PPD: Computer Science Program for Students with Disabilities

该项目的目的是开发一个无障碍的计算机科学方案，方便残疾学生使用。 计算机科学是计划上大学的残疾高中生的热门专业选择。 大学计算机科学专业的学生数量显著增加，但这些计算机科学专业中很少有残疾学生。 在传统的计算机科学课程中，这些学生存在许多障碍。 三个主要障碍是：很少有辅助技术可以帮助学生学习编程，这是计算机科学课程前两年的主要重点。 计算机科学课程中的科学和数学课程通常不会使用专门为这些课程设计的现有辅助技术。 大多数计算机科学课程的传统教学方法大量使用视觉图像和抽象概念，这些图像和抽象概念无法被视力障碍和某些学习障碍的学生轻松理解。 我们将开始，把我们的工具开发的重点放在视力残疾的学生。 然而，该项目的辅助计算机设备也将为行动不便的学生提供支持。该项目还将为有听力障碍和某些学习障碍的学生提供间接支助，因为将开发的活动和工具将提供信息的替代表示方式。 为该项目确定了三个主要目标： I. 为明尼苏达州东南部地区建立一个高质量，无障碍的计算机科学学位课程，可以作为该国其他计算机科学课程的典范。 这将是重要的是，这第一个程序是高质量的，所以毫无疑问，该计划的毕业生是任何低于其他计算机科学家的资格，它可以作为一个有效的模式，在该国的其他程序。 二. 发展明尼苏达州高中残疾学生，以及他们的辅导员，教师和家长，在大学主修计算机科学的机会的认识。 这将是必要的，积极招募学生进入该计划在开始。 然而，随着这些学生成功地通过该计划，主修计算机科学将能够被视为未来高中残疾学生的现实可能性。 三. 提高认识，为所有的学生和教师在节目中，在计算残疾人所面临的障碍。 随着计算机科学家越来越意识到这些障碍，他们将能够更好地设计从一开始就可以访问的未来软件程序。

The intent of this project is to develop a barrier-free computer science program that is accessible to students with disabilities. Computer Science is a popular major choice for high school students with disabilities planning to go to college. The number of Computer Science majors at the college level has increased significantly, but few students with disabilities are among these computer science majors. A number of barriers exist for these students in a traditional computer science curriculum. Three of the major barriers are: Little assistive technology is available to aid students in learning to program, the main focus of the first two years in a computer science curriculum. The science and mathematics courses of a computer science curriculum are usually not set up to use existing assistive technology that is specifically designed for these kinds of classes. The traditional ways that most computer science courses are taught make heavy use of visual images and abstractions that cannot be easily interpreted by students with visual disabilities and some learning disabilities. We will begin by focusing our tool development on students with visual disabilities. The assistive computer equipment for the project, however, will also support students with limited mobility disabilities. The project will also tangentially support students with hearing and some learning disabilities since the activities and tools to be developed will offer alternative representations of information. Three major goals have been identified for the project: i. Build a high quality, barrier-free, computer science degree program for the southeast region of Minnesota that can serve as a model for other computer science programs in the country. It will be important for this first program to be of high quality so there is no question that graduates of the program are any less qualified than other computer scientists, and it can serve as a valid model for other programs in the country. ii. Develop awareness among Minnesota high school students with disabilities, as well as their counselors, teachers, and parents, of the opportunity to major in computer science in college. It will be necessary to actively recruit students into the program in the beginning. As these students successfully move through the program, however, majoring in Computer Science will be able to be seen as a realistic possibility for future high school students with disabilities. iii. Increase awareness, for all students and faculty in the programs, of barriers faced in computing by people with disabilities. As computer scientists become more aware of these barriers, they will be better able to design future software programs that are accessible from the start.