Abstract:

A team from Plovdiv University has focused its scientific interest on the educational inclusion of disadvantaged people like people with disabilities, socio-economic disadvantaged people and refugees, through empowering teachers so that they are able to actively work towards social inclusion of these groups of learners. In this paper we present our scientific work towards conceptualizing and development of technical competence related to professional development of students-future-teachers and acting teachers, to be able to create, adopt and use technology instruments that will enrich disadvantaged groups of learners with educational opportunities.

Specific objectives of the scientific research are:
1. Analysis of user needs in different contexts and existing curriculum in social work and pedagogy at Plovdiv University.
The study is oriented toward assessing the extent of use of technologies by the specified groups of learners and opening opportunities for their inclusion in technology-based teaching of disadvantaged groups of learners.
2. Design of Technology-based Learning Model (TLM) to support the didactic features of technology-based learning in order to adapt it to the training conditions of disadvantaged groups of people.
3. Design of educational scenarios:
1) Technology-based teaching as a learning outcome in students-future-teachers curriculum at the university.
3) Technology-based teaching as a subject of qualification and pre-qualification programs of active teachers at the university.
The subsequent objective of the two scenarios is improvement of the conditions for equal access to education and training by enhancing the motivation to participate in the educational process, by facilitating the access and by additional activities with the disadvantaged students at their place of education.
4. Development and adaptation of applications and digital educational resources.
This objective addresses the need for implementation of technology-based teaching generalised across a range of disciplines in the inclusive education and across institutions, the needs of disadvantaged groups education and training.
5. Strengthening the institutional capacities of the University through short term intensive training of academics and staff members.
The current development improves the educational methods and practices by introducing adaptive curriculum in teachers education that is based on digital learning resources for mobile devices and targets disadvantage learners’ groups. This takes into account issues such as equal opportunities, equity of access, accessibility and the promotion of quality of education.

Keywords:

Disadvantaged people, people with disabilities, socio-economic disadvantaged people, refugees, professional development of students-future-teachers.