Drones for all: Creating an Authentic Programming Experience for Students with Visual Impairments

The article analyses the development of an authentic experience for primary school students as a result of experiential learning. Possibilities of developing children’s authentic experience through media are discussed, as the ability to find, perceive and critically assess and use information and media content, as well as to express oneself, are one of the most important human abilities in the 21st century. The article presents a qualitative research of the attitudes of primary education teachers about the development of a child’s authentic experience by using media. The following research revealed that the method of accumulating authentic experience has a positive effect on students’ learning motivation, allows to develop critical, creative thinking, constructs a real connection with teaching materials and practice, enables students to operate actively, independently, and be responsible for their own learning. The research highlighted the advantages and disadvantages of developing an authentic learning experience through media.

This study developed a 15-week short-term program specialized in teaching students with
 visual impairment and explored the participation experiences of pre-service special education
 teachers in the program. The researcher extracted core standards for teaching students with visual
 impairments based on literature review and expert review, then collected the outcome portfolios
 and in-depth interview data from eight pre-service special education teachers. The study findings
 indicated that standards-based short-term activities provided practical and case-based learning
 opportunities, enabling participants to acquire professional competencies for teaching students with
 visual impairments. The participants gained specific knowledge and skills, including the understanding
 of learners with visual impairments, expertise in teaching, and practical experience in school
 settings. The study demonstrated how a standards-based approach benefits pre-service special
 education teachers, providing them with authentic experiences and a solid foundation for special
 education teacher preparation programs.

Individuals with visual impairments (that is, those who are blind or have low vision) do not have the same opportunities to develop their knowledge of sexual health and participate in sex education as their sighted peers (Krupa & Esmail, 2010), although young adults with visual impairments participate in sexual activities at similar rates as their sighted peers (Kelly & Kapperman, 2012). Thus, prior research has found that young adults with visual impairments are regularly engaging in sexual activity (Kelly & Kapperman, 2012) but without having the opportunity to acquire the necessary information on important matters pertaining to sexual health (Krupa & Esmail, 2010). An additional challenge to providing instruction on this value-laden topic is that little information has been reported in the literature on all aspects of sexuality as it pertains to those who are visually impaired. In this report, we have assembled a series of recommendations for accommodations and additional teaching and preteaching to guide teachers of students with visual impairments in sex education instruction for students with visual impairments. The recommendations were derived from our experiences and the few research studies in this important topic area. Krupa and Esmail (2010) found that three specific categories should be addressed in developing a framework for sex education instruction involving students with visual impairments: content, environment, and delivery. We have applied the same three specific categories in this report. INSTRUCTIONAL CONTENT We acknowledge that sex education programs vary among the states and within school districts. Thus, the content of the sex education program for a particular student who is visually impaired in a particular school district will be determined by the policies and procedures of the school district. In any circumstance, however, age-appropriate content should be provided to students with visual impairments (Curry & Hatlen, 1988), and, in this instance, we mean age-appropriate content in the area of sex education. Taking all this into account, we have identified areas of sex education with which students with visual impairments typically would have difficulty with regard to both the learning environment and the delivery of instruction. The recommendations presented here can be incorporated into the particular aspects of various sex education programs that these students experience. Furthermore, this report is based on the assumption that students with visual impairments participate, along with sighted students, in commonly offered sex education classes. LEARNING ENVIRONMENT Before instruction is delivered We contend that if the religious beliefs or ethical constraints of the teacher of students with visual impairments prohibit or inhibit the unbiased provision of information, then the teacher should excuse himself or herself from the instructional process and others should be sought to carry out the instruction for sex education. Furthermore, the policies of the school district should be followed where sex education is concerned. Parents and school administrators should have full knowledge of the materials to be used, especially in the case of the graphic nature of the models that we recommend, and should be shown pictures of the models or the models themselves. An effort to obtain written permission from parents should be made before any sex education instruction is delivered. If the parents do not give permission, the practices that we recommend should not be used. We understand that asking for permission is not always enough to obtain consent. It would be beneficial if a provision was developed that included the rationale for the sex education models and materials to be used during instruction. The teacher of students with visual impairments could then pass this documentation onto the parents and administrators to support his or her role in working with the students. …

Orientation and Mobility (O&M) is historically understood as the technical skills required for a person with visual impairment to move independently and safely through their environment. O&M instruction was originally positioned as a way to progress the rehabilitation of US veterans blinded in World War II. Since then, the long white cane has been synonymous with visual impairment, blindness, and the discipline of O&M. To this day, the attainment of long-cane skills and route travel persists as a major component of O&M practice and research. This pervasive quantitative conception of O&M instruction promotes attitudes, perspectives, and interests that impede a shared commitment to studying and improving the fundamentals of O&M. Drawing on qualitative data from interviews with three Queensland primary school students with visual impairment, a parent, teacher, and a panel of Australian O&M specialists the sub-culture of O&M is illuminated. Results indicate a lack of general awareness of the impact of Visual Impairment and of O&M, and shed light on the authentic learning experiences of the three students with visual impairment. To better understand the influence of visual impairment on independent travel and subsequently the tenets of O&M learning and teaching, it is necessary to challenge the conventional way of telling the story of O&M. The importance of changing preconceived ideas and values of O&M is discussed.

The study examined experiences of students with visual impairment in Ghana’s public universities. The study employed the cross‐sectional descriptive survey design using semi-structured questionnaire for data collection to provide answers to the research questions. The study population included all students with visual impairment across the three Public Universities namely; University of Ghana, University of Cape, and University of Education, Winneba. In all, 87 students with visual impairment were purposively selected to participate in the study. The study revealed that students with visual impairment in these three public universities experience several attitudinal challenges both from teachers, resource persons and fellow students which affect their academic achievement. Also, students with visual impairments in Ghana’s public universities are constantly challenged by classroom instructional strategies, and that it is difficult for them to access course outlines, textbooks, among other relevant facilities in advance. It is recommended that the Special Education Division of the Ministry of Education in conjunction with the Resource Persons in the various universities should organize periodic in-service training programmes for university teachers who teach in the inclusive public universities to adequately equip them in handling the visually impaired. Keywords: visual impairment, inclusive education, resource person, disabilities and Ghana DOI : 10.7176/JEP/10-18-17 Publication date :June 30 th 2019

In this study, 19 bloggers from the blindness community discuss the meaning of blogging both for themselves and for other persons within this community. Bloggers with visual impairments, their relatives, and blog editors of blindness organizations are interviewed to answer the following questions: (1) What motivates people from the blindness community to still use blogs? (2) How does blogging enable the blindness community to shape their identity and share their lived experiences? (3) How do people with visual impairments and their allies see the future of blogs? Using critical disability studies to interpret the findings, we argue that blogs are a significant form of communication and awareness-raising for the blindness community, as well as enhancing the identity of members of the blindness community. The analysis of the interviews shows that visually impaired people’s participation in blogging changes their self-perception in a positive way, as well as others’ perceptions of blindness. According to the study participants, bloggers with visual impairment and their allies consider themselves more knowledgeable about the topic of blindness because their blogs communicate authentic lived experiences. Overall, the participants are generally optimistic about the future of blogging for the benefit of the blindness community.

Inclusion is a subjective experience related to sense of belonging and acceptance. In this way, the specific nature of a disability can have particular implications on the obstacles one experiences in physical education. Thus, the main objective of this study was to investigate the experiences of students with visual impairments in physical education classes in Brazil from an individual and subjective perspective. Eight students with visual impairments (five female students and three male students) between 13 and 18 years participated in the study. Interviews, which utilized a semi-structured interview guide, were used to obtain important information from the students. Interview transcripts were analyzed by the content analysis technique. Results revealed two main themes: (1) participation and (2) social interaction. Exclusion from physical education activities was omnipresent among the experiences of students with visual impairments. Physical education teachers did not recognize physical education classes as a place for student with visual impairments.

Purpose: This paper sought to document the responsiveness of the University of Botswana towards the academic needs of students with visual impairments. The study examined the academic experiences of students with visual impairments enrolled at the University and explored their information-seeking needs. The study was informed by the theory of social justice. Method: This was a qualitative study. Data was collected from students with visual impairments and academic staff from different faculties at the University of Botswana, through document analysis, interviews and observation techniques. Results: The findings revealed that students with visual impairments experience extra challenges compared to students without disabilities. This is mainly because they do not get full support to enable them to excel academically. Furthermore, lecturers use teaching methodologies that do not accommodate these students, and learning materials are not adapted to formats suitable for them. Access to information is another major concern that hinders the participation of students with visual impairments in tertiary institutions. Conclusion : The study recommends that lecturers need to be trained on suitable methods to teach students with visual impairments and how best to deliver academic content to them.

Introduction: Participation and success in high school mathematics classes significantly affect students’ future pursuits in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Method: The survey instrument, administered through Qualtrics, gathered data from itinerant teachers of students with visual impairments across the United States. The study focused on four research questions regarding in which high school math classes students with visual impairments are enrolled, supports provided by the teachers of students with visual impairments and paraeducators (also referred to as paraprofessionals ), factors influencing success, and barriers to participation. Results: Eighty-three teachers of students with visual impairments shared their experiences in supporting 159 high school students with visual impairments. Despite challenges, their students engaged in a range of math classes mirroring trends in the national landscape. The math learning of students was facilitated by timely access to content, coordination between teachers of students with visual impairments and math teachers, and self-advocacy by the students themselves. Commonly identified barriers were lack of accessible materials and math teacher practices that were not inclusive of students with visual impairments. Discussion: The math course-taking data, as reported by the participants, suggest that the students with visual impairments in this study were taking math courses comparable to same grade-level U.S. students. Implications for Practitioners: Teachers of students with visual impairments are encouraged to stay abreast of mainstream and specialized technologies used in math classrooms. Furthermore, they should work closely with math teachers to promote inclusive math classes and timely delivery of accessible materials.

Introduction This article presents a study of the higher education experiences of students with visual impairments in Canada. Methods Students with visual impairments and the staff members of disability programs were surveyed and interviewed regarding the students’ experiences in entering higher education and completing their higher education requirements. Results Although the reported graduation rates were high, the students took more than four years to complete their studies. They thought that heavy reading requirements, work in groups, and an inability to participate in some activities were barriers to their full participation in higher education. Discussion The findings demonstrate that barriers exist that have a negative impact on the higher education experience of students with visual impairments. Implications for practitioners Students with visual impairments have challenges that require unique preparation for higher education.

Citizens of a sustainably healthy population have the right to an education, and this right must be extended to citizens with disabilities. Visual impairment presents challenges to such sustainability insofar as it can negatively impact the social and educational experiences of affected students. The present study explores the challenges that students with visual impairments face at higher education institutions in Saudi Arabia. The study examines the impacts of visual impairment on the social and academic domains of these students’ lives which thereby threaten the sustainability of a healthy and well-functioning society. Exploring strategies and support mechanisms, the study’s aim is to improve the Saudi educational environment in universities to better accommodate the needs of students with visual impairments. The study employs a qualitative methodology to investigate the experiences of eight male students with visual impairment enrolled in a Saudi Arabian university. The findings highlight challenges faced by these students and provide a foundation of recommendations for improving educational support and facilities so that students with visual impairment are more likely to succeed academically and to make meaningful contributions to the broader community. In consequence, such students are better positioned to contribute to the sustainability of a healthy and well-functioning Saudi society.

This study explored the effectiveness of screen readers on the academic life of higher education students with visual impairments, including reading, writing, access to the internet, exams, and general information for their courses. This study was designed as a qualitative study and applied a phenomenological approach in order to discuss the experiences of higher education students who use screen readers as assistive technology. One college student and six graduate students with visual impairments were interviewed in the United States. The findings revealed that higher education students with visual impairments benefitted from screen readers; however, they also noted some limitations: difficulties in accessing printed classroom materials, inaccessible digital content, and time lost due to technical issues. Students with visual impairments should be offered accessible documents such as electronic versions of classroom materials, accessible PDFs and websites, and software compatible with JAWS. Universities should provide accessibility training for lecturers who want to better serve students with visual impairments. University information technology services need to train their technical services staff about screen readers to provide 24/7 professional services for students with visual impairments.

The American engineering workforce lacks the size and diversity needed to maintain its place as the world leader in science and technology. Across the United States, academic institutions are attempting to retain men and especially women in engineering degree paths by providing introductory coursework that motivates them to persist to graduation. Epistemic games provide students with an authentic engineering experience that may increase their persistence towards engineering degrees. This authentic experience, which we refer to as a virtual internship, helps students create an engineering epistemic frame, in which their skills and knowledge are linked a developing engineering identity, values, and epistemology. RescuShell is an epistemic game that was developed to provide this virtual internship experience for first-year engineering students and increase the persistence of women. In RescuShell, students complete a biomechanical engineering design project in which they create an arm joint for a human enhancement suit. Students research the joint’s actuators, control sensors, power sources, types of articulation, and materials. Completed designs are assessed by the company’s various stakeholders for their ability to meet thresholds for safety, agility, payload, work capacity, reliability, and cost. We anticipate that RescuShell will motivate more men and women to persist to engineering degrees and future careers in the engineering profession than traditional first-year engineering coursework.

Pastaruoju metu vis plačiau kalbant apie į vaiką orientuotą ugdymą(si), ieškoma strategijų, leidžiančių ugdymo procese įprasminti autentišką vaiko patirtį. Viena iš ugdymo(si) strategijų, geriausiai išryškinančių vaiko patirties reikšmę, yra patirtinis mokymasis. Patirtinio ugdymo strategijoje pabrėžiamas mokymasis, kuris pasitelkia veiklą, siekiant kiekvieną vaiką ugdyti akademiškai, fiziškai, kultūriškai ir dvasiškai jį palaikančioje ugdymo įstaigoje, bendruomenėje, sudarant vaikui galimybę pasinaudoti jo turima patirtimi (Luckner, Nadler, 1997; Braslauskienė, Norvilienė, Šmitienė, Vismantienė, 2018). Užsienio ir Lietuvos autoriai vis dažniau teoriškai pagrindžia mokinių autentiškos patirties svarbą ugdymo procese. Vis dėlto trūksta tyrimų, atskleidžiančių, kokiais būdais mokinio turimą autentišką patirtį galima įprasminti jau pradinio ugdymo procese, kai dedami mokymosi pagrindai, išliekantys svarbūs visą gyvenimą. Dėl to šiame tyrime yra keliamas tikslas atskleisti, kokiais būdais galima įprasminti mokinio autentišką patirtį pradinio ugdymo procese. Tyrimo tikslui pasiekti atlikta apklausa raštu, kurioje dalyvavoįstaigos, aktyviai taikančios patirtinio mokymosi principus pradinio ugdymo procese, pedagogai ir vadovė (iš viso 6 informantai). Tyrimo duomenims analizuoti pasirinkta kokybinė turinio analizė. Empirinio tyrimo metu gautų duomenų analizė atskleidė, kad ugdymo įstaigoje, kurioje buvo atliktas tyrimas, mokinio autentiškai patirčiai yra skiriama daug dėmesio. Siekiant įprasminti mokinių turimą patirtį pradinio ugdymo procese naudojami įvairūs mokymosi būdai, padedantys identifikuoti jau turimą mokinių patirtį ir ją plėtoti. Pedagogų nuomone, mokinių patirties įprasminimas ypač pasireiškia dienos, skirtos stimuliacijai ir patirčiai, veiklose. Šią dieną mokiniai tyrinėja, eksperimentuoja, pritaiko turimas ir įgytas žinias praktiškai, vyksta į išvykas, kurių metu įtvirtina įgytas žinias. Atskleista, kad siekiant įprasminti mokinio turimą patirtį yra svarbus mokinio aktyvus veikimas tiek pedagogų inicijuotose veiklose, tiek ir vaikams prisidedant prie paties ugdymo(si) proceso organizavimo.

There has been a growing interest in Computer-Supported Cooperative Work and Human-Computer Interaction to understand the experiences of programmers in the workplace. However, the large majority of these studies has focused on sighted programmers and, as a result, the experiences of programmers with visual impairments in professional contexts remain understudied. We address this gap by reporting on findings from semi-structured interviews with 22 programmers with visual impairments. We found that programmers with visual impairments interact with a complex ecosystem of tools and a significant part of their job entails performing work to overcome the accessibility challenges inherent in this ecosystem. Furthermore, we find that the visual nature of various programming activities impedes collaboration, which necessitates the co-creation of new work practices through a series of sociotechnical interactions. These sociotechnical interactions often require invisible work and articulation work on the part of the programmers with visual impairments.