The intention
of this project derives from the beauty of the field of arts and from
interaction and immersion paradigms, which are today potentiated by
multisensory and multimodal feedback in technological environments. We wanted
to see the impact of interactive artistic environments on students with special
needs, as a form of self-expression and inclusion, in a real school context. Emphasizing
the actual Portuguese inclusive school framework, this study was carried out in
a public education establishment, with twelve students from individualized
special curricula. Special INPUT was
the concept of different types of environments and interaction approaches were
implemented in individual sessions with the participants, which allowed to promote
and observe their intellectual, emotional, personal, interpersonal,
intrapersonal, psychomotor and artistic skills.
We believe that school have today, simultaneously, the duty and the right to choose and implement the best forms to integrate, prepare and improve the quality of life of its special needs students. The conception and programming of interactive artistic environments, usually confined to the territory of contemporary artistic installations, can support the creation of informal learning environments. The new emerging aesthetic sensitivity, derived from technological ludic interaction of the imaginary of contemporaneity is expanding inclusion opportunities. This study relies on the importance of self-expression as a way of recognizing human skills such as activity, motivation, creativity, imagination and responsibility (Damásio & Damásio, 2006) and also considers the great importance of emotional intelligence (Punset, 2010). Inspired in authors such as Brooks, Hasselblad, Petersson, Gehlhaar, Azeredo and others, the focus of this project was not inability but ability. Encouraging participation and allowing reaching the maximum potential of each one, we believe that interactive artistic environments can encourage artistic expression, helping students with complex requirements develop self-awareness of their abilities, incite their optimistic identity and feeling of inclusion
We believe that school have today, simultaneously, the duty and the right to choose and implement the best forms to integrate, prepare and improve the quality of life of its special needs students. The conception and programming of interactive artistic environments, usually confined to the territory of contemporary artistic installations, can support the creation of informal learning environments. The new emerging aesthetic sensitivity, derived from technological ludic interaction of the imaginary of contemporaneity is expanding inclusion opportunities. This study relies on the importance of self-expression as a way of recognizing human skills such as activity, motivation, creativity, imagination and responsibility (Damásio & Damásio, 2006) and also considers the great importance of emotional intelligence (Punset, 2010). Inspired in authors such as Brooks, Hasselblad, Petersson, Gehlhaar, Azeredo and others, the focus of this project was not inability but ability. Encouraging participation and allowing reaching the maximum potential of each one, we believe that interactive artistic environments can encourage artistic expression, helping students with complex requirements develop self-awareness of their abilities, incite their optimistic identity and feeling of inclusion
Acknowledgements: The
authors wish to thank the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology —
FCT — for supporting the study under Contract Nº SFRH/BD/47147/2008
that made this research possible, the school that gave us the opportunity to implemented the project and, specially, to participants who collaborated on it.