PPD: A Multisensory Calculus Program for Students with Visual Impairments

9450166 Kress盲人和视障学生参与科学、工程和数学课程的一个主要障碍通常是获得高等科学和数学课程中可用的教学材料。 纽约内的斯塔顿岛学院计算机科学系和巴鲁施学院视障者计算机中心提议提供一个环境，通过开发和测试这些学生可用的教学材料，为盲人和视障学生提供平等的机会接受科学、工程和数学基础教育。 本项目的重点是SEM的核心数学课程。微积分 它将使用目前最有效的音频和触觉技术来提供图形信息。 该项目还将探索目前正在开发的其他成熟技术。 将开发的课件也将被没有视觉障碍的学生使用;虽然该项目将开发用于大学教育的SEM材料，但方法将同样适用于小学和中学年级。 在三年的计画中，研究者将开发教学演算的课件给大学一年级的学生。 对于基本的课程内容，调查人员将使用一个成功的自我掌握掌握微积分课程，该课程是在卡内基梅隆大学卡内基基金会的资助下为SEM学生开发的。 盲人和视障学生无法获得的基本先决条件材料将由专门开发的听觉和触觉材料补充。 在大多数情况下，与视觉障碍相关的教学问题可以通过现有技术解决。 可使用装有光学识别软件的扫描仪和盲文打印机（或为不懂盲文的人提供的语音识别系统）阅读传统的印刷或显示文本，并为视力受损程度较轻的人提供放大的显示屏幕。 然而，科学和数学中使用的图形材料需要创新。 研究人员建议使用音频触觉平板电脑，可以准备和编程来呈现所需的图形。 巴鲁克视障者计算机中心是为盲人制作触觉图形的主要设施。 触觉图形开发的这一设施，结合新技术，NOMAD音频触觉板，将允许学生的微积分跟踪图形和听到的基本信息，为每一个点讲可听。 这些技术和材料应该为有视觉障碍的学生提供直接阅读数学文本和图形的能力，而不必让有视力的读者参与。 一个多感官工作站已经建立在史泰登岛大学实验室与NOMAD音频触觉平板电脑采购的资金从美国国家科学基金会设备赠款。 将测试音频触觉材料和软件开发 h）的 0* 0*0 纽约市立大学的视障学生和盲人志愿者。 测试经验将为不断修订和进一步发展提供基础。 最终评估将与教育考试服务处合作进行。 这些材料将分发给纽约州残疾人律师办公室，供向全美残疾人提供培训和教育福利的组织使用。***

9450166 Kress A key barrier to participation in science, engineering, and mathematics curricula for blind and visually impaired students commonly has been access to usable instructional materials in higher science and mathematics courses. The Department of Computers Science of The College Staten Island and the Computer Center for the Visually Impaired of Barusch College, both within the City University of New York (CUNY), propose to provide an environment that will offer blind and visually impaired students equal accesses to basic education for science, engineering, and mathematics (SEM) by developing and testing instructional materials usable by these students. This project focuses on the core mathematics course for SEM,. the calculus. It will use the most effective current audio and tactile technology to provide access to graphical information. The project also will explore other technologies currently in development as they mature. The courseware to be developed will be usable as well by students without visual impairments; and although the project will develop materials for college education in SEM, the methodology will be equally appropriate for primary and secondary grades. In the proposed three year project, the investigators will develop courseware for teaching the calculus to first year college students. For the basic course content, the investigators will use a successful self paced mastery course in calculus developed for SEM students under a Carnegie Foundation grant at Carnegie Mellon University. The essential prerequisite materials that would otherwise be inaccessible to blind and visually impaired students will be supplemented by specially developed auditory and tactile materials. In most situations, the teaching problems associated with visual impairments are solvable with existing technology. Scanners with optical recognition software and Braille printers (or speech access systems for those who do not read Braille) can be used to read conventional printed or displayed text, and enlarged display screens are available for those with lesser degrees of visual impairment. Graphical materials used in science and mathematics, however, require innovations. The investigators propose using audio tactile tablets that can be prepared and programmed to present the needed graphics. The Baruch Computer Center for the Visually Impaired is a leading facility for preparation of tactile graphics for blind people. Tactile graphics developed by this facility, combined with new technology, the NOMAD audio tactile tablet, will permit student of the calculus to trace the graphics and to hear the essential information for each point spoken audibly. These technologies and materials should provide students with visual impairments the ability to read mathematical text and graphics directly without having to engage sighted readers. A multisensory workstations has been set up in a College of Staten Island laboratory with a NOMAD audio tactile tablet procured with funds from the NSF equipment grant. The audio tactile materials and software development will be tested h) 0*0*0* with students with visual impairments from CUNY and with blind professional volunteers. The test experience will provide the basis for continual revision and further development. The final evaluation will be conducted in cooperation with the Educational Testing Service. The material will be distributed to the New York State Office of Advocate for the disabled for use with organizations offering training and educational benefits to individuals with disabilities throughout the United States. ***