanings, which comprise these meanings, and what role the robots play in building this learning it was implemented a learning scenario where a robot and objects with different geometrical shapes were used. We used a qualitative approach using participant observation. Data collection was done by direct observation, audio and video recordings and analysis of the work developed by students.

From the data analysis it was concluded that the use of robots made possible an approximation of the school to the real needs of pupils with SEN by offering them new learning moments and situations of discovery and sharing.

The use of robots helped in the acquisition of new skills, the development of autonomy and the incentive to creativity, and allowed the construction of knowledge according the students' pace of learning by enabling new ways of thinking and learn.