Potentials of the Tangible User Interface (TUI) in enhancing inclusion of people with special needs in the ICT-assisted learning and e-accessibility

Abstract

In the modern society, inclusion of persons with disabilities in the mainstream education is increasingly enhanced. The presented example focuses on inclusion of individuals for whom their learning environment is created and adapted according to their special needs and capabilities. In establishing the learning environment, the role of multimedia and ICT is important. Persons with disabilities are often disadvantaged in ICT and in participating in the classroom collaborative activities. The paper presents a novel interactive application utilizing tangible user interface (TUI) as an alternative input device for computer-supported collaborative learning and game based-learning. In the final part of our paper, we summarize the main findings and results of evaluation of our interactive game for the ICT-assisted learning of people with special needs often having them tested in a real educational environment. The findings indicate high usability of TUI for people with physical impairment and severe to mild learning difficulties for whom it enables inclusive ICT and e-accessibility. © 2012 Springer-Verlag.