Integration of Digital Learning Technologies to Enhance Social Skills Development for Students with Cognitive Impairment

Abstract

Individuals with mental deficiency possess unique cognitive needs that mandate specialized pedagogic strategies. Special education tailors these strategies to enhance short-term perception and reinforce learning through repetition. Proper classification is fundamental for customizing educational methods and fostering development. Despite available screenings and customized curricula, a significant disparity remains; many intellectually incompetent individuals are unable to fully meet their sociocultural needs within society. Field studies and scholarly reviews affirm the insufficiency and uniformity of teaching resources in educational institutions for this demographic. Addressing this gap, the present study leverages a digital education platform tailored to the specific learning profiles of intellectually deficient individuals, aiming to enrich their social life skills at suitable developmental stages. The study encompasses a literature review, an analysis of global cognitive impairment classification, the impact of educational materials on durable learning, and the social competencies attained through existing educational frameworks. Among 42 students evaluated, progress ranged from a 2.7% to a 52.4% improvement in achievement-based assessments. This newly developed digital platform was piloted with an experimental group, and a bespoke analysis according to their learning needs was executed. A comparison of the data from this digital model against current materials revealed the potential for enhanced learning through digital intervention.