Developing Inclusive Digital Pedagogies: Reflections on the Past, the Present and Future Directions

Disabled children's experiences of using digital technologies in mainstream classrooms are very mixed. On the one hand, children's rights and digital rights legislation and inclusive education policies have promoted inclusive and equitable pedagogical practices for decades. Digital technologies are becoming increasingly prevalent in homes and schools, a phenomenon rapidly accelerated by the global Covid-19 pandemic. Despite this positive rhetoric, the reality on the ground is that inclusive digital pedagogies - that prevent disabled children experiencing exclusionary educational practices in mainstream classrooms - are underdeveloped and require significant research and development. Current uses of digital technologies by disabled children, harnessing accessibility features in mobile technologies, can focus attention on their differences. Digital technologies in classrooms generally are often used in mundane ways which do not make the most of opportunities for creativity, collaboration and student-centred learning. This paper reflects on the situation in the past and present in relation to the impact of disability studies, children's rights, policies on inclusive education and, digital technology developments and educational practices, on the development of inclusive digital pedagogies. It concludes by outlining early findings from a research project carried out in North West England that identifies challenges in relation to the development and implementation of inclusive digital pedagogies.