Inclusive pedagogical model for students with special educational needs in Information Technology Engineering

Abstract

The inclusion of students with special educational needs in engineering programs constitutes a current challenge for higher education, especially complex in STEM disciplines due to technical rigor and limited curricular flexibility. The aim of this research was to develop an inclusive pedagogical model and a strategy for its implementation in the Information Technology Engineering program of the Faculty of Mathematical and Physical Sciences at the University of Guayaquil, Ecuador. A mixed approach was used that combined the analytic-synthetic, inductive-deductive, historical-logical, systemic-structural, modeling and Delphi expert criterion methods, complemented by surveys, interviews and observation of teachers, managers and students. The results express a pedagogical model structured around ten scientific ideas that articulate inputs, personal and non-personal components, principles, dimensions (pedagogical, technological and inclusive), cyclical stages, environments and outputs, together with the Inclúyete strategy, comprising six practical products: an awareness program, an inclusive learning tasks manual, a competency-based assessment system, accessible technology hackathons, a teacher training program, and a methodological guide. Expert validation with fifteen specialists through the Delphi method classified eleven of twelve indicators as Highly Suitable. It is concluded that the model and the strategy constitute a relevant, coherent and novel proposal, redefining inclusion as a driver of technical and cultural innovation in engineering education.