Michele Domenico Todino

Musical play offers learners with Special Educational Needs (SEN) an immediate way to act on, perceive, and reorganize a learning environment through sound. This study protocol proposes a randomized, counterbalanced, within-participant mixed-methods comparison of two functionally matched forms of musical interaction: physical/tangible musical toys and virtual/immersive musical environments controlled through touch, gesture, or movement. The study is diagnosis-inclusive and is intended for school-aged learners with documented SEN across heterogeneous neurodevelopmental, sensory, motor, communication, and combined support profiles; eligibility is defined by functional access rather than diagnosis alone. Engagement is treated as a multidimensional process encompassing behavioral participation and persistence, emotional involvement, and cognitive-agentic investment in exploration, choice, and task completion. The methodological novelty lies in matching the two conditions at the level of musical function and adult mediation while translating both tangible interactions and digital traces into a common event ontology. This design reduces the measurement asymmetry that often favors digitally instrumented environments and enables within-learner comparison across media. Mixed-effects models will estimate the primary condition contrast, whereas access-profile moderation will be treated as exploratory. Educator ratings and qualitative Framework Method analysis will contextualize individual response patterns. No empirical results are reported at the protocol stage. The protocol is intended to support the collection of pedagogically meaningful and computationally traceable evidence for the design of accessible serious games, digital musical instruments, and hybrid physical–digital learning experiences in inclusive education.

This work examines the pedagogical relevance of high-readability, dyslexia-friendly typography as a potential compensatory strategy for enhancing reading and writing accessibility among individuals with dyslexia and related Specific Learning Disorders (SLDs). Such typefaces are designed or configured to facilitate visual processing, character identification, and potentially the mapping between graphemes and phonemes, while preserving legibility for the wider population. Drawing on cognitive, neuropsychological, and neurophysiological models of dyslexia, the entry considers how typographic features may influence visual processing and cognitive demands during reading. Cross-linguistic perspectives further highlight the need for typographic solutions that are responsive to the structural characteristics of different writing systems. Based on the evidence reviewed, a user-centered workflow for designing and evaluating high-readability typefaces is proposed, emphasizing empirical testing and the involvement of readers with dyslexia. Although specialized typefaces such as OpenDyslexic have introduced innovative design principles, current evidence does not conclusively demonstrate their superiority over carefully designed and appropriately configured conventional typefaces. Typography should therefore be understood as one component of a broader inclusive educational framework rather than as a standalone solution to reading difficulties. The entry further conceptualizes reading as a culturally acquired technology and explores the potential integration of dyslexia-friendly typography with Artificial Intelligence and adaptive learning technologies. Such integration may support more personalized and accessible digital learning environments, while contributing to the reduction of barriers to written information and participation.

Musical play gives learners with Special Educational Needs (SEN) an immediate way to act on, perceive, and reorganize a learning environment through sound. This study protocol proposes a randomized, counterbalanced, within-participant mixed-methods comparison of two matched forms of musical interaction: physical/tangible musical toys and virtual/immersive musical environments controlled through touch, gesture, or movement. Engagement is treated as a multidimensional process encompassing behavioral participation and persistence, emotional involvement, and cognitive-agentic investment in exploration, choice, and task completion. A common event ontology will align systematic observation of tangible interaction with time-stamped digital logs, while educator ratings and structured qualitative observations will contextualize individual response patterns. The protocol emphasizes functional equivalence between conditions, accessibility, sensory and motor fit, learner agency, and standardized adult mediation rather than assuming the superiority of either medium. Mixed-effects models will estimate within-learner condition effects and order effects, and integrated qualitative analysis will examine why particular affordances support or constrain engagement for different learners. The resulting framework is intended to inform the design and evaluation of accessible serious games, digital musical instruments, and hybrid physical-digital learning experiences for inclusive education.

Definition The term high-readability, dyslexia-friendly font refers to a typeface specifically designed or configured to reduce the cognitive effort associated with reading, thereby improving text accessibility for individuals with dyslexia without compromising overall readability. Such typefaces aim to facilitate the accurate mapping between graphemes and phonemes during the reading process. In addition, for individuals with dysorthographia, they may support the inverse process by facilitating the encoding of phonemes into their corresponding graphemes during writing. Abstract This entry examines the pedagogical relevance of typographic design as a compensatory strategy for improving accessibility in reading and writing for individuals with dyslexia and related Specific Learning Disorders (SLDs). A high-readability, dyslexia-friendly font is defined as a typeface designed to reduce the cognitive effort associated with reading while facilitating the mapping between graphemes and phonemes, without compromising readability for the general population. Grounded in the principal cognitive and neurophysiological models of dyslexia, this work analyzes how specific typographic features can mitigate cognitive load and support more efficient text processing. Cross-linguistic considerations further emphasize the need for culturally and linguistically responsive design solutions. Based on the evidence reviewed, a user-centered workflow for the development of high-readability, dyslexia-friendly fonts is proposed. Although specialized typefaces such as OpenDyslexic have introduced innovative design principles, current empirical evidence does not conclusively demonstrate their superiority over carefully designed and appropriately configured conventional fonts. The findings highlight the importance of typography as a key component of inclusive design and educational accessibility, reinforcing its role in reducing learning barriers, promoting equitable access to written information, and supporting more inclusive digital learning environments. Drawing on cognitive, neuropsychological, anthropological, and technological perspectives, the work examines how reading, as a culturally acquired technology, interacts with human cognitive processes. It analyzes the potential of high-readability and dyslexia-friendly fonts and it discusses the integration of typography with Artificial Intelligence and adaptive learning technologies to develop personalized and inclusive educational environments.

This article examines the emerging intersection between futures literacy and inclusive education in higher education, with particular attention to students with learning disabilities. Futures literacy, understood as the capacity to use the future to inform present decisions, is increasingly recognized as a key competence for navigating uncertainty in rapidly changing social, technological, and environmental contexts. In parallel, inclusive education has evolved from deficit-based models toward approaches emphasizing participation, accessibility, and the pedagogical value of cognitive diversity. Through a critical narrative review of primary and secondary sources published between 2014 and 2025, the study identifies significant epistemological and methodological convergences between the two fields. The analysis is organized along a deductive-dominant framework articulated across four analytical dimensions (pedagogical, technological, political-institutional, and socio-cultural), and draws on the theory of simplexity and probabilistic anticipation as its epistemological foundation. Constructivist pedagogies, scenario-based methodologies, and emerging technologies—including artificial intelligence and digital assistive tools—are discussed as enabling mechanisms that can support both anticipatory thinking and inclusion. The analysis also identifies structural and cultural challenges related to faculty preparedness, institutional capacity, digital accessibility, and attitudes toward disability. By integrating these insights, the review proposes the concept of “inclusive anticipatory pedagogy,” an integrated framework in which futures literacy and inclusive education strengthen one another. It argues that cognitively diverse learning environments can enhance futures thinking, while futures-oriented approaches can expand the transformative potential of inclusive education. The study concludes by outlining research priorities and policy recommendations for institutions aiming to develop inclusive, future-ready systems.

This paper presents the design and pedagogical rationale of an AI-powered avatar developed to mediate Cypriot woven heritage for preschool education. The study is conceptual and design-oriented, focusing on how visual motifs from Cypriot traditional weaving can be reinterpreted through an LLM-based conversational system grounded in retrieval-augmented generation (RAG). The system, named Sophia, transforms textile patterns from the fythiotiko tradition into dialogic narrative prompts that support storytelling, visual exploration, and creative expression in early childhood contexts. The proposed framework is intended to illustrate how artificial intelligence can support the reinterpretation of cultural artifacts as pedagogical resources when embedded within guided-play and museum-based learning approaches. It integrates visual analysis, dialogic storytelling, and artmaking into a structured learning sequence that moves from observation to interpretation and creative transformation. Rather than claiming empirical outcomes, the study positions AI-supported storytelling as a design hypothesis for culturally responsive early childhood education. It argues that AI systems can function as mediational tools between material heritage and children’s imaginative engagement, provided they are developed with pedagogical intentionality, cultural sensitivity, and ethical oversight. The paper concludes by outlining design principles for implementing AI-driven storytelling systems in museums and classroom contexts and identifies the need for future empirical validation in real educational settings.

This contribution examines the role of scientific coherence in virtual reconstructions of archaeological contexts, using archaeobotanical data as an illustrative example in the development of museum edugames within 3D environments such as Unity3D. It argues that historical reconstruction cannot be confined solely to architectural structures, but must extend to the anthropogenic and natural landscape, including plant species, agricultural practices, and environmental resources documented through archaeological, palaeobotanical, and isotopic evidence. This principle also applies to textures, vessels, and furnishings, which are often selected from standardized digital assets (such as the various “Roman packs 3D”) available online at relatively low cost. The arbitrary use of such standardized digital assets, characteristic of commercial game design, risks generating anachronistic and culturally misleading representations, thereby undermining the scientific credibility of museum institutions. To a certain extent, this paper seeks to raise awareness among game designers, developers, software companies, and, more broadly, all relevant stakeholders (including academics, industry professionals, and policymakers) regarding the importance of adopting accurate and non-standard assets. It is, indeed, through careful attention to detail that a game acquires genuine educational value, rather than remaining merely a form of entertainment.

This project presents the development of a Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) system applied to the customization of a Non-Playable Character (NPC), designed as the Non-Playable Character (NPC) of the President of the IDIS Foundation Città della Scienza (City of Science). The NPC acts as both a virtual guide and institutional ambassador within the science center, providing multilingual, interactive, and accessible communication for a broad international audience. Through the integration of generative models with a curated, validated knowledge base, the RAG system enables the NPC to provide accurate, context-sensitive, and up-to-date responses to user queries. Developed by the Teaching Learning Centre for Education and Inclusive Technologies ‘Elisa Frauenfelder’ at the University of Salerno, the system supports the museum’s educational mission by enhancing science communication and fostering inclusive digital engagement. The Non-Playable Character (NPC) features realistic facial animation, movement, and voice synthesis, creating a digital twin capable of simulating human-like interaction. This initiative exemplifies an innovative application of artificial intelligence for an inclusive and equitable quality education and contributes to the development of engaging, accessible, and personalized learning environments.

This study explores the integration of Georgi Lozanov’s Suggestopedia with Alain Berthoz’s theory of simplexity as a pedagogical paradigm for inclusive and creative educational design. The research, conducted within the specialization courses for educational support at the University of Salerno, involved 230 trainee teachers engaged in a participatory action-research process aimed at translating suggestopedic principles, positive suggestion, music, and relational harmony into didactic planning. Through a combination of theoretical training, laboratory design activities, and reflective evaluation, participants produced 21 interdisciplinary educational projects assessed according to the properties and rules of simplexity. The results show a high degree of methodological coherence, aesthetic quality, and curricular inclusiveness, with music emerging as a key factor in fostering attention, cooperation, and emotional engagement. Data analysis indicates that the fusion of suggestopedic and simplex approaches promotes adaptive, modular, and meaning-oriented design processes that enhance teachers’ creativity and metacognitive awareness. Overall, the findings highlight the educational value of a pedagogy of resonance, in which body, mind, and environment interact harmoniously. The study concludes that the suggestopedic—simplex model represents a regenerative framework for contemporary didactics, capable of transforming complexity into harmony and restoring to education its aesthetic, relational, and human dimension.