(Music) technology and children's social rights: Inclusiveness potentiality of the MIROR technologies in early childhood

This abstract deals with the problem of the relationship between technology and social rights in early childhood (music) education. In particular, we will present a particular type of technology, based on the paradigm of “reflexive interaction”, implemented in MIROR-Musical Project Interaction Relying On Reflexion, which showd to be potentially an efficient device for a pedagogy of inclusion. The paradigm of reflexive interaction explores the idea of letting users manipulate virtual copies of themselves, through specifically designed machine-learning software referred to as reflexive interactive musical systems (IRMS). The mechanism of repetition and variation is at the heart of the reflexive paradigm: when the children play a keyboard and stop playing, the system answers by imitating the musical style of the children, as in a mirror. The “reflexivity” also plays an important role in infant development and in the ontological fundamentals of human musicality (eg Cross, 2008; Dissanayake, 2000; Imberty, 2005; Malloch & Trevarthen, 2008 ; Mithen, 2005; Addessi, 2009). The following aspects make the paradigm of reflexive interaction and the reflexive technology potentially effective in the processes of inclusion and well-being: it enhances the development of the Self, gives the priority to the child, develops the collaborative playing. The experiments achieved so far have shown that the reflexivity can increase the infants’ vocal esploration and production during the vocal interaction with adults, the emotional state of well-being and flow and the musical dialogue among children, as well as music skills. The studies also have shown that the reflexive tecnology can be a versatile device to enhance and stimulate the expressive behavior and communication in disability and rehabilitative context, in which it is important to encourage inclusiveness. Some examples of classroom activities with young children and the MIROR technologies will be presented. The data will be discussed on the basis of the contribution that reflexive technologies can give to the issue of the relationship between technology and social inclusion in early childhood.