Integrating Culturally Responsive Augmented Reality for Special Needs Learners in West Africa

• In Event: Roundtable Session 1
  In Refereed Roundtable Session: Global practices in inclusive education

Proposal

The CIES 2025 theme “Envisioning Education in a Digital Society” emphasizes the critical role of integrating emerging technologies into education to enhance inclusivity and improve the overall quality of education for all. This closely aligns with SDG 4: Quality Education, a global commitment to ensuring equitable and inclusive access to education for all. For these goals to be feasible, especially in regions that are underserved, it is crucial to use diverse teaching methods to aid student learning and improve the overall effectiveness of education. With the advent of digital technology, it has become essential to use technology as teaching aids to increase the productivity of learners (Yenioglu et al., 2023).
Augmented Reality (AR) which combines digital information such as audio, visual, or interactive simulations, from virtual environment to real-world environment (Bower, et al., 2017). Akçayır & Akçayır (2017) similarly defined Augmented Reality (AR) as a technology that overlays virtual objects (augmented components) into the real world.
AR has shown potential to transform learners’ experiences by increasing engagement, improving students’ retention and making complex subjects more accessible and understandable (Akçayır & Akçayır (2017). Lai et al., (2019) found integrating AR in diverse subjects helped increase student learning and improved overall perceived learning experiences.
However, despite the surge in research demonstrating the effectiveness of AR, most of studies focus on the adoption of AR in high or middle resource regions, with few studies examining its integration in low-resource and culturally diverse regions, such as West Africa (Adedokun-Shuittu et al., 2023). Countries in West Africa present unique educational challenges in the provision of special needs education in contexts where resources are limited. This proposal aims to explore the integration of AR for special needs education, while focusing on the adaptation of AR in addressing the educational needs of learners with disabilities in West Africa through the integration of culturally responsive teaching methods through an exhaustive review of available published literature.
We closely took into account Article 4 of the 2004 Law on Education of Children with Special Needs, as it defines individuals with special needs as those with physical, mental, and sensory disability; behavioral disorders; chronic diseases; emotional disorders; combined disorders; and any other conditions that impede learning and requires specialized educational programmes (The Law on Education of Children with Special Needs, 2004). The review aims to bridge the existing gap between educational technology and culturally responsive learning, ensuring that students with disabilities can benefit from technological advanced learning that is tailored to adapt to specific needs.
Situated at the intersection of education technology (e.g., AR), culturally responsive teaching, and special needs education in West Africa, this research will be offering insights into solutions for innovating learning outcomes for marginalized learners in low-resource and culturally diverse regions.

Authors

• Ginikachi Prisca Ifenatuora, Bowling Green State University

• Audrey Roberts, Bowling Green State University