Lived Disablers to Academic Success of the Visually Impaired at the University of Zambia, Sub‑Saharan Africa

The World Health Organization’s (WHO) benchmark of persons with disability in every population is 15.6 per cent. However, the University of Zambia is way below that benchmark as it is home to less than 0.1 per cent of students classified as ‘disabled’. Within the 0.1 per cent, students withvisual impairment are the majority, estimated at 70 per cent. The purpose of this study was to explore disablers (also known as barriers) to academic success faced by students with visual impairment at the University of Zambia. A Hermeneutic Phenomenological approach directed the research process.Seven purposively sampled participants volunteered to voice their lived experiences and a cluster of themes emerged thereafter. Emerging from their lived experiences are thirteen disablers that impede the learning experiences at University and key amongst them are: (i) negative attitudes; (ii) policypractice disjuncture; (iii) staff unreadiness and unpreparedness; (iv) inaccessible buildings; and (v) rigid curricula

Teaching mathematics in an inclusive basic school: A case study of the experiences of non-special education teachers

There is a general notion that the teaching and learning of mathematics to all students is quite a daunting task. However, there is a general perception that the move towards inclusive education [IE] may present unique challenges to regular teachers who teach mathematics in inclusive schools. In this study, we explored the experiences of a group of professionally-trained mathematics teachers who teach in a school designated as an inclusive school located in the southern part of Ghana. This was done with the aim of uncovering the challenges these teachers face considering that they do not have extended preparation in teaching students with special educational needs (SEN). An illustrative case study design was employed. Data was collected through the use of a semi-structured interview guide containing both closed-and-open-ended items. It was revealed that the participating teachers faced a number of challenges including inadequate knowledge and skills in teaching students with SEN. Another challenge unearthed has to do with assessing students who are blind due to difficulties faced by some of the teachers and students in using Braille to facilitate teaching and learning. The implications of the findings to teaching and learning are discussed

Lived Disablers to Academic Success of the Visually Impaired at the University of Zambia, Sub‑Saharan Africa

The World Health Organization’s (WHO) benchmark of persons with disability in every population is 15.6 per cent. However, the University of Zambia is way below that benchmark as it is home to less than 0.1 per cent of students classified as ‘disabled’. Within the 0.1 per cent, students with visual impairment are the majority, estimated at 70 per cent. The purpose of this study was to explore disablers (also known as barriers) to academic success faced by students with visual impairment at the University of Zambia. A Hermeneutic Phenomenological approach directed the research process. Seven purposively sampled participants volunteered to voice their lived experiences and a cluster of themes emerged thereafter. Emerging from their lived experiences are thirteen disablers that impede the learning experiences at University and key amongst them are: (i) negative attitudes; (ii) policypractice disjuncture; (iii) staff unreadiness and unpreparedness; (iv) inaccessible buildings; and (v) rigid curricula. Keywords: disablers; Hermeneutic Phenomenology; inclusive education; University of Zambia; visual impairmen

The trend of using smart teaching devices in education in Vietnam

This study examines the growing integration of intelligent educational tools within the educational framework of Vietnam, underscoring the nation's swift shift towards a technology-centered learning environment. With 72.1 million internet users in Vietnam, marked by a 98.1% adoption rate of smartphones, 58.8% usage of laptops, and 35.5% ownership of tablets, these sophisticated devices have assumed a central role in the field of education. Notably, there exist governmental initiatives aimed at reinforcing the legal infrastructure, serving as a testament to Vietnam's dedication to advancing education through technological means. Smart educational devices have brought about a transformation in teaching techniques, rendering lessons more captivating, efficient, and accessible. The authors conducted a survey among a randomly selected group of 255 participants, revealing that the entire cohort utilizes smart devices for educational or work-related purposes. Nonetheless, certain students tend to employ smartphones for entertainment, which has raised inquiries regarding their scholastic impact. The paper explores the role of laptops, accentuating their revolutionary contribution to education and the necessity for further investigation to gain deeper insights into their effects. Furthermore, it investigates the obstacles encountered, encompassing technology-related distractions in educational contexts and disparities in technology access. Ultimately, this research underscores the significance of addressing these impediments to fully exploit the potential of intelligent educational devices in Vietnam's educational landscape, with the added benefit of drawing comparisons with global trends to glean valuable insights for further enhancing the educational domain

Conceptual design and development model of assistive courseware for young low vision learners (AC4LV)

The focus of this study relates to technology (hardware and software) that is purposely designed for people with disabilities (PWDs), which is called Assistive Technology (AT). Previous findings reveal that studies related to educational content in courseware is highly lacking, particularly for low vision learners. Also, many existing conceptual design models of courseware lack of specific requirements and empirical evidences to cater the needs of low vision learners. Preliminary studies have proven that available content applications fail to cater the needs of low vision learners in terms of information accessibility, navigationability, and pleasurability. Hence, this study proposes a conceptual design model of courseware for low vision learners, named as Assistive Courseware for Low Vision (AC4LV). Four (4) specific objectives are formulated. The Design Science Research Methodology has been adopted. Eight (8) components of Conceptual Design Model of AC4LV have been constructed and integrated: structural, content composition, AC4LV element, learning theories, learning approaches, development process, instructional design model, and technology. The proposed model has been reviewed by 12 experts and validated through prototyping. It was found that the proposed model has been well-accepted by local and international experts. Prototyping has implicated that the model is useful to follow by novice and non-technical developers. On top of that, the findings of user experience testing indicate that the AC4LV is able to fulfill the needs of the low vision learners in terms of information accessibility, navigationability, and pleasurability. All these findings demonstrate that the Conceptual Design Model of AC4LV exhibits useful development for content application as well as providing theoretical and practical contributions of the study.This study provides guidelines for developing educational content in courseware that caters the need of low vision learners so that this particular group of PWDs may gain equal opportunities of learning

Informacione i asistivne tehnologije u obrazovanju učenika sa oštećenjem vida

The basic goal of information and assistive technology is to conduct information according to the perceptual needs of visually impaired users. This is done by re-coding visual symbols into the signal the users are able to perceive. Moreover, this technology absolutely needs to truthfully maintain the structure and meaning of the original material, regardless of it being adapted to blind or low vision users. Applying information and assistive technology in schooling enables a visually impaired student to receive and process visual information, to assert their value, and conclude an adequate solution to a problem. These skills are necessary for independent participation in everyday activities. In this paper, we scrutinized the role of information and assistive technology in the education of visually impaired students.Osnovni zahtev koji treba da ispuni informaciona I asistivna tehnologija za osobe sa oštećenjem vida jeste obezbeđivanje informacija u skladu sa njihovim perceptivnim potrebama. To podrazumeva prekodiranje vizuelnih simbola u signal koji je dostupan osobama sa oštećenjem vida. Pri tome, tehnologija treba da obezbedi apsolutnu istovetnost I jednoznačnost strukture I sadržaja prekodira-nih informacija, bez obzira na to da li su prilagođene slepim ili slabovidim ko-risnicima. Primena informacione I asistivne tehnologije tokom školovanja omogućava učeniku sa oštećenjem vida prijem I obradu pisanih informacija, nji-hovo vrednovanje I donošenje odgovarajućeg rešenja. Ove veštine predstavljaju uslov za sticanje nezavisnosti I ravnopravnog učešća u svakodnevnim životnom aktivnostima. U radu je razmatrana uloga informacionih I asistivnih tehnologija u obrazovanju učenika sa oštećenjem vida

Experts on e-learning: insights gained from listening to the student voice!

The Student Experience of e-Learning Laboratory (SEEL) project at the University of Greenwich was designed to explore and then implement a number of approaches to investigate learners’ experiences of using technology to support their learning. In this paper members of the SEEL team present initial findings from a University-wide survey of nearly a 1000 students. A selection of 90 ‘cameos’, drawn from the survey data, offer further insights into personal perceptions of e-learning and illustrate the diversity of students experiences. The cameos provide a more coherent picture of individual student experience based on the totality of each person’s responses to the questionnaire. Finally, extracts from follow-up case studies, based on interviews with a small number of students, allow us to ‘hear’ the student voice more clearly. Issues arising from an analysis of the data include student preferences for communication and social networking tools, views on the ‘smartness’ of their tutors’ uses of technology and perceptions of the value of e-learning. A primary finding and the focus of this paper, is that students effectively arrive at their own individualised selection, configuration and use of technologies and software that meets their perceived needs. This ‘personalisation’ does not imply that such configurations are the most efficient, nor does it automatically suggest that effective learning is occurring. SEEL reminds us that learners are individuals, who approach learning both with and without technology in their own distinctive ways. Hearing, understanding and responding to the student voice is fundamental in maximising learning effectiveness. Institutions should consider actively developing the capacity of academic staff to advise students on the usefulness of particular online tools and resources in support of learning and consider the potential benefits of building on what students already use in their everyday lives. Given the widespread perception that students tend to be ‘digital natives’ and academic staff ‘digital immigrants’ (Prensky, 2001), this could represent a considerable cultural challenge

Accessibility of E-government Services for Persons with Disabilities in Developing Countries- The Case of Ghana

Several benefits have been attributed to E-government, including the potential to promote independence and belongingness for persons with disabilities (PWD) by enhancing participatory and inclusive governance. Hitherto, government services that required several and long journeys followed by long queues waiting for service at government offices can now be accessed online irrespective of the geographical location via E-government services. As a result, developing countries like Ghana continue to commit resources to the implementation of E-government to harness the associated benefits. Accessibility has been acknowledged, by both practitioners and those in academia, as a key consideration to prevent disparities among citizens which may put PWD at risk of exclusion. However, providing solutions to accessibility challenges for PWD has consistently proven difficult in most E-government implementation projects in developing countries. Therefore, this study investigates the accessibility of Egovernment services for PWD in Ghana with the aim of identifying how key E-government stakeholders perceive accessibility and the contextual drivers that lead to the exclusion of PWD in the development of E-government services. Also, this study seeks to understand if and how these stakeholders and contextual drivers reinforce the exclusionary process. The study employed an interpretive, inductive approach, with sensitising concepts from Egovernment accessibility literature, and the social exclusion framework. Multiple data collection methods were used, namely; observations as a preliminary step to obtaining a better understanding of how the visually impaired use ICTs; interviews as the primary data collection technique from 37 participants; and document analysis. The study involved 3 groups of participants: the visually impaired, E-government web developers and government officers. Data analysis was carried out in two phases- firstly thematic analysis was used to report on perceptions of government officers and developers on accessibility and the experiences of PWD. Contextual drivers impeding accessibility and affecting accessibility experience of PWD were also derived from the thematic analysis. Secondly, E-government and disability policy documents mentioned in interview discussions were analysed using content analysis. The findings of the content analysis were used to validate, clarify and to conduct post-interview checking. The findings show that government officers and developers play a key role in the development of E-government services. Whilst Government officers and developers were identified as powerful agents whose practices determined the accessibility of services that were developed; PWD were side-lined and not involved in the E-government development project. Also, perceptions of government officers and developers on accessibility vary from those of PWD. While government officers and developers believe that with little assistance from third parties PWD can access E-government services, PWD perceive accessibility should offer them the independence to retrieve government information and engage in electronic transactions of their choice. Evidently, accessibility perceptions of E-government implementers differ from that of PWD. Further, the findings show that exclusion of PWD from E-government services is as a result of the intertwining of several contextual drivers, including political, socio-cultural, technological and personal. Political, socio-cultural and technological drivers influence the perceptions and practices of government officers and developers and determine their responses to the accessibility needs of PWD. Personal drivers limit the capabilities of PWD to access Egovernment services and impact on their accessibility experiences. Contextual drivers independently facilitate the exclusion of PWD; however, their interactions with government officers and developers shape their perceptions and constitute crucial exclusionary forces. These exclusionary forces when fed into the development of E-government services reinforce the exclusion of PWD. Given that personal drivers limit the capabilities of PWD, their inabilities to act as change agents reinforce their exclusion. Moreover, power differentials among stakeholders play a vital role in the exclusionary process. The study contributes to better understanding of influences on the E-government development process, how services become inaccessible and the accessibility challenges PWD face. Practically, the study has several implications on the development and implementation of E-government services in developing countries like Ghana. For example, the findings are useful to inform the political leadership on policies and structures to put in place to enhance the accessibility of Egovernment services for PWD

Exploring Institutional Support Needs for Career Transitioning among Students with Visual Impairments: A Scoping Review

Students with visual impairments (VI) are among the groups of students needing specialized resources and supports for their school success. Using a scoping review, the institutional support services needed by visually impaired students were examined in this paper. It looked at different strategies for putting these students' institutional support into practice and collated such strategies into levels that can inform inclusive practices in higher institutions of learning. The study followed a PRISMA protocol to present a descriptive analysis of peer-reviewed publications gathered from PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholars, and PsychInfo. Eight peer reviewed papers with a sample of 316 (303 post-secondary school students with VI and 13 teachers) were drawn for the study after eligibility assessment. It was found that post-secondary school students with VI still requires a number of institutional support modalities for their smooth career transition. Institutional support needs were described under the career challenges experienced by students with visual impairments and the needs for institutional support for building on smooth transition from school to career. It was deduced that student with VI still experiences barriers such as inadequately trained teachers, ill-equipped schools to address their needs, financial challenges, public stigma, accessibility, peer-to-peer acceptance and difficulties in learning at the university. The support needed from the institution were found to be those associated with academic support, integration into the social environment, need for institutional structural support services, and career transition intervention support. Practical implications demonstrates that educational institutions play a big part in helping visually impaired students in career transition. These implications can be built into a framework of action for institutional support for students with VI in schools as proposed in this paper