Abstract:

Currently, in the educational field, the so-called traditional methods are being replaced by other teaching and learning processes as the inclusion of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). It is true that most educational institutions include new methodologies in order to improve the academic performance of students and in this sense, the inclusion of new technologies is responding to the demands of education. One of these emerging technologies that are impacting the educational context is the Augmented Reality, also known as RA. It is one of the newest trends in technology which has experienced a huge boom during the last decades. This role is increasingly relevant in different areas of knowledge since it shows the great usefulness and adaptability of this new technological tool. The RA is an interactive system whose purpose is to access information about the reality of the world and make digital data available to society in real time. In short, it means creating a fictitious image, a 3D model, texts or other type of information generated from a processor. Focusing the theme in the educational field, and more specifically in the classroom context of therapeutic pedagogy and in students with special educational needs due to disability, the use of ICT began with great force because of the emergence of some very effective materials like the digital board. However, after a few years, new emerging technologies appear in order to be used as learning tools. In this sense, the RA is an essential tool in the classroom since it supports two of the key pillars in education: motivation and learning. The inclusion of these emerging tools as enhancers of accessibility in the participation of students with disabilities, specifically with students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), will allow the adaptation to the heterogeneity of learning styles of these students and provide support in the improvement of his difficulties in social skills and executive functions. Therefore, the objective of this study is to perform a bibliometric analysis of the state of scientific production on Augmented Reality in the intervention of students with ASD. To achieve this goal, we have worked with the Web of Science (WOS) obtaining a significant sample of articles that have been analyzed based on a series of bibliometric indicators (number of publications per year, number of citations per year, authors, educational levels, topics addressed, immediacy index). The results obtained have shown an increase in significant production (Price Law), being the period of highest production and scientific citation between 2015 and 2018. This fact shows the commitment to the benefits of the use of the RA in students with ASD and it may indicate the need for inclusion as a support tool in the educational intervention of these students.

Keywords:

ASD, RA, education, bibliometric review.