Mobile apps represent a resource with great potential for encouraging the development of many skills, given the high number of apps available and the quick access to them. Many professionals and families include these resources in the education and therapy of children with autism. For a group with such particular needs, a review of the apps is great importance, since, due to their characteristics, the apps must provide content, design and pedagogical aspects that fit those needs. Through a previously validated system of indicators, 155 free apps on Google Play were evaluated, using “autism” in English and in Spanish. We determined which work area each app developed, as well as which were the most multifaceted. Having evaluated the recorded data, we calculated frequencies, percentages and reliability, as well as parametric contrast and correlation statistics. We found that the focus of most apps was on executive functions, language and entertainment, with a minority devoted to the emotional sphere or time management. However, 98.06% of the apps worked on several areas, which makes them more functional but with the downside of not being specialized. Most apps were placed in the “recommendable” level but with margin for improvement in increasing their functionality.

Educational neuroscience presents a broad view of what learning is and how and when it occurs. Consequently, neuroeducation offers improved strategies for understanding and developing the teaching–learning process. It is, therefore, essential that teachers and students are trained in neuroeducation, given the current knowledge in this field. Consequently, this study aims to reflect on the training in neuroeducation received by undergraduate students studying early childhood and primary education and to find out how the teaching of neuroeducation is approached in the universities of the eight Andalusian provinces. As methodology, a content analysis was made, which allowed us to transform qualitative data into quantitative data. The categories analysed were “Neuroeducation”, “Metacognition”, “Cognitive processes” and “Cognition”. The study plans for the 2022/2023 academic year were considered. The analysis results of these plans showed that, despite the relevance of neuroeducation in the educational context, the study plans barely addressed this subject. This suggested that the training received by future teachers was not enough to enable them to make the most of neuroscience and neuroeducation considerations.

Background: Studies on the potential of smartphone apps for people with autism are currently increasing in number, given the large digital supply available and the benefits they offer. We analyzed the opinion of educators from Florence (Italy) and Granada (Spain) regarding the benefits and applicability of apps, frequency of their use, and the type of apps used for people with autism. Methods: The study involved 1261 professionals, of whom 286 worked with apps, using a non-experimental quantitative design, descriptive and frequency statistics, parametric inferential analyses (Student’s t and one-factor ANOVA), and calculation of the effect size (Cohen’s d and eta squared) and intrafactorial correlations. Results: Statistically significant differences were observed in respect of city, sex, age, years of experience, place of work, and type of teacher. The teachers from Granada found more benefits and applicability in apps, and revealed a slightly higher usage than those from Florence. Conclusions: It is an arduous but worthy task for professionals from schools and associations that work with people with autism to acquire the necessary knowledge to apply methodologies based on information and communication technology (ICT), as this will help achieve the integrated development of people with different capabilities.

The digital divide excludes more people every day, becoming a new form of social exclusion, impeding the development of countries and progress towards a more equitable society. This research aims to evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention program that allows the development of digital skills in students at High School Basic Education. A quasi-experimental methodology is followed with repeated evaluation measures in three control groups and three experimental groups. The selection of the groups was carried out through an intentional non-probability sampling, reaching a participation of 204 students, who were evaluated in their educational institution through training sessions, to improve their degree of digital literacy. The results showed the existence of statistically significant differences in the experimental groups before and after the application of the program, unlike the control groups. This indicates that the students of the experimental groups achieved a higher degree of digital literacy than the control group after their participation in the intervention. It is concluded that the training programs that seek the development of digital skills integrated into the school curriculum positively influence the degree of ICT literacy of the educational community, and thereby contributes to mitigate the digital divide. Resumen La brecha digital excluye cada día a más personas, convirtiéndose en una nueva forma de exclusión social, impidiendo el desarrollo de los países y el avance hacia una sociedad más equitativa. Esta investigación pretende evaluar la efectividad de un programa de intervención que permita el desarrollo de competencias digitales en estudiantes de Educación Media Básica. Se sigue una metodología cuasi-experimental con medidas de evaluación repetidas en tres grupos de control y tres grupos experimentales. La selección de los grupos se realizó a través de un muestreo no probabilístico intencional, alcanzando una participación de 204 estudiantes, quienes fueron evaluados en su institución educativa a través de sesiones de capacitación, para mejorar su grado de alfabetización digital. Los resultados mostraron la existencia de diferencias estadísticamente significativas en los grupos experimentales antes y después de la aplicación del programa, a diferencia de los grupos de control. Esto indica que los alumnos de los grupos experimentales alcanzaron un mayor grado de alfabetización digital que el grupo de control tras su participación en la intervención. Se concluye que los programas formativos que persiguen el desarrollo de competencias digitales integrados en el currículo escolar influyen positivamente en el grado de alfabetización TIC de la comunidad educativa, contribuyendo así a mitigar la brecha digital.

Objetivo: Las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación (TIC) aportan a las personas con trastorno del espectro autista (TEA) un abanico de posibilidades de desarrollo. A su vez, son numerosas las aplicaciones (apps) destinadas a personas menores con autismo, por lo que esta propuesta pretende ofrecer un listado de indicadores validados que analicen las fortalezas y debilidades de dichas apps. Metodología: El análisis exhaustivo de estudios previos ha permitido la creación de este instrumento, en relación con el diseño de la app, su contenido y sus aspectos pedagógicos. A través de un estudio instrumental de validez de contenido, se procedió a validar el sistema de indicadores (según su claridad, coherencia, relevancia y objetividad), para lo cual se aplicó el método del juicio experto. Resultados: Un total de 12 jueces han puntuado entre buenos y excelentes cada uno de los indicadores y subindicadores diseñados, con unos coeficientes de correlación intraclases excelsos, una concordancia inter-jueces W de Kendall significativa y fuerte, y unos niveles de consistencia interna elevados. Se constató que se trata de un instrumento válido y fiable. Discusión: Los resultados positivos derivados de la validación del instrumento han dado lugar a un sistema de indicadores compuesto por criterios deseables para una app destinada a personas con este trastorno. Especialistas en TEA y familiares van a contar con una herramienta intuitiva para la selección de apps adecuada a las necesidades del colectivo, que abarca distintos parámetros.