Ministry of Education to Distribute AI Educational Materials Tailored for Students with Developmental Disabilities

Development of AI and Digital Educational Materials Tailored to Learning Characteristics

The Ministry of Education has announced that, starting from this new school year, it will actively distribute "special education AI and digital educational materials" that reflect the learning methods and sensory characteristics of students with developmental disabilities.

According to the Ministry of Education on March 11, as of April 1 last year, there were a total of 75,317 students (from third grade in elementary school to third grade in high school) with developmental disabilities such as intellectual disabilities or autism spectrum disorders. This accounts for 62.4% of all students eligible for special education. Taking into account the specific characteristics of these students, the ministry has developed special education AI and digital educational materials and plans to distribute them to the field through the National Institute of Special Education.

Use of AI and digital educational materials in special education classes. Ministry of Education

The educational materials being distributed for the first time go beyond simply using digital devices; they are focused on lowering learning barriers for students with developmental disabilities (such as intellectual disabilities and autism spectrum disorders).

For students with intellectual disabilities, who often have difficulty understanding abstract concepts, the materials enable repeated learning of concrete, real-life content. For students with autism spectrum disorders, who are sensitive to changes and excel at processing visual information, the materials provide rich visual supports. Additionally, the screen layout has been simplified and features such as adjustable sound volume have been included, taking into account sensory characteristics.

Furthermore, the materials offer alternative communication functions as learning aids, supporting students who have difficulty speaking.

In addition, the suitability and usability of these materials have been reviewed by pilot schools and leading special education teachers in the field. Training sessions for special education teachers were also conducted to ensure they can fully understand and actively utilize the AI and digital educational materials in practice.

This year, materials were developed and distributed for the 2022 revised special education core curriculum for grades 3–4 in elementary mathematics and grades 5–6 in Korean. In 2027, the scope will expand to include Korean and mathematics for elementary and middle school students, and in 2028, to Korean and mathematics for high school students.

Student materials have been developed in an app format that applies an intuitive user interface and experience (UI/UX), allowing students to participate in lessons simply by selecting pictures or icon buttons, even if they cannot read text. The teacher platform is provided through the National Institute of Special Education's "Open Learning Center." The AI analyzes which areas students need additional learning in and notifies teachers, enabling the teachers to closely monitor and manage each student's individual learning pace.

The Ministry of Education reported that, based on operations conducted at 19 pilot schools last year, students who previously had difficulties communicating began expressing their learning preferences through the app. According to the ministry, interaction with the AI, which adjusts to each student's pace, significantly improved students' concentration on learning.

The Ministry of Education plans to expand AI educational materials to all grade levels by 2028. In addition, the National Institute of Special Education will strengthen training so that teachers can deeply understand and effectively guide the digital characteristics of students with developmental disabilities.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.