Education about Basic Principles of Computer Equipments for Visually Impaired Students using a Mobile Robot and a Mobile Phone

Abstract

In the information society, understanding of the basic principles of information technology is one of the common sense. To understand the principles, programming education is meaningful and useful in especially at beginners. Educational materials of programming targeted at beginners have many graphic components. Therefore, students with visual impairments could be less opportunity to learn introductory level of programming. Against this fact, we have developed educational materials of programming using a mobile robot. In this study, we took a questionnaire survey aimed to know interest of students with visual impairment in programming and a robot, and possession rate of portable devices. As a result of questionnaire, we considered that portable devices were used as familiar ICT devices by visually impaired students. On the other hand, we developed educational materials targeted at beginners of programming using a mobile robot and a portable device. Through both survey and development, we showed that students with visual impairments got to be able to learn the basic principles of information technology by use of the mobile robot and portable devices.