Critical analysis in proposing a conceptual design model of assistive courseware for low vision (AC4LV) learners

This paper reports on an ongoing study, which intends to propose a conceptual design model of Assistive Courseware(AC) that is particularly designed for low vision learners (LV) learners.Altogether, 15 conceptual design models of courseware were compared and analyzed exhaustively with the main objectives (i) to determine the research gaps in proposing a conceptual design model of AC4LV and (ii) to identify their common components.Through a systematic and critical analysis, this study discovers that all of the previous models do not suggest any specific conceptual design model of courseware that caters the visually-impaired (VI) particularly low vision (LV) learners in detail.It is noted that this is the research gap that should be the focal point for further study.Also, the previous literatures suggest that Instructional Design (ID) model, learning theories, and learning approach must be the basic component in designing the conceptual design model of courseware

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

First cycle of user experience on assistive courseware for young low vision (AC4LV) learners

Reviews from literatures indicate that content application such as courseware which is specifically designed to cater the needs of low vision learners in learning is highly scarce. It was found that most of the existing content applications including courseware focus to the needs of normal student, in which most of this courseware mean too little to the low vision learners in terms of information accessibility, navigation-ability, and pleasure aspects. Having developed the intended courseware which is called as AC4LV it has to be tested to the targeted subjects.Thus, this study presents the first cycle of user experience testing related to the subjects’ behaviors and reactions on AC4LV in effort to make it as one of the effective learning tools specifically for low vision children. It is called as user experience I.In user experience I, 8 subjects with the average age nine to 12 were involved. At this stage, observation was utilized as the data collection method

Translating Scientific Content into Accessible Formats with Visually Impaired Learners: Recommendations and a Decision Aid Based on Haptic Rules of Perception

Students with visual impairments (VI) miss out on science because of inaccessible visual graphics (such as pictures and diagrams) of the phenomena that are the focus of curricula. My project examines how efforts to translate these into non-visual representations, such as raised line graphics, tend to be less effective than expected because they are perceived using “rules” of haptic perception by VI learners but developed using “rules”' of visual perception by sighted designers. In response, I introduce my recommendations, in the form of a decision aid, informed by a series of interlinked concatenated studies consisting of user testing, workshops, and co-design sessions composed of multi-disciplinary teams that included VI educators, learners, inclusive designers, musicians, and domain experts from engineering and the cognitive neuroscience

Integrating multimedia learning theory in assistive courseware for low vision learners

This paper reports an ongoing study regarding the development of Assistive Courseware (AC) that is specifically designed to cater the needs of low vision learners in learning activities.Currently, as reported in the previous studies, low vision learners are facing various difficulties in their learning activities particularly in terms of information accessibility, navigationability, and pleasure. Previous literatures also state that, most of the available courseware means too little to them especially in terms of content presentation.Therefore, this study attempts to solve the problem by developing an AC which is named as AC for Low Vision Learners (AC4LV). The AC was developed by utilizing Multimedia Learning Theory as guidance. In addition, three basic steps, which are pre-production, production, and post-production have been utilized in developing the AC.As a result, an AC4LV based on Multimedia Learning Theory was successfully produced. Future works of this study is to test the experience of using AC4LV among the low vision learners particularly on primary school children from age nine to twelve

Expert review on conceptual design model of assistive courseware for low vision (AC4LV) learners

— This paper reports an ongoing project regarding the development of Conceptual Design Model of Assistive Courseware for Low Vision (AC4LV) learners. Having developed the intended model, it has to be validated prior to produce it as guidance for the developers to develop an AC4LV. This study requires two phases of validation process which are through expert review and prototyping method.This paper presents a part of the validation process which is findings from experts review on Conceptual Design Model of AC4LV which has been carried out through questionnaire.Results from 12 international and local experts from various respectable fields in Human Computer Interaction (HCI) were discussed and justified.In a nutshell, reviewed Conceptual Design Model of AC4LV was formed. Future works of this study is to validate the reviewed model through prototyping method prior to test it to the targeted users

Opportunity to learn Mathematics : the case of visually impaired secondary school students in Zimbabwe

The study examined the opportunities to learn Mathematics that are accorded to secondary school students with visual impairment in Zimbabwe. The study focused on form one and form two students who are completely without sight, but are learning in inclusive settings, together with their Mathematics teachers. The study examined how teachers interacted with the subject matter, how the teachers interacted with the visually impaired students and how these students interacted with partially sighted students in the teaching and learning process. The study adopted the case study approach under the qualitative inquiry. Data was collected using document analysis, lesson observations, personal interviews with teachers and focus group interviews with students who were purposive sampled. The study established that visually impaired students were not accorded adequate opportunities to learn mathematics at secondary level. The reasons for this deficit are (1) visually impaired students learnt the same curriculum as sighted students when they could not access some topics on the syllabus, (2) the teachers were professionally qualified but they lacked the necessary specialist training for teaching students without sight, (3) teachers used the same teaching methods as those used with sighted students, (4) a lot of time was spent on task though not much ground was covered, (5) the schools were not adequately resourced with appropriate teaching and learning materials for use by visually impaired students, culminating in lost opportunities to learn mathematics. The study recommends that appropriately qualified teachers be deployed to teach at schools for the visually impaired, that all secondary teachers learn the basic modules in Special Needs Education during training. The study also recommends for the government to assist the schools for the visually impaired students to import the much needed teaching and learning equipment. The study has provided some knowledge about the learning of mathematics by visually impaired students in Zimbabwe in the areas of lesson delivery, materials provision, and programme adjustments at secondary teacher training colleges and universities. It has also provided curriculum planners with an insight on the prevailing situation with regard to the teaching and learning of mathematics by visually impaired students. This knowledge could be used when formulating future mathematics curriculum and training policies to do with non-sighted students in Zimbabwe and other countries in Africa.Curriculum and Instructional StudiesD. Ed. (Curriculum Studies

The information-seeking process of blind and visually impaired Grade 12 learners in selected South African schools for the blind

All people seek information for various reasons sometime during their lifetime. How this process has been researched and documented by various researchers is covered in this thesis, showing how the insights and lessons from various Information Seeking Models in the literature have informed and enriched this study. These models provide a good understanding of the study field and frameworks to explain the different elements of the information seeking process. All available Information Seeking Models, however, are developed based on the assumption that information seeking is performed by people with sight. How applicable these Information Seeking Models are for people who are blind and/or visually impaired is not addressed in the research. There are a number of different realities for a blind and visually impaired person seeking information, e.g. the accessibility of the technology to access the information, the accessibility of the information once it is located, the availability of technologies to assist the blind and visually impaired person to enable him/her to seek information, the availability of other people to assist the blind and visually impaired person during the information seeking process are just some of the challenges not addressed by existing Information Seeking Models. The purpose of this study is therefore to give an overview of existing Information Seeking Models and then to focus on the two leading researchers in the field, i.e. C. Kuhlthau and T.D. Wilson. These models of the information seeking process were contextualised and assessed in relation with the information needs model of N. Moore who researched the information needs of blind and visually impaired people. Based on the work of the three researchers a survey instrument was developed to determine the information seeking process of Grade 12 learners at five South African Schools for the Blind. Since Grade 12 learners must decide about their future, after completing school, it was decided to research how Grade 12 learners seek information to assist them to decide about tertiary studies or work options. The study included learners who had not yet started the information seeking process in this regard. A research instrument was designed to collect data to investigate the information seeking processes of the Grade 12 learners in order to assess the extent to which they correlated with the Information Seeking Models of Kuhlthau (1991) and Wilson (1999). The qualitative research method was followed in this study which was located in a constructivist paradigm. Interviews were conducted with 43 learners at the five schools for the blind representing the total population of Grade 12 learners registered at the selected schools. The literature confirms that low population sizes are customary when researching blind and visually impaired people. Face-to-face interviews were conducted at the five schools. The findings of the interviews were analysed through a framework analysis. Thereafter, a gap analysis was conducted to determine to what extent the findings correlated to or differed from the Information Seeking Models. From this analysis seven components were identified as part of the design of the Inclusive Information Seeking Model applicable to blind and visually impaired Grade 12 learners, a major outcome of the study. A broader application of the model is suggested. This Inclusive Information Seeking Model will raise awareness and assist people working in an information environment to make the necessary provisions, to ensure that the information seeking process for blind and visually impaired people is as successful as possible with available resources

Conceptual design model of Assistive Courseware for Low Vision (AC4LV) learners

This paper describes an ongoing study related to the design of conceptual design model which specific to learning content application for low vision learners.Reviews from literature s indicate that content application such as course ware which is specifically designed to cater the needs of low vision learners in learning is highly scarce.It was found that most of the existing content applications including courseware focus to the needs of normal student, in which most of this course ware mean too little to the low vision learners in terms of information accessibility, navigation ability, and pleasure aspects.In addition, the use of Assistive Technology (AT) such as magnifying glass was also problematic for them.Thus, this study aims at creating an alternative content application particularly courseware for low vision learners.It is called as Assistive Courseware for Low Vision (AC4LV).Prior to develop an AC4LV a specific design model has to be proposed as guidance for the developer to refer to.So, this paper proposes a Conceptual Design Model of AC4LV by utilizing three phases of activities.Future works is to validate the proposed model through expert review and prototyping method