Understanding Abstraction in Blind and Low Vision Learners
Author Information
Author(s): Anna van der Meulen, Mijke Hartendorp, Wendy Voorn, Felienne Hermans
Primary Institution: Leiden Institute of Advanced Computer Science, University of Leiden
Hypothesis
How do learners with visual impairments approach the computational concept of abstraction when using educational robots?
Conclusion
Learners with visual impairments engage in formal computational practices and use a mix of expected and alternative behaviors to understand abstraction.
Supporting Evidence
- Blind learners used tactile and physical behaviors to engage in programming tasks.
- Participants showed iterative actions of redesigning and debugging.
- Understanding abstraction can lead to better educational support for visually impaired learners.
Takeaway
Kids who can't see well can still learn programming by using special robots, and they often find new ways to understand how things work.
Methodology
The study involved observing nine children with visual impairments as they completed programming tasks with Bee-bot and Blue-bot robots.
Potential Biases
The findings may be influenced by the specific context of special education settings.
Limitations
The study focused only on learners with visual impairments and did not include sighted learners for comparison.
Participant Demographics
The sample included three girls and six boys, with three having low vision and six being blind.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Want to read the original?
Access the complete publication on the publisher's website