Background: There is a wider disability gap in educational attainment and literacy among children with disabilities (UNESCO, 2024). With limited access to resources due to high costs, it becomes challenging for teachers to meet their students’ learning needs. Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming education by enhancing accessibility, enabling personalised learning, and fostering the development of innovative resources. However, its application in inclusive teaching practices, especially within Southeast Asian community-based contexts, remains limited. Teachers in low-resource environments have limited access to AI training, underscoring the urgent need to equip them with AI literacy and practical skills. In Pakistan, teachers lack digital skills due to limited training opportunities (Kamran & Bano, 2024). This project builds upon extensive professional and voluntary experience in disability education, which has revealed persistent challenges teachers face in developing appropriate resources. Early adoption of AI can enable them to develop inclusive, low-cost digital resources and promote equitable access.
Context: The pilot study is conducted at a Karachi-based community institute that serves 40 children with disabilities and is supported by 15 volunteer teachers. Current instructional practices primarily involve hands-on activities and role-play, with minimal integration of technology. While teachers express significant interest in AI, they currently lack the readiness to implement it, presenting both a challenge and an opportunity for professional empowerment.
This pilot scholarship project aims to empower inclusive teachers to integrate AI into their instructional practices to support learners with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
Research Questions
- What challenges do teachers face in developing learning resources for learners with ASD?
- How does participation in a pilot course on AI empower teachers to create low-cost learning resources?
Theoretical Framework: This pilot study is informed by connectivism theory (Siemens, 2005), which conceptualises learning as networked and shaped by technology, and the Community of Practice framework (Wenger, 1998), which emphasises collaborative learning. Collectively, these perspectives elucidate how teachers construct knowledge through digital connections and collective participation. These frameworks provide a robust lens for examining the integration of AI into teaching.
Methods: The study employed a qualitative single-case design, focusing on six volunteer teachers at a Karachi-based institution for learners with ASD, selected through criterion sampling. Data collection methods included focus group discussions and reflective diaries. Focus groups examined challenges in developing inclusive resources, while reflective diaries documented the progression of engagement with AI tools. Data is analyzed using thematic analysis.
Intervention: Participants completed 10 hours of hands-on AI training. Following this, they collaborated to develop three educational resources for learners with ASD. Each teacher pair produced a resource in formats such as colouring books, storybooks, audio poems, or puzzles. The resources were disseminated through the MERLOT open-access platform, thereby extending the impact beyond the immediate context and advancing inclusive education.
Findings: AI empowered teachers to create inclusive, low-cost digital resources for learners with ASD in low-resource settings. It empowered teachers to develop free resources to meet learners’ needs. It also fostered a collaborative culture of innovation.
Contribution: This pilot scholarship project provides new, context-sensitive evidence from Pakistan to inform global discussions on AI in education. It advances inclusive education by aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4 and offers insights for policymakers, NGOs, and educators seeking to bridge gaps in accessible learning for learners with disabilities. Dissemination of findings through conferences and forums will encourage stakeholders to adopt and implement responsible, inclusive AI educational practices and collaborate to create equitable educational opportunities for all learners, regardless of ability.