Tangible Programming Environment Targeted for Students who are Visually Impaired

随着计算成为科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)实践中不可或缺的一部分，STEM+计算计划寻求推动应用研究，将计算思维和计算活动整合到学科科学、技术、工程和数学教与学中，从高中到幼儿教育(Pre K-12)。目前还没有无障碍解决方案，允许盲人和视障学习者使用新的高度可视化的编程语言，这些语言是无处不在的，专门设计用于提高有视力的学生的参与度和学习计算机编程的简易性。这个由弗吉尼亚联邦大学和史密斯-凯特尔韦尔研究所提出的项目的目的是为编程环境提供一个新的界面“tSCRATCH”，使视障学生能够从事计算和计算思维。这项工作有可能改善所有学生的计算机编程学习，但将特别侧重于为视障人士提供平等和共享的机会。学习方法是为学习应用程序Scratch开发一个非视觉界面，该界面考虑了触觉(物理)和听觉系统的优势和劣势。该项目将由Praxis Associates进行评估，他们将向项目团队提供关于该项目的持续反馈。这项工作有可能改善所有学生的计算机编程学习，但它将侧重于为视障人士提供机会。方法是为Scratch开发一个有形的、非视觉的界面，考虑到触觉和听觉系统的优缺点。它将采用低成本的触觉瓷砖概念来表示程序命令，以及网格表面和其他组织结构，以确保可以创建中等复杂性的程序。该方法的一个关键方面是允许用户作为一个组来操作命令，以实现信息的组块(即，分组为一个整体)，以便于操作和认知理解。多媒体教学材料将由专家开发，教授视障学生计算机编程。此外，这项干预将通过在计算机训练营类型的环境中使用tScratch原型来探索tScratch在主流教室中与Scratch一起使用的可能性。对干预措施的评估将考虑盲人和有视力的学生在应用编程概念、分享团队合作、彼此的观点以及对计算机科学的看法方面的能力变化。

As computing has become integral to the practice of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), the STEM+Computing program seeks to advance applied research integrating computational thinking and computing activities within disciplinary science, technology, engineering, and mathematics teaching and learning in early childhood education through high school (preK-12). There is currently no accessibility solution that allows blind and visually impaired learners use of the new highly visual programming languages that are ubiquitous and which are specifically designed to improve sighted students' engagement and ease of learning computer programming. The aim of this proposed project, by Virginia Commonwealth University and Smith-Kettlewell Institute, is to provide a new interface "tSCRATCH" for the programming environment to enable visually impaired students to be engaged in computation and computational thinking. This work has the potential to improve learning of computer programming for all students, but will particularly focus on providing equal and shared access to individuals who are visually impaired. The learning approach is to develop a non-visual interface for a learning application, Scratch, that takes into account the strengths and weaknesses of the haptic (physical) and auditory systems. The project will be evaluated by Praxis Associates, who will provide ongoing feedback on the project to the project team. This work has the potential to improve learning of computer programming for all students, but it will focus on providing access to individuals who are visually impaired. The approach is to develop a tangible, non-visual interface for Scratch that takes into account the strengths and weaknesses of the haptic and auditory systems. It will adapt a low-cost tactile tile concept to represent program commands, along with a grid surface and other organizational structures, to ensure that programs of moderate complexity can be created. A key aspect of the approach is to allow users to manipulate commands as a group to enable chunking (i.e., grouping into a whole) of information for ease of manipulation and cognitive understanding. Multi-media instructional material will be developed by experts in teaching students computer programming who are visually impaired. Further, this intervention will explore the possibility of tScratch to be used alongside of Scratch in mainstream classrooms by the use of the tScratch prototype in a computer camp type setting. The assessment of the intervention will consider the change in both blind and sighted students' ability to apply programming concepts, share in teamwork, views of each other, and views of computer science.