Abstract:

In this paper, we would like to share our experience in helping disadvantaged children to integrate into the education system by introducing digitally enhanced training using mobile devices. This is done within the mRIDGE project. This project offers the opportunities to turn the class into pleasant and attractive moments that pass imperceptibly for both students and teachers. In addition, mRIDGE project gives prospects in terms of integrating mobile technology into the overall learning process - on all subjects. To be able to integrate fully into society and the labor market, and in this way to be useful to himself, one has to go a long way in development, knowledge accumulation and skills building. However, the road of people with disabilities is twice as long. Children with hearing impairment or with multiple disabilities have no sounds and developed speech, have no idea about the world or only minimal ones. Children with hearing impairment do not have a rich vocabulary; they do not use many scientific concepts. Those who are present in their speech are elementary and mostly connected with the surrounding world. In most cases, parents and teachers support the personal development of students with special educational needs insofar as they turn into useful young people for themselves and for society. In this context, it is very important for children to build up knowledge about the surrounding world, to increase their vocabulary with the concepts learned in the classroom, to learn skills and expand their worldview. For this purpose, they should not lose interest in school and school subjects. This has led us to believe that biology and health education is one of the subjects to be involved in the experiment. Children learn about anatomy and receive answers to interesting questions about the human organism in particular and nature as a whole. We believed that visualization or animation using IT resources would contribute to understanding the systems. The new technologies and the various methods we try to use in the educational process stimulate interest in the students. An individual approach is constantly being applied; specific training activities and implementation options are considered for each student separately.

The methodology of the study consists of the following steps:
1. Identification of the main groups for training;
2. Choice of subjects and lessons which to participate in the experiment;
3. Creating of training materials useful for mobile devices;
4. Conducting experimental lessons with hearing impaired students with the help of mobile devices;
5. Analysis of the results.

The results of the study show that the interest in school work has increased, and knowledge in certain areas has increased. Proof of this is the higher grade results of the students compared to the last school year and the difference in the estimates between the entry and exit levels of the current one. The conclusions are: "mRIDGE" has contributed to the development and support of the education of students with hearing impairment; IT resources complement the textbooks, support the work of the teacher, increase the interest of pupils in education, and motivate their desire for systematic attendance at school and self-education.

Keywords:

Teaching, hearing impaired students, disadvantaged children, digitally enhanced training, mobile devices.