The aim of this project was to create innovative intervention model based on cognitive and narrative psychotherapies principles and elements improving students with EBLD learning motivation to prevent early school leaving (thereafter - ESL). The aim of this model was a precise identification of the genetically programmed needs, i.e. its’ content, which determines emotional and behavioral difficulties. The project seeks for extension of the model with children thoughts i.e., enabling to modify them and replacing the needs satisfaction forms with pro-social behavior. It was expected that this method will increase an internal motivation of students with EBLD for behavioral changes. Project partially has reached it's objectives: • to create the instrument defining students with EBLD profile; • to create and test innovative intervention model based on scientific research methods and cognitive and narrative psychotherapies principles and elements; make it ready to use for an international team of educators; • to create gamified IT tool using the project intervention model enabling particularly approaches for engagement of contemporary learners and educators. Intervention model was created for students with EBLD of 12-19 years old studying in relevant educational institutions (e.g. secondary, VET, special or youth schools). The direct target group of the project - students with attention problems, hyperactivity, memory problems, tension to disobey the social rules and instructions, having poor language abilities, poor social skills, aggressive, withdrawn or bizarre behavior, poor academic performance and students with mild intellectual disabilities. Special attention will be paid on socio-economically disadvantaged students. The other large group of beneficiaries - tutors/educators, who are working with the target group of students and will have possibility to use created innovative intervention model and other project outputs. Project contained several innovative products: • a new instrument to define the psychological and pedagogical profile of students with EBLD, aimed to reveal an in-depth behaviour reasons as well as cultural differences; created new Students Needs Analysis Instrument, helping school specialists to identify the reasons of emotional, behavior and learning difficulties of students with EBLD; • a new intervention model for students with EBLD; • a new EBLD intervention teacher training curriculum; • a new gamified training tool, enabling students with EBLD to learn at personal pace, using verbal and visual interactions. The consortium of project partners consisted of 3 HEIs, representing social sciences (LT, IT, GR), 2 SME dealing with technologies (LT) and innovative pedagogy (LT, BG) and 1 VET (DE) with expertise in pedagogy for students with special needs. After project evaluation, project duration was shortened from 3 years to 2. Accordingly, there was made a budget cutoff. All this influenced project activities and made some difficulties in reaching planned numbers of people from the various targeted groups. Some of the planned activities (such as learning/training activities for teachers), were not implemented as well. Due mentioned reasons, project consortium could not reach mentioned impact as it was planned in the project proposal (there was no possibility to test such activities practically): • Increased learning motivation and reduced early school leaving of students with EBLD; • Students with EBLD increased social inclusion and more active participation in society; • Increased level of Digital competence of educational institutions specialists; • Increased opportunities for professional development of teachers, researchers, lecturers, high school students, policy makers and other stakeholders; • Parental increased satisfaction with schools.Despite mentioned aspects, the impact of created intellectual outputs could be observed through such activities:• Educational institutions specialists and their improved competences, related to Professional profiles. It was reached during multiplier events whereas participated teachers and even pupils with EBLD (in Bulgaria, Germany).• Increased teachers‘ motivation and satisfaction in a daily work. This impact could be partially monitored, during the multiplier evens. Unfortunately, due to shortened project duration and budged cutoff, project team could not arrange learning/teaching activities for teachers in order to measure their motivation or satisfaction working with created IOs.• Increased professional development of specialists, involved in the projects activities. All specialists, which were related with the creation with IOs activities, participated in multiplier events, enhanced their qualification in their daily work with students’ with EBLD.

Women with disabilities have more difficulties to find an employment and to integrate in social day life activities than men with disabilities. This project focuses on the collective of women with disabilities from different perspectives, trying to identify needs and best practices in several EU countries, representing different cultural and socio-economic environments, for the integration and improvement of their quality of life in several respects. By applying a novel analysis method, based on the experience acquired by the exchange of researchers, innovation staff and practitioners in the European area among the participating institutions, the project will identify a set of multi-sectorial research lines, to enhance integration and involvement of this population in the society along several dimensions. The delimitation of the scope of the project to this sector of the population has several advantages. First, it is the first relevant study at a global scale that is performed in Europe on this collective. Second, it allows putting into practice and validating a novel social research method, with a strong multidisciplinary approach, with such a well delimited case study. novel potential research lines can be explored in different settings to assess their opportunity and feasibility. Fourth, it will show the impact that this collective may have on a sustainable growth in economy and society, from different respects, by empowering their capacities, so far undervalued. Fifth, it will establish a platform for cooperation among research groups and associations in EU that are aware of the situation of this collective, looking for their synergies. It is worth mentioning that advances on technologies and measures towards a stronger social engagement of disabled people have finally a positive impact also in the whole population as many examples show on how solutions have been transferred to the rest of society in fields such as computer interfaces, ergonomic solutions, etc.

"15 million EU citizens have an intellectual disability (POMONA II, 2008). It means a reduction of the ability to understand new or complex information and learn and apply new skills (World Health Organization). In Persons with Intellectual Disabilities (PwID) the following cognitive functions may be impaired, hindering proper knowledge acquisition and competence development: Attention, Memory, Reasoning, Language, Perception, Problem-Solving, Conceptualizing, Self-Regulation, Social development. Since people with cognitive deficits (i.e. neurodevelopmental or intellectual disabilities) have limitations in adaptive behavior they represent an important target of interventions specifically aimed at improving overall function independence and Quality of Life (QoL). Therefore, PwID must be trained for improving impaired cognitive functions in order to increase their ability to understand new or complex information, learn and apply new skills, improve their adaptive behavior and, accordingly, their QoL.Traditional training methodologies often do not apply to PwID, or are insufficient. The use of ICT Serious Games (ICT-SG) or ""training games"" is fairly accepted by PwID because they are more motivated, don´t feel the pressure of real world, feeling comfortable to explore virtual world, being able to keep attention on tasks, and can develop motor coordination and spatial orientation. Therefore, ICT-SG constitute an alternative or complement to current training methods for PwID.The main objective ID-GAMING is to increase the competences of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities and related Professionals and Relatives in the implementation of ICT Serious Games for improving cognitive functions, and therefore, their QoL. Specific objectives of ID GAMING are: •To increase the awareness of this target group regarding the relevance of ICT-SG•To select and collect proper ICT-SG for better training the cognitive functions of PwID according to the specific needs and capacities.•To transfer knowledge, guidelines and procedures on how to use ICT-SG to produce specific aimed outcomes in terms of cognitive functions and Quality of Life•To develop and improve Digital Skills of PwID•To increase the socialization of PwID through the collaborative gaming and involvement of the Relatives in the use of ICT Serious Games out of the care centers.Through the execution of this Project the next main results will be obtained:Quality of Life Training Game (Intellectual Output 1). A Serious Game called Quality of Life Training Game (QoLTG) will be designed. The main purpose of this Collaborative Serious Game is to facilitate PwID the improvement of their cognitive functions and quality of life while playing this game. PwID and Supports will participate in the design of this output.Training Toolkit (Intellectual Output 2)A Training Toolkit will be developed including: - Methodological Guidelines for playing Quality of Life Game (I.O.1) with training purposes; - Training Materials, developed specifically to create awareness and increase knowledge about the potential of ICT-Serious Games for training cognitive functions and increasing Quality of Life; - ICT Serious Games Catalogue, organized per Cognitive Functions including 3 to 5 selected existing ICT Serious Games per cognitive function. They will be adapted to the specific needs, capacities and learning difficulties of the different collectives involved in the Target Group (PwID and Supports). ID-GAMING e-Training Tool (Intellectual Output 3)The ID-GAMING e-Training Tool will be developed including a Web Based Game for playing the Quality of Life Training Game developed in I.O.1, with the supervision of trainers and supports or by themselves. In addition, ID-GAMING e-Training Tool will allow access to the Training Toolkit for those persons that are not directly playing QoLTG but are interested in playing ICT-SG with learning purposes. This access will be done through a search engine that will allow access to Training Toolkit’s Materials through key questions.4 Multiplier Events (Portugal, Spain, Italy and Greece) will be implemented on the application of ICT Serious Games to PwID for improving cognitive functions, and therefore, their Quality of Life involving stakeholders who will multiply the impact of the projectDissemination Actions will be implemented targeting the sector of Intellectual Disability at national and European level as well as experts in the field of Serious Games.During the project, the estimated impact will be- 100 persons, including PwID and Supports, will directly improve their cognitive functions, and accordingly their Quality of Life in the Validation Pilot Actions.- 120 stakeholders will participate in the Multiplier Events- 2.000 persons, including PwID and Supports, and other Stakeholders will increase their awareness and knowledge about the relevance of CT-Serious Games for improve the cognitive functions, and QoL"

SHAPES aims to create the first European open Ecosystem enabling the large-scale deployment of a broad range of digital solutions for supporting and extending healthy and independent living for older individuals who are facing permanently or temporarily reduced functionality and capabilities. SHAPES builds an interoperable Platform integrating smart digital solutions to collect and analyse older individuals’ health, environmental and lifestyle information, identify their needs and provide personalised solutions that uphold the individuals’ data protection and trust.Standardisation, interoperability and scalability of SHAPES Platform sustain increased efficiency gains in health and care delivery across Europe, bringing improved quality of life to older individuals, their families, caregivers and care service providers. SHAPES Large-scale Piloting campaign engages +2k older individuals in 15 pilot sites in 10 EU Member States, including 6 EIP on AHA Reference Sites, and involves hundreds of key stakeholders to bring forth solutions to improve the health, wellbeing, independence and autonomy of older individuals, while enhancing the long-term sustainability of health and care systems in Europe. SHAPES’s multidisciplinary approach to large-scale piloting is reflected across 7 themes that, together, provide a clear understanding of the reality of European health and care systems and enable the validation of cost-efficient, interoperable and reliable innovations capable of effectively supporting healthy and independent living of older individuals within and outside the home. Building an ecosystem attractive to European industry and policy-makers, SHAPES develops value-based business models to open and scale-up the market for AHA-focused digital solutions and provides key recommendations for the far-reaching deployment of innovative digital health and care solutions and services supporting and extending healthy and independent living of older population in Europe.

"<< Background >>Human psychological development is highly based on the ability to understand and create stories. In recent years, the potential of storytelling to enhance learning outcomes of children with and without disabilities has been explored. Thanks to digital multimedia products development, children can use new tools that accelerate and enhance the process of storytelling based on psycho-pedagogical methodologies. More specifically, storytelling may be undertaken with an emphasis on the sensory experiences made available during story narration, as well as the provision of a context in which social interaction can emerge. The presence of inclusive technological tools, often partially known by educators and teachers, requires specific learning paths for professionals (Digital Education Action Plan 2021-2027, European Commission), in order to use and even design them based on the needs of the children they take care of. The intent, moreover, is to teach them how to adopt an inclusive strategy, which impacts on the educational context, with the aim to increase all children’s opportunities for interaction and communication exchanges. The I’M IN TALES project, acronym of “Inclusive Methodology for Technology Aimed at Learning and Enhancement of Storytelling”, aims to outline and disseminate a ready to use-methodology that makes use of new technologies, that integrates multisensory objects with digital reality, for enhancing storytelling of children. Particularly, through a MOOC, the aim is to train mainstream and special education teachers to implement a methodology based on the Tangible User Interfaces (TUIs)’ paradigm: the hybrid approach allows an interaction between the user and the digital interface (PC, tablet, etc), through the mediation of tangible objects enhanced by sensors, thus involving all the senses (touch, hearing, smell and taste) allowing a complete and immersive learning experience. For instance, this approach particularly fits children with visual, intellectual and social disabilities because residual senses and skills are sustained and compensated. They will live a global narrative experience that allows greater involvement and participation and helps to develop narrative and other skills effectively. Exploiting TUI applications it is possible to create a controlled stimulus environment, applying a co-design approach according to a user-centred technology framework, making it possible to customize and adapt activities with ad hoc authoring systems. This is crucial when the purpose is the adaptation of practices for the specific needs and characteristics of each child. Above all, it allows to create highly inclusive platforms, which stimulate the pleasant interaction of both children with disabilities and their group of peers.The I’M IN TALES partnership was built ad hoc to include the necessary expertise to successfully reach the project objectives. GLIC represents the Italian network of Centres for Assistive Technology and Information and Communications Technology . Smarted, AIAS Bologna and IC Torgiano - Bettona from Italy (ICTB), European University Cyprus (EUC) from Cyprus, Thomas More Modem (MODEM) from Belgium, and IMOTEC from Lithuania have all an extensive experience in similar EU-funded projects, aimed at new technologies for education and for inclusion of people with disability.<< Objectives >>“Inclusive Methodology for Technology Aimed at Learning and Enhancement of Storytelling”: this is the full name of the project that encompasses one of the main expected results, to design an inclusive methodology for enhanced multisensorial storytelling of all children. The I’M IN TALES Consortium connects a synergistic and competent network which enables the project to encompass and integrate under the same umbrella the multi-faceted nature of the problem it aims to tackle.In summary, the objectives of the I’M IN TALES project are:• The development of an inclusive methodological framework to enhance storytelling of preschool- and school-aged children with and without special needs, through a TUI-based approach, directly involving the teachers(PR1)• The development of a simplified authoring tool for teachers and Open Educational Resources in the form of ""augmented"" narratives based on the predefined methodological framework(PR2)• The creation of an e-learning course for teachers in preprimary and primary schools through the creation of a Massive Open Online Courses(PR3)• To collect data and analyse the efficacy of I’M IN TALES co-created methodology in pre-primary and primary schools and ensure project sustainability and replication drawing up guidelines for the creation, implementation and quality evaluation of practices. PR4)I’M IN TALES partnership expects to achieve the following goals:1. Enable teachers of both mainstream and special pre-primary and primary schools, involved in the project as associated partners, to interact with new technological tools to support education and inclusion.Teachers will take advantage of a simplified TUI Authoring Tool (PR2) a MOOC platform and the OERs (PR3), that will adhere to their needs, because of their active role in the framework development, tools validation, story scenarios design phases. The MOOC will contain both theory and practice materials to deal with inclusive methods for storytelling and questionnaires will be administered to the teachers who will evaluate the perception of clarity, understanding and the effectiveness of the course. 2. Ensure that pre-primary and primary schools’ children with special needs and their classmates take advantage of inclusive technologies for learning, providing them with TUI-enhanced learning scenarios based on storytelling.I’M IN TALES 'flexible methodology for storytelling in classrooms will promote cognitive, social and emotional development: the exploitation of physical and multisensory objects, based on TUIs approach framework, will also increase the educational and developmental opportunities for children with disability. They will benefit from the storytelling activities enhanced by tangible interfaces applying all the senses and sharing these activities with their classmates in a collaborative framework. 3. Ensure that the project methodology is sustainable, replicable, and effective in the long term.First, I’M IN TALES will give the opportunity to collect data on the usability of a technology, such as the TUI, by children in need of support, mainstream and special education teachers, and other children. Moreover, it will be possible to analyse the tool’s efficacy for psycho-educational purposes, collecting data, and to lay the groundwork for further research. From a technological point of view, the project will provide all teachers with a MOOC and OERs, that will be available long-term to enhance technological, digital and educational competencies of professionals in the field of education and special education. The simplified authoring tool will guarantee personalization of the storytelling activities, expanding the possibility of its re-use in the future. Finally, the intention is to draw up a guideline (PR4) for the creation, implementation and quality evaluation of the methodological framework based on a TUI for inclusion, with the aim of disseminating the project and ensuring its possible future reapplication.<< Implementation >>I’M IN TALES goal is to develop, validate and teach an innovative and inclusive educational methodology for the enhancement of storytelling skills of children with and without special needs. The methodology will be first tested in preliminary tests along the first phase, then with dedicated events that will have the role to involve teachers in TUI authoring tool assessment and in TUI components development (E5 to E8) and validation during national multiplier events. The project is scheduled into three main periods:1Early actions and framework definition M1-M6 In this period, the Consortium work will deliver first scenarios prototypes co-created with teachers of schools involved in the project, through face-to-face or virtual interviews and focus groups, to immediately sustain their inclusive and educational needs. This phase will also help to verify the a-priori knowledge about digital skills and TUI technology of teachers and the specific need for the following implementations of the project. Next, all partners will develop, implement and evaluate in synergy with teachers, the innovative storytelling system. Then, an inclusive TUI-based methodological framework to enhance storytelling for all children will be designed. In the meantime, evaluation tools to be used to validate all the following PRs of the project will be defined. 2Tools development M7-M19In the central part of the I’M IN TALES project, the Consortium will focus on developing the I’M IN TALES TUI simplified authoring tool (PR2) and in parallel, with a slight shift, delivering the development of MOOC platform and of the OERs by teachers (PR3). The first stage of this period will be devoted to the development of the authoring tool for OERs production based on the results achieved in PR1. A first version of the authoring tool will be delivered in the M11, which will be followed by implementation with all the physical parts of TUI. This important milestone will trigger two main tasks: on the one hand, the input for national workshops with special education teachers (E1 to E4), where on the authoring tool will be described to teachers and will be assessed directly by them to highlight the strengths and weaknesses; on the other hand, the starting of the OERs development phase, that will be integrated by the second session of national workshops with special education teachers (E5 to E8) to teach and disseminate the use of the tool for OERs creation. In parallel to PR2, EUC will start the definition of the training approach and curriculum design which will be the basis for the creation of contents of MOOC modules for teacher training to use a TUI-based methodology for inclusive storytelling. At the same time, the technical partner of the project, SM, will focus on delivering the Video Tutorial and user manual of the Authoring Tool. At the end of the OERs development phase, at M17 will start the translation of all the contents of the MOOC modules in the language of the partners of the Consortium and at the same time the integration of the OERs on the MOOC platform, where they will be freely available for every teacher who will need. Subsequently the validation of the MOOC contents will be carried out to ensure the effectiveness.3Assessment of the impact of the I’M IN TALES tools M20-M24In the last 5 months, the Partnership will work in the two main directions:Significant effort will be dedicated to the application of the I’M IN TALES framework into the real field, namely application in pre-primary and primary schools, after the maturity of the TUI; the results will be collected and analysed. Another crucial direction will be the exploitation and elaboration of guidelines and best practices for enhancing digital skills, for both face-to-face and distance learning, in teacher education for all children; this will ensure the opportunity of a future re-application of the project in other schools.<< Results >>The I’M IN TALES project is designed to create a model aimed at promoting innovative methods and pedagogies. Because of the development of digital learning materials in a co-creation approach, the I’M IN TALES project is expected to achieve results with respect to people directly/indirectly involved in the project activities and at systemic levels. In detail:1.The project will enhance the professional development of professional staff, improving teachers’ capacity to adapt, promote innovation and exploit the potential of technologies and digital content. By tackling creativity and digital technologies using a co-design approach and the production of OERs by special education teachers, we will contribute to increasing the relevance of early and primary education, particularly in the context of disability, to the characteristics and challenges of the current society. I’M IN TALES model will be transferable to other early and primary education institutions in Europe, which will be ensured by the participation of partners from different areas. Furthermore, the partnership involves a technological company (SM) that will obtain a scientific certification regarding the TUI development. 2.I’M IN TALES will have a direct impact on mainstream and special education teachers and their students. Teachers will be involved in all project activities; in doing so, the impact on teachers will be through the integration of technology aspects in educational activities improving digital competences through I’M IN TALES methodology and platform. Also, they will be directly involved in the project activities from PR1 and PR4, but the overall I’M IN TALES project is oriented to design and develop tools and a course that meet the needs of teachers that are relevant to inclusive education, including through better use of open and online, blended and work-based learning. The teachers will be the developers of the game scenarios applying also tangible objects in a hybrid and innovative approach. They will develop OERs and will use these in the school contexts. This process will improve the digital skills and at the same time the knowledge of innovative and inclusive storytelling activities. Children with special needs and their classmates will be involved in the PR1 and PR2 activities: the impact on children will be ensured through the participation in the first and in the data collection phase where they will be able to directly use I’M IN TALES TUI. The teachers who will benefit will be 400 (100 for each Country), 40 inside the Consortium and 360 outside (with 400 MOOC users, and 160 involved in the events), the children involved will be 320. 3.The innovative methodology of I’M IN TALES will have an impact at a systemic level promoting a flexible, teachers and children-oriented, technologically integrated, inclusive teaching/learning methodology that are key components for an increased quality within the context of European school education. In addition to the dissemination channels, the I’M IN TALES project will develop a simplified authoring tool (for Windows) downloadable for free in the project website and in online stores. This feature will allow the I’M IN TALES TUI to have a wide impact, also involving categories of users outside the target, developing user-friendly interfaces to increase the popularity of the TUI."