DIGITAL LIBRARY
USING A WIKI IN MATHEMATICS AS A BENEFICIAL AND INCLUSIVE ELEMENT FOR STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS IN SECONDARY EDUCATION
Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena (SPAIN)
About this paper:
Appears in: ICERI2013 Proceedings
Publication year: 2013
Pages: 1340-1344
ISBN: 978-84-616-3847-5
ISSN: 2340-1095
Conference name: 6th International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation
Dates: 18-20 November, 2013
Location: Seville, Spain
Abstract:
The use and integration of the ICT in education entails a series of advantages such as a positive influence on the teaching-learning process (Roig, 2002), encouraging motivation, interest in the subject, creativity, imagination and communication methods. Similarly, they also improve problem-solving skills and teamwork, build self-esteem and allow a greater autonomy in learning (Segura, Lopez and Medina, 2007).

In the information society, the educational technology plays a key role in the design and planning of Education, and, for this reason, it is an indispensable resource for the attention to diversity.

Teachers count on different means and technology resources to meet the different disabilities, learning difficulties, lack of language knowledge, etc.

The ICT allow us to use and design multimedia educational resources. They foster a better adaptation of multimedia materials to the educational needs of students in every classroom.

The initial participation in the development and implementation of the wiki in order to create research materials and develop basic skills in students of ESO, as well as the use of the interactive whiteboard (IWB) have been enhanced to deal with the diversity of the students in the classrooms of the secondary schools. This wiki is part of an activity aiming at secondary school teachers.

By designing and using a wiki, an innovative educational tool, in the field of Mathematics, the attention to the diversity of the students in the classrooms of the Secondary Schools is favored.

Most of the students, because of the opportunities provided by the wiki, improve the academic outcomes regarding the final assessment of the subject. The students’ motivation and attraction to the field of Mathematics has been greater than before the development of the wiki.

The results have been very good and the content of the wiki makes it possible the adaptation to the individual educational needs of students. There has been a great participation of most of the students accessing the wiki contents and performing its tasks, which has encouraged a higher use of the ICT in the students. A hundred students of ESO have answered some questions, which allows us to draw conclusions regarding the use of the new technologies and the attention to diversity.

Also, from the creation of the wiki to now, a lot of visits were received from more than 29 countries worldwide.
Keywords:
Wiki, Mathematics, motivation, ICT, secondary school, educational special needs.