The course is aimed at the acquisition of the theoretical and methodological principles of Special Pedagogy interpreted as the science of integration and social and scholastic inclusion of pupils with disabilities and "special educational needs". Here it becomes of particular importance to make a careful critical reflection on the epistemological question of Special Pedagogy, which should be understood as a science of recognition and enhancement of the educational potential of pupils with "Special Educational Needs", overcoming the risks of reductionist and technical perspectives, increasingly hegemonic, of the languages of medicalisation and psychologisation of diversity. Of particular importance is the transition from integrative to inclusive logic. The course aims at mastering the main concepts of diversity, deficit, "handicap", integration, inclusion, individualization, personalization, support, help, starting from the analysis of the categories of disabilities, up to the debate on "Special Educational Needs" and on the current role played by the socio-pedagogical educator in inclusive schools. The knowledge of the theories and good teaching practices concerning the integration and inclusion of pupils with disabilities and with "Special Educational Needs" and of the related project models to be adopted represents an essential element for the exercise of an adequate teaching professionalism. Within the course the attention will focus on the education of pupils with "BES" and on the renewed "identikit" of the socio-pedagogical educator, called to enrich his theoretical-practical skills in an inclusive perspective, using the founding categories of care education and help, with a view to the collegiality of integrated network interventions and the Life Project of the person with disabilities. 

The course will cover the following topics in the order indicated:

- The epistemology of Special Pedagogy: the epistemological debate.

- Special Pedagogy as a science of integration-inclusion of diversity.

- Old and new models of classification of disability.

- The terminological and semantic problem in Special Pedagogy.

- A new interpretation of disability.

- The founding categories of educational care and help.

- The culture of school and social integration of pupils with disabilities.

- Special Pedagogy and the Evolution into Inclusive Pedagogy

- The transition from integration to inclusion of diversity at school.

- Special pedagogy as a pedagogy of inclusion of differences and diversities.

- The concept of "special educational need" according to recent regulations and perspectives.

- Pupils with "special educational needs" and school and social inclusion.

- The quality of school and social inclusion

- The national and international debate on pupils with special educational needs: open issues.

- For a special pedagogy beyond medicalisation

- Special Pedagogy as a science of recognition and appreciation of diversity

- Special Pedagogy as a Science of Educational Care and Helpful Relationship

- Narration, educational care and existential redesign

- Narration as a "cure" against the drifts of "specialism"...

Narration as an inclusive language and "gesture" of care

- Care as a founding category of Special Pedagogy

- Care, help and educational professions

- Educational care as "competent accompaniment" towards inclusion

Analytically the course is aimed at the knowledge and understanding of: 

-indicators of quality of school integration

- construction of integration: design models in comparison

- main lines of the ICF bio-psycho-social anthropological model

- design of inclusive good care and help practices

- personalised educational plan for pupils/person with disabilities (PEI)

- integration, inclusion and life project

- inclusion: theories and design models

- inclusion, customization and didactic individualization

- inclusive school according to the Index and quality indicators

- designing and assessing inclusion: the Personalized Learning Plan (PDP) for pupils with "special educational needs".                             

- the socio-pedagogical educator as an inclusive professional after the "Iori Law"                   

- role and skills of the  socio-pedagogical educator, of support from an inclusive perspective.

- enhancement of the educational competences of the  socio-pedagogical educator, with regard to qualitative and quantitative research methods, in particular, the acquisition of an educational-narrative view of diversity while avoiding the risks of medicalisation

- The role of socio-pedagogical educator, in inclusive school and inclusive society: towards a new professional identity

none

Expected results

1.   Knowledge and understanding.

At the end of the course the student will have acquired the:

- knowledge of the main lines of the epistemological debate within Special Pedagogy with particular reference to its constitutive elements (language, problems and methods) and its relationship with other educational sciences;

- ability to identify, define and compare the fundamental characteristics of the theoretical and methodological approaches of Special Pedagogy with particular reference to inclusive school and social processes.

2.   Applying knowledge and understanding.

At the end of the course the student must demonstrate the ability to:

- know and understand the concepts and theories of the course;

- recognize the different theoretical approaches and work conceptually with them;

- analyze the characteristics of some inclusive tools related to the school environment, such as PEI, PDP, PAI interpreted in the light of the explored constructs.

3.   Autonomy of judgement (making judgements).

At the end of the course the student will have to demonstrate the aptitude to:

- to use knowledge and concepts that allow to reason according to the plural and open logic of the discipline;

- identify intervention methodologies suitable for different contexts (ICF logic);

- know how to propose hypotheses of intervention and deal with pedagogical cases related to inclusion.

4.   Communication skills.

At the end of the course the student must have acquired the ability to:

- use the specific vocabulary of the discipline in its meaning of reflection and operational practices in the field;

- know how to communicate with congruent tools faced during the teaching course.

- communicate with the specific disciplinary language with school operators;

5.   Learning skills.

At the end of the course the student will have acquired the ability to:

- analyze and critically evaluate, in their reflexive and epistemological aspects, the constructs of the discipline related to the school environment;

- investigate independently the problems related to the different educational contexts (school and extra-school);

- to find the necessary sources for the development of reflections and projects aimed at an inclusive perspective;

- construct hypotheses of intervention related to pupils with BES.

The teaching material prepared by the lecturer in addition to recommended textbooks (such as for instance slides, lecture notes, exercises, bibliography) and communications from the lecturer specific to the course can be found inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

Formative assessment tests (self-assessment) are planned in itinere in person and/or online on the moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

Teaching

The course will be organized using a "plural" teaching based on lectures, but also term papers, videos, individual research, laboratory exercises, seminars, debates on specific topics, group work, etc.

In order to encourage innovative teaching, some moments of laboratory activity related to the narrative project entitled: "Encountering diversity: a sensitive knowledge", with the use of mixed qualitative and quantitative research methods, are foreseen within the course.

A specific moment of formative evaluation is foreseen on some issues addressed, without suspension of the lessons.

Innovative teaching methods

The course will be organized using "plural" teaching based on frontal lessons, but also term papers, videos, individual research, laboratory exercises, seminars, debates on specific topics, group work, etc.

To encourage innovative teaching, the course includes some moments of laboratory activity relating to the narrative project entitled: "Meeting diversity: sensitive knowledge", with the use of mixed qualitative and quantitative research methods.

There will be a specific moment of formative evaluation on some topics addressed, without suspension of lessons.

Attendance

There is no frequency requirement.

Course books

1.  P. Gaspari, La Pedagogia speciale oggi. Le conquiste, i dilemmi e le possibili evoluzioni. Franco Angeli, Milano, 2023. (pp. 287).

2. P. Gaspari, L' educatore socio-pedagogico come professionista inclusivo dopo la "Legge Iori", Anicia, Roma, 2020. (pp. 255).

3. P. Gaspari, Cura educativa, relazione d'aiuto e inclusione: le categorie fondative della Pedagogia speciale nelle professionalità educative, Anicia, Roma, 2021. (pp. 238).

4. P. Gaspari, Lo sguardo narrativo della Pedagogia speciale inclusiva, Franco Angeli, Milano, 2024, in preparazione, pp. 200.

Assessment

The assessment of learning will take place thanks to a final exam carried out in written form with open answers (e.g., short essay with space and time limits) as the objective of the test is mainly to verify the ability to use knowledge and concepts that allow for reflection following the specific epistemic logic of the discipline. It becomes of particular importance to identify and define the main theoretical constructs related to inclusive processes; develop some effective pedagogical-didactic tools; knowing how to construct intervention hypotheses functional to the training needs of individuals with disabilities and SEN. In addition, ongoing monitoring and evaluation moments are envisaged.

Specifically:

- relevance and effectiveness of the responses in relation to the contents of the program; - level of articulation of the response; - adequacy of the disciplinary language used. Each of the criteria is evaluated on the basis of a scale of values

Disability and DSA

Students who have registered the disability certification or the DSA certification at the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can ask to use concept maps (for keywords) during the exam.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam session, to the teacher of the course, who will verify their consistency with the indications of the university guidelines and may request modifications.

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

Teaching

To give students and non-attending students the opportunity to compensate for what is done during the lessons with independent study, we recommend using all the materials included in the blended platform (slides, exercises, supplementary material) which are particularly useful for fully understanding the program contents.

Attendance

There is no frequency requirement.

Course books

1.  P. Gaspari, La Pedagogia speciale oggi. Le conquiste, i dilemmi e le possibili evoluzioni. Franco Angeli, Milano, 2023. (pp. 287).

2. P. Gaspari, L' educatore socio-pedagogico come professionista inclusivo dopo la "Legge Iori", Anicia, Roma, 2020. (pp. 255).

3. P. Gaspari, Cura educativa, relazione d'aiuto e inclusione: le categorie fondative della Pedagogia speciale nelle professionalità educative, Anicia, Roma, 2021. (pp. 238).

4. P. Gaspari, Lo sguardo narrativo della Pedagogia speciale inclusiva, Franco Angeli, Milano, 2024, in preparazione, pp. 200.

Assessment

The assessment of learning will take place thanks to a final exam carried out in written form with open answers (e.g., short essay with space and time limits) as the objective of the test is mainly to verify the ability to use knowledge and concepts that allow for reflection following the specific epistemic logic of the discipline. It becomes of particular importance to identify and define the main theoretical constructs related to inclusive processes; develop some effective pedagogical-didactic tools; knowing how to construct intervention hypotheses functional to the training needs of individuals with disabilities and SEN. In addition, ongoing monitoring and evaluation moments are envisaged.

Disability and DSA

Students who have registered the disability certification or the DSA certification at the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can ask to use concept maps (for keywords) during the exam.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam session, to the teacher of the course, who will verify their consistency with the indications of the university guidelines and may request modifications.

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

During the course there will be didactic exercises in small-medium groups of students on the educational-didactic design developed for pupils with disabilities in order to acquire elements of formative evaluation of the level of mastery achieved by the students.