European University Cyprus participates as a partner in the two-year project I’M IN TALES: A Methodology for the use of technology for learning and enhancing inclusive storytelling. On 18 February 2023, a successful project dissemination event was organised at European University Cyprus, in the context of the 3rd Annual Research Day for Educators.
The I’M IN TALES project aims to support educators in discovering new and innovative strategies to enhance learning and participation in inclusive education. The main objective of the project is to briefly describe and disseminate a methodology of educational storytelling practices that integrates tactile and multisensory materials with digital reality, namely Tangible User Interfaces (TUIs).
The event included two parts. The first part included a brief presentation of the I’M IN TALES research project, a presentation of theoretical background and important practices on the art of (digital) storytelling and a presentation by teachers on their experience during the first phase of the project which included the co-creation of storytelling scenarios by themselves in collaboration with children and the project team. The second part of the event involved a practical workshop where participants experimented with the first version under development of the authoring tool which is being designed by the project partners to create (digital) storytelling scenarios which will then be enhanced with tactile user interfaces.
In the application of tactile interfaces the user interacts and creates stories with tactile objects such as cards, blocks, jars of smells, but also games for learning, which have been enhanced with sensors. This interaction in turn generates another interaction with a digital device and allows for a high level of engagement.
During the workshop discussions were held and the usability, usability, accessibility and pedagogical value of the tool were evaluated, with the aim of providing feedback to the design team to improve the tool. The process is part of the collaborative and human-centred design framework and the collaboration between the educational and research communities.
The project is co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union. Together with the European University, the project involves partners from Italy: GLIC (Network of Assistive Technology Centres), AIAS Onlus Bologna (Assistive Technology Centre), Smarted SRL (Technology Research and Development Company), and the Istituto Comprensivo Torgiano-Bettona (ICTB) school, Lithuania: IMOTEC (non-profit technology consultancy organisation) and Belgium: Thomas More Modem (Network of professionals and researchers of Thomas More University). The project is coordinated by the GLIC network.
For more information about the I’M IN TALES project and the participation of Cyprus in it, please contact the EUC team: Dr. Katerina Mavrou, K.Mavrou@euc.ac.cy Dr. Chrystalla Papadimitri-Kachrimani, C.Papademetri@euc.ac.cy Dr. Marianna Efstathiadou, M.Efstathiadou@euc.ac.cy Ms. Maria Mouka, M.Mouka@research.euc.ac.cy Project website: https://www.imintalesproject.eu/
Note: With funding from the European Union. The views and opinions expressed are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). The European Union and the EACEA cannot be held responsible for the views expressed.
Source: University of Nicosia I Latest News (https://bit.ly/3Y3loWi)