GARDE: Trackable Interactive Multimodal Manipulatives: Towards a Tangible Learning Environment for the Blind

New Mexico State University, Las Cruces NM

Investigators

Abstract

PI: Pontelli, E. & Cook, J. Proposal Number: 1401639 Title: GARDE: Trackable Interactive Multimodal Manipulatives: Towards a Tangible Learning Environment for the Blind Broader Significance & Importance This work targets visually impaired students engaged in math courses ranging from basic number sense to basic algebra and graph and chart modeling. This group is traditionally taught through the use of manipulatives, which are tangible objects that can be used to create mental models or "images" of important concepts in algebra, geometry, measurements, and science. With the availability of touch and finger manipulatives, learning math for the visually impaired has improved. However, the state-of-the-art still lacks a device that enables independent exploration, collaboration with peers (both proven to enhance learning), and general applicability to a range of mathematical concepts and related domain sciences. We propose the development of, TIMMs (Trackable Interactive Multi-modal Manipulatives). The TIMMs platform is independent of Braille, enabling collaboration with peers, and provides multimodal and real-time feedback to promote independent exploration and deeper learning of abstract mathematical concepts. The platform is composed of intelligent active blocks (that include a variety of sensors and feedback devices) along with an overall multi-touch tracking infrastructure. The TIMM platform includes middle-ware to access its features and APIs to facilitate the development of interactive applications. Technical Description It is well-known, and a national concern, that the future of the United States' lead in technology is presently threatened by the decreasing number of scientists and engineers that our educational system is producing. Much research indicates that the lack of math preparation of students entering college weighs into their decision to pursue a STEM degree and correlates to their successful degree completion in STEM fields. Although in 2007, about 33% of 8th grade students achieved at or above proficient rank in math literacy, for the same period only 7% of students with visual disabilities achieved such rank. The statistics confirm that visually impaired individuals are significantly underrepresented in STEM careers, both in industry as well as academia. While technology has become ubiquitous in the teaching of mathematics and science in "traditional" classroom setting - the same technology has not come to the aid of students with visual disabilities. Recommended curricula for traditional classroom teaching often rely on games and computer-based solutions that are highly visual and highly inaccessible to blind students. At the same time, the recommended math curricula for visually impaired students are still predominantly based on cumbersome and primitive manual manipulatives (peg-boards, magnetic Braille tiles, Braille blocks). The intellectual merit of this work lies in the unique characteristics of the proposed infrastructure, and the research in teaching and learning of the visually impaired that will be enabled through the availability of TIMMs. Unlike state-of-the-art solutions, TIMMs implements physical, multi-modal manipulatives with audio and haptic feedback, combining the best of both the physical and the digital worlds to promote abstract learning with real-time support and tutoring. Through simple, programmable interfaces, TIMMs can be used to teach a range of mathematical concepts (most solutions focus on a single concept or problem) that can be applied to several scientific domains. Because of the generality of the proposed TIMMs device, the potential user community impacted by this work is very large. 21.5 million Americans reported vision loss in 2010; New Mexico has the 6th highest percentage of population reporting visual disabilities in the US. Furthermore, the investigators have established relationships with several programs (Student Accessibility Services, New Mexico School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Math Adoptive Technology Lab) within New Mexico that serve at least 1,000 visually impaired students that will be impacted by this work.