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Research on Multimedia Access to Microcomputers for Visually Impaired Youth

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Research on Multimedia Access to Microcomputers for Visually Impaired Youth DOCUMENT RESUME ED 408 812 EC 305 700 AUTHOR Ashcroft, S. C. TITLE Research on Multimedia Access to Microcomputers for Visually Impaired Youth. INSTITUTION George Peabody Coll. for Teachers, Nashville, Tenn. Dept. of Special Education. SPONS AGENCY Special Education Programs (ED/OSERS), Washington, DC. PUB DATE 83 NOTE 380p. CONTRACT G008102117 PUB TYPE Reports Descriptive (141) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC16 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS *Accessibility (for Disabled); *Assistive Devices (for Disabled); Braille; Computer Assisted Instruction; *Educational Strategies; Elementary Secondary Education; Instructional Material Evaluation; Large Type Materials; Learning Modules; *Microcomputers; Speech Synthesizers; Teacher Education Programs; *Visual Impairments IDENTIFIERS Cassette Braille Devices; Digitized Speech; Optacon ABSTRACT This final report discusses the outcomes of a federally funded project that studied visual, auditory, and tactual methods designed to give youth with visual impairments access to microcomputers for curricular, prevocational, and avocational purposes. The objectives of the project were: (1) to research microcomputer systems that could be made accessible to youth with blindness through print, voice, and touch;(2) to develop and evaluate instructional programs for teaching youth with visual impairments to use microcomputer systems through multimedia access;(3) to develop and evaluate instructional packages for these multimedia microcomputer systems for the inservice and preservice training of special education and other personnel who work with youth with visual impairments;(4) to evaluate selected, adapted, or specially development computer-assisted instructional programs for curricula, prevocational, and avocational purposes; and (5)to disseminate the results and products of the research project through usual dissemination channels. The report identifies the advantages and limitations of cassette Braille devices, OPTACON (Optical-to-Tactile Converter), speech synthesis, digitized speech, and large print. Appendices include procedures for interfacing the IBM PC with the VersaBraille instructional modules for beginning microcomputer and access technology skills for students with visual impairments, and a Braille-edit student instructional module. (Contains 55 references.) (CR) ******************************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. ******************************************************************************** RESEARCH ON MULTIMEDIA ACCESS TO MICROCOMPUTERS FOR VISUALLY IMPAIRED YOUTH FINAL REPORT U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy. George Peabody College for Teachers of Vanderbilt University Box 328 Nashville, Tennessee 37203 This final report was prepared as part of the grant "Research on Multimedia Access to Microcomputers for Visually Impaired Youth," G008102117. Grants under government sponsorship are encouraged to express their judgment freely in professional and technical matters. Points of views or opinions, therefore, do not necessarily represent offical U. S. Department of Education position or policy. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Research on Multimedia Access to Microcomputers for Visually Impaired Youth Many people have helped us with this project. A number of teachers and administrators and the visually impaired students they serve, both on and off campus, contributed substantially to the project through field trials and expert review of products of the project. Because of their special contributions we recognize especially Phyllis Brunken and students at the Nebraska School for the Visually Impaired; Bill Schenk and studentsat the Tennessee School for the Blind; Pat Carpenter and students in the DeKalb County, Georgia, Public Schools; Richmond Marcy and students at the Kentucky School for the Blind; and Frank Irzyk and students at the New York Institute for the Education of the Blind. Many people helped in the day-to-day implementation of the project as well as in many other significantways. Mike Young, who served as project manager for most of the duration of the project, helped with its conception, application, and implementation. Susan Williams, who served as a computer programmer, was of unusual assistance above and beyond the ordinary demands placed on a computerprogrammer. Doctoral students who served as graduate assistantswere especially helpful' to the project. Sandy Ruconich, whose Ed.D. dissertation focused on an important aspect of the project, was extremely helpful in many ways. We congratulate her on the attainment of her doctorate. LaRhea Sanford, whose dissertation is also focused on an aspect of the project, has been of help in many ways and we have benefited from her previous experience in such work with the American Printing House for the Blind. Anna Bradfield, Cathy Mack, Alan Koenig, Nassir Mosa, Mark Demuth, and other graduate students too numerous to name but whose help we gratefully acknowledge, were important to the project. Finally, we are grateful to the Office of Special Education Programs of the U. S. Department of Education for the funding and facilitation that enabled us to complete this project. We believe it will be of significant benefit to large numbers of visually impaired persons as they learn to use these very powerful tools to enhance their education and their work. S. C. Ashcroft Principal Investigator TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 2 INTRODUCTION 5 REVIEW OF LITERATURE 15 PRIOR PROJECTS 22 PROJECT DESCRIPTION 30 EQUIPMENT DESCRIPTION 32 OBJECTIVE 1 56 OBJECTIVE 2 81 OBJECTIVE 3 105 OBJECTIVE 4 120 OBJECTIVE 5 129 REFERENCES 144 APPENDICES A PROCEDURES FOR INTERFACING THE IBM PC WITH THE VERSABRAILLE 150 B CABLE CONFIGURATIONS 161 C INSTRUCTIONAL MODULES FOR BEGINNING MICROCOMPUTER AND ACCESS TECHNOLOGY SKILLS FOR VISUALLY IMPAIRED STUDENTS. 179 D BRAILLE-EDIT STUDENT INSTRUCTIONAL MODULE 265 E STATEMENT OF POLICY AND CRITERIA FOR SOFTWARE EVALUATION 289 F WORKSHOPS 294 G INDIVIDUAL SITE EVALUATIONS 323 H PROGRESS REPORT 345 I LETTERS 350 5 -4 INTRODUCTION 5- INTRODUCTION Computers are an extension of human intelligence (Lipson, 1980). Today they pervade almost every aspect of life. They are everywhere--in kitchens, offices, cars, trucks, grocery stores, game arcades, garages, everywhere--but perhaps least of all, in schools and classrooms where human intelligence and cognitive development are nurtured. In "Microcomputes Applied to Education," Joseph Lipson (1980) of the National Science Foundation said, "We need to more fully grasp the nature and power of the computer as an extension of human intelligence. Only then will we be able to design learning environments that orchestrate the fantastic range of possibilities that thenew technologies have opened for us." A visit to a classroom makes it strikingly evident that + computers have as yet had relatively little impact in school classrooms as compared to their impact elsewhere. The early promise of computer-assisted instruction (CAI) has not been realized (Kearsley, Hunter, and Seidel, 1983). Many persons would attribute this disappointing situationto a lack of funds and to a lack of understanding of how touse this powerful technology. Presently, the power of computers is said to be doubling every two years. Today's inexpensive microcomputersare more powerful than the room-sized computers of a fewyears ago. Today's inexpensive but increasingly powerfulmicrocomputers are making their appearance in regular classrooms and willhave a significant impact on the curriculums in regular education programs. School personnel must learn to understand and use these powerful tools. It is imperative that special education classrooms keep pace with the rapid infusion of technology into regular education. If special education students can be given approximately equivalent access to microcomputers, they can participate more fully in classroom activities with their peers in regular education. Equally important, special students will be prepared to compete more equitably for computer-related jobs, significantly increasing their employability and employment. Without roughly equivalent access, special education students will be doubly handicapped. The special education of visually impaired students is unique and urgently in need of action to enable visually impaired students and those who work with them to enter the information and technology era and to become contributing citizens in the information society. Practice must be brought into accord with "state of the art." We know far better how to educate blind children than we do in fact educate them. The state of the art is much better than the state of our practice. This situation is especially true in applications of technology to our practice. Thomas Gilhool (1982) has called attention to what he labeled the "technology-forcing role of the law." He indicated that when Congress enacted P.L. 94-142, it "was deeply aware . that we know how to educate disabled children effectively . but that knowledge has not been widely distributed. "Thus," he says "the Congress included phases andprovisions that were designed to technology
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