Innovation and social learning in higher education institutions

Considering the existing experiences and the concrete needs of the hearing - impaired and visually - impaired groups for accessing HEI programmes, this handboook brings some important innovations: 1. A functional approach, proposing the methods and procedures to be used for developing and delivering ICT based learning offer valid also for these target group (not specially done for them, but designed in such a way that correspond also to their specific needs). This is that will support the target groups in their education and also social inclusion. 2. A subsequent proposal of a kind of “Quality Label”, to establish quality standards and assessment procedures and instruments to be used for evaluating whether Higher Educational Institutions’ offers and training programmes correspond to the ISOLearn standards regarding the accessibility of these groups to their learning offer. 3. Both the Handbook and the “Quality Label” should be tested on a specific qualification which should become a benchmark for the HEI ICT based learning programmes. The concrete experience will demonstrate the benefits for all the stakeholders (e.g. HEI and disadvantaged groups) of promoting social learning approach in HEI.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Emotional engineering of artificial representations of sign languages

The fascination and challenge of making an appropriate digital representation of sign language for a highly specialised and culturally rich community such as the Deaf, has brought about the development and production of several digital representations of sign language (DRSL). These range from pictorial depictions of sign language, filmed video recordings to animated avatars (virtual humans). However, issues relating to translating and representing sign language in the digital-domain and the effectiveness of various approaches, has divided the opinion of the target audience. As a result there is still no universally accepted digital representation of sign language. For systems to reach their full potential, researchers have postulated that further investigation is needed into the interaction and representational issues associated with the mapping of sign language into the digital domain. This dissertation contributes a novel approach that investigates the comparative effectiveness of digital representations of sign language within different information delivery contexts. The empirical studies presented have supported the characterisation of the prescribed properties of DRSL's that make it an effective communication system, which when defined by the Deaf community, was often referred to as "emotion". This has led to and supported the developed of the proposed design methodology for the "Emotional Engineering of Artificial Sign Languages", which forms the main contribution of this thesis

Inclusive Intelligent Learning Management System Framework - Application of Data Science in Inclusive Education

Dissertation presented as the partial requirement for obtaining a Master's degree in Data Science and Advanced Analytics, specialization in Data ScienceBeing a disabled student the author faced higher education with a handicap which as experience studying during COVID 19 confinement periods matched the findings in recent research about the importance of digital accessibility through more e-learning intensive academic experiences. Narrative and systematic literature reviews enabled providing context in World Health Organization’s International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health, legal and standards framework and information technology and communication state-of-the art. Assessing Portuguese higher education institutions’ web sites alerted to the fact that only outlying institutions implemented near perfect, accessibility-wise, websites. Therefore a gap was identified in how accessible the Portuguese higher education websites are, the needs of all students, including those with disabilities, and even the accessibility minimum legal requirements for digital products and the services provided by public or publicly funded organizations. Having identified a problem in society and exploring the scientific base of knowledge for context and state of the art was a first stage in the Design Science Research methodology, to which followed development and validation cycles of an Inclusive Intelligent Learning Management System Framework. The framework blends various Data Science study fields contributions with accessibility guidelines compliant interface design and content upload accessibility compliance assessment. Validation was provided by a focus group whose inputs were considered for the version presented in this dissertation. Not being the purpose of the research to deliver a complete implementation of the framework and lacking consistent data to put all the modules interacting with each other, the most relevant modules were tested with open data as proof of concept. The rigor cycle of DSR started with the inclusion of the previous thesis on Atlântica University Institute Scientific Repository and is to be completed with the publication of this thesis and the already started PhD’s findings in relevant journals and conferences

Using Information Communications Technologies to Implement Universal Design for Learning

The purpose of this paper is to assist Ministries of Education, their donors and partners, Disabled Persons Organizations (DPOs), and the practitioner community funded by and working with USAID to select, pilot, and (as appropriate) scale up ICT4E solutions to facilitate the implementation of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), with a particular emphasis on supporting students with disabilities to acquire literacy and numeracy skills. The paper focuses primarily on how technology can support foundational skills acquisition for students with disabilities, while also explaining when, why, and how technologies that assist students with disabilities can, in some applications, have positive impacts on all students’ basic skills development. In 2018, USAID released the Toolkit for Universal Design for Learning to Help All Children Read, section 3.1 of which provides basic information on the role of technologies to support UDL principles and classroom learning. This paper expands upon that work and offers more extensive advice on using ICT4E1 to advance equitable access to high quality learning. Like the UDL toolkit, the audience for this guide is mainly Ministries of Education and development agencies working in the area of education, but this resource can also be helpful for DPOs and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) wishing to pilot or spearhead ICT initiatives. Content for this paper was informed by expert interviews and reviews of field reports during 2018. These included programs associated with United Nations, Zero Project, World Innovation Summit, UNESCO Mobile Learning Awards, and USAID’s All Children Reading: A Grand Challenge for Development. Relevant case studies of select education programs integrating technology to improve learning outcomes for students with disabilities were summarized for this document

A Systematic Analysis of Accessibility Education Within Computing Disciplines

Accessible technologies improve the usability for all users, including 1 billion people in the world who have a disability. Although there is a demand for accessible technologies, there is currently no requirement for universities to integrate this content within the computing curriculum. A systematic comparison of teaching efficacy is important to effectively prepare future computing professionals with the skills to create accessible technologies. This dissertation contains a mixed-methods cross-sectional and longitudinal analysis of undergraduate Software Engineering and Information Technology students’ learning of accessibility. Four teaching conditions were assessed at Rochester Institute of Technology: content lectures, projects, exposure to stakeholders with a disability, and collaboration with a team member who had a disability. Evidence of student learning was obtained through questionnaires, project reports, and interview data. Student learning was quantified by a knowledge of programming techniques, awareness of accessible technologies, and attitudes towards individuals with a disability. The cross-sectional analysis spanned three years (spring 2016-2019), fourteen courses, and seven distinct professors. We found that students in all conditions gained an increased knowledge of implementation methods. Students who were exposed to a stakeholder with a disability obtained significantly higher scores in their prosocial sympathetic attitudes, awareness of accessible technologies, and knowledge of programming techniques following the course. Students in the other conditions obtained significant changes in only a subset of these measures. While students in all conditions obtained significantly higher knowledge scores in the short term, only students who had a project or a team member with a disability sustained significantly higher knowledge scores two years after exposure. In interviews, senior-level students revealed that there were multiple factors outside the classroom that dissuaded them from furthering their learning of accessibility. Students mentioned a lack of person-centered topics in major software development processes (e.g., agile, waterfall) and workplace tasks. Without direct reinforcement, students focused on functional software requirements and expressed that accessibility would only be necessary in select front-end development career paths or domains. While current work in computer accessibility education evaluates learning during, or immediately following, one course, this dissertation provides a systematic comparison of student learning throughout multiple courses and instructors. The findings within this dissertation may be used to inform future curriculum plans and educational initiatives

Suggested approach for establishing a rehabilitation engineering information service for the state of California

An ever expanding body of rehabilitation engineering technology is developing in this country, but it rarely reaches the people for whom it is intended. The increasing concern of state and federal departments of rehabilitation for this technology lag was the stimulus for a series of problem-solving workshops held in California during 1977. As a result of the workshops, the recommendation emerged that the California Department of Rehabilitation take the lead in the development of a coordinated delivery system that would eventually serve the entire state and be a model for similar systems across the nation

Conceptual model of mobile augmented reality for engaging hearing-impaired museum visitors

Mobile Augmented Reality (MAR) has matured significantly over the past decades since the birth of multimedia system. It has evolved from the conceptual idea of augmented reality experience to its actual practical applications in use on smartphones. Researchers in MAR have resolved to employ the concept of engagement in designing MAR applications to attract museum visitors’ interest and ensure a more effective learning environment. However, most of these MAR applications are tailored to normal hearing visitors while the hearing-impaired (HI) visitors are less supported. This makes HI visitors to go through unpalatable experiences and eventually become dissatisfied with their visit to the museum. Also, there is lack of studies on the conceptual model of MAR for engaging the HI museum visitors. Therefore, this study proposes a conceptual model of MAR for the HI museum engagement (MARHIME) and eventually enhances their engagement during their museum visits. In achieving the aim of this study, design science research methodology was adapted. This study has determined engagement elements through expert review which were used to design the conceptual model of MARHIME. In addition, an MAR prototype was developed based on the MARHIME conceptual model and its architecture. The MARHIME prototype includes three-dimensional models, video, text, and images to deliver salient information of important artefacts to HI museum visitors. Moreover, the MARHIME application may only function in the museum by scanning the museum environment because the HI can use MAR as a visual signal guide in order to catch missing aural signals during their visit to the museums. The study involved 73 HI museum visitors as participants in order to evaluate the MARHIME prototype on their engagement experience. From the results of the evaluation, it was found that the MARHIME prototype was able to engage the HI visitors during their visit to the museum. Therefore, this study has validated a conceptual model on MAR for engaging the HI museum visitors. This conceptual model of MARHIME can be used as guidelines for researchers in understanding the elements of MAR in engaging the HI museum visitors and for developers in assisting the process of designing and developing MAR application for the HI museum visitors. This study contributes to the engagement of HI people during their museum visits to ensure the inclusiveness of disabled people in the MAR design

Pharmacy perspectives in the design and implementation of a mobile cellular phone application as a communication aid for dispensing medicines to deaf people in the South African context

Doctor Pharmaceuticae - DPharmSouth Africa's White Paper for the transformation of the health care system in South Africa (DOH, 2007) acknowledges major disparities and inequalities as a result of an imprint by apartheid policies. In its transition to democracy, health promotion strategies have been initiated to address these disparities. However, such strategies have been narrowed and "favoured target audiences that are literate, urban-based and who have easy access to print and audio-visual media" (DOH, 1997). This implies that many vulnerable and marginalised groupings in South Africa, including the Deaf community are excluded from health promotion endeavours. Deaf people in South Africa communicate using South African Sign Language (SASL) and majority of the Deaf community exhibit poor literacy levels. Deafness is a significant communication barrier which limits a Deaf person's prospect to attain the best possible health care (Barnett, et al 2011). Various means of communication including spoken language, written instructions and the use of pictograms are used by healthcare workers to communicate health-related information. For many members of the Deaf community who communicate primarily in sign language, these methods are a sub-standard and prevent the attainment of optimum therapeutic outcomes. With regard to pharmaco-therapeutic services, Deaf people cannot hear the spoken language used by pharmacists during patient counselling, and their compromised functional literacy hinders the ability to read instructions on medicine labels. With both the spoken and written means of communication compromised, the Deaf patient's ability to comprehend instruction by pharmacists on how to use their medicines is inadequate and as a result, a Deaf patient may leave the pharmacy with medicine, but a poor understanding of how to use the medicine safely and effectively. Previous researchers have worked on building a technology base, including industrial design and computer science expertise to conceptualize the groundwork of a mobile phone application called SignSupport to facilitate communication between medical doctors and Deaf individuals. The particulars of the pharmacy scenario however, require a pharmacy-specific device to be of use in the dispensing of medicines to a Deaf patient in a pharmacy. The over-arching goal of this thesis is to design and evaluate a mobile phone application to facilitate the communication of medicine instructions between a Deaf patient and a pharmacist. Qualitative, participatory action research and community-based co-design strategies were directed toward Deaf participants, senior pharmacy students and pharmacists to create a prototype of the afore-mentioned mobile phone application. Preliminary results indicated that the application was suitable to pharmacists and Deaf community. Furthermore, both sets of users approved the overall design and were receptive to and keen on the practical uses of the application. Inadequacies pointed out by the Deaf community and pharmacists were addressed as an iterative modification to the prototype and culminated in version 2 which was deployed in an actual hospital pharmacy in 2015. Hospital usability studies generated largely positive results from both Deaf users and pharmacists, indicating that SignSupport is able to facilitate communication between pharmacists and Deaf patients. Next steps include advancing the application to a market–ready version that is downloadable and available as an application on the play stores of commercially available smart phones.National Research Foundatio