The Combination Design of Enabling Technologies in Group Learning: New Study Support Service for Visually Impaired University Students

Abstract

This article aims to show how the process of new service technology-based development improves the current study support service for visually impaired university students. Numerous studies have contributed to improving assisted aid technology such as screen readers, the development and the use of audiobooks, and technology that supports individual learning by the visually impaired. Before conducting research on how the existing technologies could enhance today’s study support service, a lead user was identified from among the visually impaired university students that were involved in the new service development process. Telephone interview analysis was used for primary data collection from 49 sampled students while interviews, discussions, and brain storming were used for the primary data collection in the idea generation process and the new service functionality synthesis between the lead user and researcher. The findings from this study make several contributions to the area of service development using the lead user technique. The lead user provided an idea that is claimed to be a useful service solution. It was demonstrated that a group learning technology-based service can work as a new service for visually impaired university students. The findings are also original in that the new service with the capacity for knowledge access and transfer using telephony technology will be the first new service that shifts their individual learning to a group or community that includes instructor participation.