Computer-supported learning nella Sindrome di Rett: il ruolo della rappresentazione dei progettisti e degli operatori nella validazione di software per la riabilitazione

In the rehabilitation and instructional field the efficacy of the computer-supported interventions does not depend only on the intrinsic quality of the employed software, but also on the personal representation of the to-be-matched needs, the mental model of the to-be-used tool, the beliefs about how it has to be employed and the individual criteria to evaluate the effects it produces. These variables have been investigated within an intervention aimed at designing, implementing and validating two software programs whose goal was to enhance cognitive and communication skills in girls affected by Rett syndrome. The analysis of the subjective representations developed by designers and educators both before and after the application of the programs enabled us to detect the changes which occurred in the representations, as well as in their relationships. The study showed that it is possible to co-construct an educational-rehabilitative process in which using a technological tool becomes an opportunity to reflect about the reasons underlying practice.