Use of mobile apps and devices with children at risk of exclusion: evaluation of a non-formal educational experience

Abstract

This article describes the evaluation of an experience of educational innovation supported by the use of technologies (apps and mobile devices) and carried out in a non-formal context with minors at risk of exclusion. We can analyze ict as factors of inclusion or exclusion and this is one of the most common topics of interest in recent research about the digital divide or research about children at risk of exclusion. We have used technologies as educational tools in specific work sessions with a group of minors from the anonimizado programme in the city of anonimizado which main objective is to fight against risk of exclusion through the training of minors.The experience has been developed in 2018 from March until April with the participation of 40 students and the professionals who work with them in the programme. To evaluate the experience, we have used a qualitative methodology and a study case design. As data collection techniques we used the interview, the observation sheet and the discussion group. After the data analysis, it can be seen that the use of apps in the context of the anonimizado programme is perceived as positive by all the agents involved: parents, teachers in the ordinary centre, programme coordinator, educators in the programme and also by the most important protagonists, the minors participating in the experience. As main result, we have observed the improvement of students’ digital competence and the autonomy to work on academic tasks; at the same time, they have changed their perception about mobile devices and they have discovered them as tools to learn.

Keywords

• menores
• exclusión social
• educación no formal
• aplicaciones móviles
• m-learning