Iterative design of an audio-haptic drawing application

This paper presents the ongoing design and evaluation of an audio-haptic drawing program that allows visually impaired users to create and access graphical images. The application is developed in close collaboration with a user reference group of five blind/low vision school children. The objective of the application is twofold. It is used as a research vehicle to investigate user interaction techniques and do basic research on navigation strategies and help tools, including e.g. sound fields, shape creation tools and beacons with pulling forces in the context of drawing. In the progress of the development, the preferred features have been implemented as standard tools in the application. The final aim of the application in its current form is to aid school work in different subjects, and part of the application development is also to create tasks relevant in a school setting

Description's Objects: Austrian Variations

What did Wittgenstein take description to involve ? What are the objects of his descriptions ? What did he think he was doing in and by describing what he described ? In order to answer these three questions it will be useful to appeal to an object of comparison. But which ? First we need an answer to another question

Virtual Reality Games for Motor Rehabilitation

This paper presents a fuzzy logic based method to track user satisfaction without the need for devices to monitor users physiological conditions. User satisfaction is the key to any product’s acceptance; computer applications and video games provide a unique opportunity to provide a tailored environment for each user to better suit their needs. We have implemented a non-adaptive fuzzy logic model of emotion, based on the emotional component of the Fuzzy Logic Adaptive Model of Emotion (FLAME) proposed by El-Nasr, to estimate player emotion in UnrealTournament 2004. In this paper we describe the implementation of this system and present the results of one of several play tests. Our research contradicts the current literature that suggests physiological measurements are needed. We show that it is possible to use a software only method to estimate user emotion

Enabling audio-haptics

This thesis deals with possible solutions to facilitate orientation, navigation and overview of non-visual interfaces and virtual environments with the help of sound in combination with force-feedback haptics. Applications with haptic force-feedback, s

Volume 15, No. 1

Cam, Philip. “Philosophy and Freedom.” 10-­13. Christie, Juliette. “Introduction of Philosophy for Children into the Montessori Curriculum.” 22­-29. Daniel, Marie­-France, Louise Lafortune, Richard Pallascio and Michael Schleifer. “The Developmental Dynamics of a Community of Philosophical Inquiry in an Elementary School Mathematics Classroom.” 2-­9. Gazzard, Ann. “What does Philosophy for Children have to do with Emotional Intelligence?” 39­-45. Gratton, Claude. “Precision, Consistency, Implication and Inference.” 30­-37. Matthews, Gareth B. “Thinking in Stories: Shrek! by William Steig.” 1. ­­­­­ ----- Creativity in the Philosophical Thinking of Children.” 14-­1

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

PROFIL KETERAMPILAN GEOMETRI SISWA TUNANETRA DI SEKOLAH INKLUSI PADA MATERI SEGIEMPAT ( Studi Kasus di SMP MIS Surakarta)

Abstract: This research is aimed to describe the skills in geometry of visually impaired inclusion students on rectangular learning. This research was qualitative research. The research subjects were grade IX student of SMP MIS Surakarta. There were 3 students consisting of 1 low vision student, 1 totally blind when he was 15 years old, and 1 totally blind since she was born. The procedure of selecting the subject used in this research was purposive sampling technique. The data of research was collected through interviews based on rectangular task. The data was analyzed based the theory skill in Geometry’s of Hoffer. The steps are : analyze all data are available from several sources, perform data reduction, compiling data in units, categorization the obtained data unit which shows each information on skill in Geometry of blind students in SMP MIS Surakarta as well as implementation of inclusion programs at SMP MIS Surakarta’s data. Skill in Geometry’s data was validated using time triangulation and  implementation of inclusion programs at SMP MIS Surakarta’s data was validated using sources triangulation. The result of this research show that: 1) skills in geometry of low vision student cannot reach level 2 at all; 2) skills in geometry of student with totally blind when he was 15 year old can reach level 2 just on drawings skill. However, he cannot mastering level 0 on drawings skill well; 3) skills in geometry of student with totally blind since she was born cannot reach level 2 at all; 4) factors that affect skills in geometry of the students are availability of textbooks for students with visual impairment, the role of special guidances teachers, availability and uses of learning medium, teacher who has skills to handle student with visual impairment.Keywords: Geometry, Skills in Geometry, Visually impaired Student, Inclusions Student, Rectangular