BEYOND THE MACHINE: INCLUSIVE TECHNOLOGIES FOR EDUCATIONAL METAVERSE

This work addresses the crucial need to integrate inclusive design principles within the emerging paradigm of the Educational Metaverse. While not claiming to offer a complete prototype of the Metaverse, this work provides empirical evidence illustrating how pedagogical research, particularly in educational technology, can proactively engage with the Metaverse's potential by carving out a space for effective intervention in developing its inclusive component. The research is structured around three broad lines of inquiry, each culminating in a case study demonstrating an inclusive technological intervention. The first line of research focuses on facilitating human-machine interaction in wearable technologies, intervening on the necessity of improving user interface accessibility through the development of a high-readability Greek alphabet font. This font is conceived as a digital tool to mitigate common reading errors encountered by dyslexic students and optimize interaction with textual content in future immersive environments. The second line of research focuses on Virtual Reality (VR) and neurodiversity, stemming from the limitations observed during the experimentation of a previous Inclusive Virtual Museum; it proposes the creation of two new VR experiences integrated into a learning unit, developed based on Hein's constructivist museum model and inclusive design recommendations specific for students with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), with the goal of reducing cognitive load and providing adaptive and sensory support. Finally, the third line of research delves into Emotional Learning and AI in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), exploring the importance of the emotional component in relation to the challenges that ASD students face with Theory of Mind (ToM); the intervention consists of developing an application that integrates the exercise structure of the Howlin program with the capabilities of a chatbot and a Facial Expression Recognition (FER) system. The activity focuses on the conscious emulation of primary emotions through AI-generated images, while simultaneously ensuring full ethical and normative compliance, particularly with respect to the European AI Act's prohibition on emotional inference, thanks to obtaining user consent and processing camera data exclusively in-memory. Collectively, these case studies demonstrate the commitment of pedagogical research to shaping a human-centric, trustworthy, and truly inclusive Educational Metaverse, addressing critical challenges spanning accessibility, neurodiversity, and ethical compliance.