The Bit the Spectrum  project, co-funded by the European Union (proj.no: 2021-1-DE02-KA220-VET-000033091) has successfully concluded in February 2025, after more than two years of intense and fruitful collaboration between the international partners! 

This project, thanks to the constant collaboration between the partners of Italy (IRSEI ETS), Spain (SkillsDivers), Finland (3DBear and Luovi Vocational College) coordinated by the German partner OVGU, led to greater and widespread awareness of approaches, methodologies and needs of the specific target group of young adults with special educational needs and autism spectrum disorders. 

The Project, in fact, through its main results and objectives, has brought great success and international collaboration, such as successful collaboration in each partner country with associations working with the target group to design and test virtual reality exercises aimed at developing basic autonomy and social emotional skills.

The main Bit the Spectrum project results:

• Project Result 1: Open online training related to AR and VR features for trainers  of ASD students and VET providers, available online for free in 5 different languages: English, Finnish, German, Spanish and Italian.The online training features Augmented and Virtual Reality Features for Professionals in Special Education Needs, divided into different units, all with self-assessment quizzes:

Accessible at this link: PR1 Result

• Project result 2: Human Centred Design methodology to create exercises using AR and VR for students with ASD.  A practical and pedagogical guideline on the basics of the HCD methodology applied to AR and VR approaches for ASD students. Available for free online and downloadable on the Project website under PR2 results in English, Finnish, German, Spanish and Italian.
• Project result 3: Set of exercises using AR for students with ASD to boost literacy and social emotion skills. A practical guideline for VET providers and tutors on the development of 20 AR exercises, divided under 5 categories which include the sphere of personal, working and emotional autonomy. Available for free on the 3DBear app and hyperlinked on the project site under PR3 result in English, Finnish, German, Spanish and Italian.
• Project result 4: Set of exercises using VR for students with ASD to boot social emotion skills. Creation of 8 exercises and VR scenarios on the development of autonomy in the work environment to increase the skills, in a dynamic and attractive way, of students with ASD. For greater concreteness, each exercise has been developed by the partners in collaboration with local associations and or institutes which deal with and work with the specific target group. The exercises are available in free and viewable both via viewer and pc, hyperlinked on the project site under the result PR4, created to meet the specific needs of students with ASD of local associations

• Project result 5: Study of the impact of the exercises in ASD students. More than one pilot test has been conducted by the Luovi College partner specifically with different groups of the target students, to analyse, comprehend and develop an impactful strategy

   

Based on ambitious goals, the Bit The Spectrum project has promoted a qualitative improvement in the learning process of people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), through the development of innovative and appropriate tools, as Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR/VR) technologies for teachers, trainers and other staff in the field. The initiative focuses on increasing the literacy and socio-emotional skills of the participants and raising the quality of inclusive vocational education and training (VET) in the project partner countries.

To find out about all the results and activities, visit the official website of the Bit the Spectrum: project page and visit the social profiles to discover all the project journey: Facebook, LinkedIn , Instagram.