Development of sensory-based inclusive vocational modules in graphic design: a case study of neurodivergent learners in a vocational training institution
Main Article Content
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to develop a sensor-based vocational learning module that is appropriate for neurodivergent individuals, such as those with autism, as well as those who are enrolled in the LPK ATC Widyatama Program Desain Grafis. This module integrates sensor-based learning strategies and natural stimulation to increase students' understanding and engagement. Drawing from Ayres' theory of sensor integration, Vygotsky's theory of sociocultural education, and TPACK's work ethics, this module aims to improve cognitive, affective, and psychomotor learning. This study employs a qualitative case study methodology based on Design Thinking principles, which helps students understand the learning context. Interviews, artifact analysis, and observation are used to assess the learning process and results. The study's findings indicate that individualized sensory stimulation, such as visual references from movies, television shows, and video games, helps consumers develop ideas into products' graphic design. Among the things that are discussed are individual accommodations and the improvement of the instructional environment. This study offers a starting point for vocational education with recommendations for more comprehensive sensor integration.
Downloads
Article Details

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Copyright
Authors who publish with Gelar: Jurnal Seni Budaya agrees to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY-SA 4.0) that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.
References
[1] S. Bölte et al., “Career Guidance and Employment Issues for Neurodivergent Individuals: A Scoping Review and Stakeholder Consultation,” Hum. Resour. Manage., vol. 64, no. 1, pp. 201–227, Jan. 2025, doi: 10.1002/hrm.22259.
[2] G. Ker and R. van Gorp, “Quality education for all: a case study of success for a neurodivergent learner,” Frontiers in Sustainability, vol. 5. 20-May-2024, doi: 10.3389/frsus.2024.1399361.
[3] A. Gogne, “Strengths in Neurodivergence,” in Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Adult Women, Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland, 2025, pp. 145–160. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-86588-6_7
[4] K. B. Hull and S. Steen, “Self-Development in Group Therapy with Neurodivergent Youth,” International Journal of Group Psychotherapy. pp. 1–34, 28-Apr-2025, doi: 10.1080/00207284.2025.2484176.
[5] N. Kholifah, M. Nurtanto, F. Mutohhari, H. Subakti, M. A. Ramadhan, and N. W. A. Majid, “The mediating role of motivation and professional development in determining teacher performance in vocational schools,” Cogent Educ., vol. 11, no. 1, Dec. 2024, doi: 10.1080/2331186X.2024.2421094.
[6] J. Y. Cole, J. Graham, S. Norvell, and P. Schaber, “Universal Design for Learning Principles Impact on Students With Neurodiverse Learning Styles,” J. Occup. Ther. Educ., vol. 8, no. 2, Jan. 2024, doi: 10.26681/jote.2024.080204.
[7] C. Yang, “Adapting Teaching Methods to Accommodate Diverse Learning Styles in Education,” J. High. Educ. Res., vol. 5, no. 6, p. 535, Feb. 2025, doi: 10.32629/jher.v5i6.3382.
[8] F. C. Durgungoz and A. Durgungoz, “‘Interactive lessons are great, but too much is too much’: Hearing out neurodivergent students, Universal Design for Learning and the case for integrating more anonymous technology in higher education,” Higher Education. pp. 1–20, 08-Jan-2025, doi: 10.1007/s10734-024-01389-6.
[9] S. Salvatore, C. White, and S. Podowitz-Thomas, “‘Not a cookie cutter situation’: how neurodivergent students experience group work in their STEM courses,” Int. J. STEM Educ., vol. 11, no. 1, p. 47, Sep. 2024, doi: 10.1186/s40594-024-00508-0.
[10] D. Leshkov, E. Dekoninck, M. Brosnan, and M. Meng, “Evaluating Commonalities and Variances in Inclusive Design Principles for Neurodivergent Individuals,” in Design Computing and Cognition’24, Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland, 2024, pp. 149–164. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-71918-9_10
[11] V. John-Steiner and H. Mahn, “Sociocultural approaches to learning and development: A Vygotskian framework,” Educ. Psychol., vol. 31, no. 3–4, pp. 191–206, Jun. 1996, doi: 10.1080/00461520.1996.9653266.
[12] S. J. Hausfather, “Vygotsky and Schooling: Creating a Social Context for Learning,” Action Teach. Educ., vol. 18, no. 2, pp. 1–10, Jul. 1996, doi: 10.1080/01626620.1996.10462828.
[13] G. Raslan, “The Impact of the Zone of Proximal Development Concept (Scaffolding) on the Students Problem Solving Skills and Learning Outcomes,” in BUiD Doctoral Research Conference 2023: Multidisciplinary Studies, 2024, pp. 59–66. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-56121-4_6
[14] W. Martin et al., “Co-Designing Space Science Curricula for and with Neurodivergent Learners,” Connect. Sci. Learn., vol. 6, no. 3, pp. 103–113, May 2024, doi: 10.1080/24758779.2024.2352775.
[15] Y. Salisbury, R. Foster, S. Hill, and G. Buck, “Neurodiverse inclusive social work education considered through a student partnership,” Social Work Education. pp. 1–16, 16-Jul-2024, doi: 10.1080/02615479.2024.2378915.
[16] C. V. Azuka, C. R. Wei, U. L. Ikechukwu, and E. L. Nwachukwu, “Inclusive Instructional Design for Neurodiverse Learners,” Curr. Perspect. Educ. Res., vol. 7, no. 1, pp. 56–67, Aug. 2024, doi: 10.46303/cuper.2024.4.
[17] L. B. Sudimantara, L. Baehaqi, A. Lian, and A.-P. Lian, “Integrating Reading for Emotions into School Curricula,” in Multisensory CALL for Under-Resourced Universities and Schools in Indonesia, Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland, 2025, pp. 323–362. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-91387-7_8
[18] L. B. Sudimantara, L. Baehaqi, A. Lian, and A.-P. Lian, “Transforming Writing Pedagogy in Indonesian Higher Education: A Comparative Framework,” in Multisensory CALL for Under-Resourced Universities and Schools in Indonesia, Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland, 2025, pp. 37–94. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-91387-7_2
[19] H. Sparks, “Digital Technology and Inclusive Learning,” in Encyclopedia of Educational Innovation, Singapore: Springer Singapore, 2019, pp. 1–6. doi: 10.1007/978-981-13-2262-4_136-1
[20] A. Moore and P. Davies, “Creating neuro-mixed learning environments in higher education,” in Championing Co-production in the Design of Inclusive Practices, London: Routledge, 2025, pp. 125–137. doi: 10.4324/9781003459651-14
[21] S. D. Tomchek and W. Dunn, “Sensory Processing in Children With and Without Autism: A Comparative Study Using the Short Sensory Profile,” Am. J. Occup. Ther., vol. 61, no. 2, pp. 190–200, Mar. 2007, doi: 10.5014/ajot.61.2.190.
[22] J. Leinfuss and E. O’Hara, “Facilitating Inclusion for Neurodiverse Students Using Evidence-Based Practices: A Strengths-Based Approach to Sensory Regulation,” J. Occup. Ther. Sch. Early Interv., vol. 17, no. 3, pp. 769–781, Jul. 2024, doi: 10.1080/19411243.2024.2349306.
[23] M. Chen, T. Huang, and S. Cheng, “Interactive media in education: A systematic review of research in recent years,” Comput. Educ., vol. 146, p. 103756, 2020.
[24] CAST, “Universal Design for Learning Guidelines Version 2.2,” Center for Applied Special Technology, Wakefield, MA, 2018.
[25] J. W. Creswell and C. N. Poth, Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing Among Five Approaches, 4th ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, 2021.
[26] D. Henriksen, C. Richardson, and R. Mehta, “Design thinking in education: A systematic review of literature,” Think. Ski. Creat., vol. 38, p. 100715, 2020, doi: 10.1016/j.tsc.2020.100715.
[27] B. G. Cook and M. D. Bush, “Special education research and practice: Enhancing validity through contextual understanding,” Rev. Educ. Res., vol. 91, 2021.
[28] L. W. Anderson and D. R. Krathwohl, A Taxonomy for Learning, Teaching, and Assessing: A Revision of Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. New York, NY: Longman, 2001.
[29] R. C. Schaaf and Z. Mailloux, “Sensory integration interventions for children with Autism spectrum disorders: A meta-analysis,” Am. J. Occup. Ther., vol. 69, no. 5, pp. 1–10, 2015.
[30] M. E. Gorman and N. H. Kashani, “A. Jean Ayres and the development of sensory integration,” Soc. Epistemol., vol. 31, no. 2, pp. 107–129, 2017. doi: 10.1080/02691728.2016.1241322
[31] C. S. Chai, J. H. L. Koh, and C.-C. Tsai, “A review of technological pedagogical content knowledge,” Educ. Technol. Soc., vol. 16, no. 2, pp. 31–51, 2013.
[32] C. T. Fosnot and R. S. Perry, “Constructivism: A psychological theory of learning,” in Second International Handbook of Science Education, B. J. Fraser, K. G. Tobin, and C. J. McRobbie, Eds. Dordrecht, Netherlands: Springer, 2021, pp. 43–53.
[33] L. S. Vygotsky, Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1978.
[34] H. Habib, “AI-based adaptive learning for students with disabilities,” Comput. Educ., vol. 182, p. 104487, 2022.
[35] H. Daniels, Vygotsky and Pedagogy. London, UK: Routledge, 2001. doi: 10.4324/9780203469576
[36] S. D. Tomchek and W. Dunn, “Sensory processing in autism,” Am. J. Occup. Ther., vol. 61, no. 5, pp. 489–500, 2007. doi: 10.5014/ajot.61.2.190
[37] G. T. Baranek, “Sensory experiences and children with autism,” J. Autism Dev. Disord., vol. 43, no. 6, pp. 1358–1369, 2013.
[38] C. P. Ormell, “Bloom’s Taxonomy and the Objectives of Education,” Educ. Res., vol. 17, no. 1, pp. 3–18, Nov. 1974, doi: 10.1080/0013188740170101.
[39] J. C. Antony Sami and U. Arumugam, “A Descriptive Analysis of Students Learning Skills Using Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy,” J. Comput. Sci., vol. 16, no. 2, pp. 183–193, Feb. 2020, doi: 10.3844/jcssp.2020.183.193.
[40] A. J. Ayres, “Improving Academic Scoresthrough Sensory Integration,” J. Learn. Disabil., vol. 5, no. 6, pp. 338–343, Jun. 1972, doi: 10.1177/002221947200500605.
[41] M. J. Koehler, P. Mishra, and W. Cain, “What is Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK)?,” J. Educ., vol. 193, no. 3, pp. 13–19, Oct. 2013, doi: 10.1177/002205741319300303.
[42] B. Oogarah-Pratap, A. Bholoa, and Y. Ramma, “Stage Theory of Cognitive Development—Jean Piaget,” in Science education in theory and practice: An introductory guide to learning theory, 2025, pp. 125–142. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-81351-1_8