Portraits of Assistive Technology in English Learning for Visual Impaired Students in Higher Education

Abstract

This study investigates learning English with assistive technology, the learning outcomes, and the experiences of using assistive technology, particularly JAWS and MELDICT. One visually impaired student at a private university in South Sulawesi, Indonesia, was interviewed as part of a qualitative case study. Observation and interviews were used to explore the utilization of assistive technology for learning English by a visually impaired student. The results identified that in the process of learning English skills, a visually impaired student used JAWS dominantly, and nevertheless, visually impaired students used both JAWS and MELDICT, especially in writing. Moreover, assistive technology positively affects the learning outcomes of visually impaired students who absorb the material effectively. Using JAWS and MELDICT, the visually impaired student's English-learning endeavors were both pleasant and fruitful. Practitioners should receive additional debriefing or training to strengthen their pedagogical and psychological capacities to deal with special needs students.