Orly Lahav

Web-based Learning Environments: Current Pedagogical and Technological State

Abstract The Web is a firmly established, though virtual, reality. Educators, well aware of the potential of We technology, have adopted it for creating new Web-based learning environments. This article presents a study of the characteristics of Web sites as teaching and learning environments. The major questions addressed in this study were: 1. What characterizes educational Web sites at the content, teaching, learning, and communication levels?2. How do key teaching and learning issues appearing on educational Web sites relate to educators’ expectations from the new technology?3. What can a consideration of the current state of affairs teach us about further development and implementation of educational Web sites? To answer these questions we developed a classification scheme (the Taxonomy of WBLE); implemented it for the study of 436 educational Web sites focusing on mathematics, science, and technology learning; and elaborated on practical implications of the study’s results. The overall picture we have unveiled may sound disappointing, and it can be summarized as “one step ahead for the technology, two steps back for the pedagogy.” But a thoughtful discussion of the results suggests directions for the research and development of novel Web-based educational models. Results indicate that many educational Web sites are still predominantly text-based and do not yet exhibit evidence of current pedagogical approaches (e.g., use of inquiry-based activities, application of constructivist learning principles, and use of alternative evaluation methods). Suggestions for future WBLE development are provided.

Haptic-feedback support for cognitive mapping of unknown spaces by people who are blind

Mental mapping of spaces is essential for the development of efficient orientation and mobility skills. Most of the information required for this mental mapping is gathered through the visual channel. People who are blind lack this information, and in consequence, they are required to use compensatory sensorial channels and alternative exploration methods. In this study, people who are blind use a virtual environment (VE) that provides haptic and audio feedback to explore an unknown space. The cognitive mapping of the space based on the VE and the subjects ability to apply this map to accomplish tasks in the real space are examined. Results show clearly that a robust and comprehensive map is constructed, contributing to successful performance in real space tasks.

Blind persons' acquisition of spatial cognitive mapping and orientation skills supported by virtual environment

Mental mapping of spaces, and of the possible paths for navigating these spaces, is essential for the development of efficient orientation and mobility skills. Most of the information required for this mental mapping is gathered through the visual channel. Blind people lack this crucial information and in consequence face great difficulties (a) in generating efficient mental maps of spaces, and therefore (b) in navigating efficiently within these spaces. The work reported in this paper follows the assumption that the supply of appropriate spatial information through compensatory sensorial channels, as an alternative to the (impaired) visual channel, may contribute to the mental mapping of spaces and consequently, to blind people’s spatial performance. The main tool in the study was a virtual environment enabling blind people to learn about real life spaces, which they are required to navigate.

Exploration of Unknown Spaces by People Who Are Blind Using a Multi-sensory Virtual Environment

Exploration of unknown spaces is essential for the development of efficient orientation and mobility skills. Most of the information required for the exploration is gathered through the visual channel. People who are blind lack this crucial information, facing in consequence difficulties in mapping as well as navigating spaces. This study is based on the assumption that the supply of appropriate spatial information through compensatory sensorial channels may contribute to the spatial performance of people who are blind. The main goals of this study were (a) the development of a haptic virtual environment enabling people who are blind to explore unknown spaces and (b) the study of the exploration process of these spaces by people who are blind. Participants were 31 people who are blind: 21 in the experimental group exploring a new space using a multi-sensory virtual environment, and 10 in the control group directly exploring the real new space. The results of the study showed that the participants in the experimental group mastered the navigation of the unknown virtual space in a short time. Significant differences were found concerning the use of exploration strategies, methods, and processes by participants working with the multi-sensory virtual environment, in comparison with those working in the real space.

BlindAid: Virtual environment system for self-reliant trip planning and orientation and mobility training

BlindAid is a virtual environment (VE) system that enables blind people to more easily learn about new environments on their own. The system is implemented on a desktop personal computer with a Phantom? haptic interface and three-dimensional spatialized audio. In addition to providing blind users with non-visual stimuli similar to what they will depend on in the actual environment, the system is designed to enhance and accelerate the users understanding of the unknown environment by giving him/her the ability to interact with the VE in ways that are not possible in the real world. The BlindAid system was developed and evaluated as part of an experimental study related to how people who are blind build cognitive maps of their physical environment and how recent advances in VE technology might support orientation and mobility (O&M) training. The current system is able to provide a visual display and record the users actions in the VE for later review by researchers and O&M instructors. The paper focuses on the technical development of the system with some results from an initial evaluation by four blind volunteers.

A Blind Person's Cognitive Mapping of New Spaces Using a Haptic Virtual Environment

Mental mapping of spaces is essential for the development of efficient orientation and mobility skills. Most of the information required for mental mapping is gathered through the visual channel. Blind people lack this crucial information, facing in consequence difficulties in mapping as well as navigating spaces. The work reported here is based on the assumption that the supply of appropriate spatial information through compensatory sensorial channels may contribute to blind peoples spatial performance. The main goals of this study were: (a) the development of a haptic virtual environment enabling blind people to learn about real life spaces; (b) the study of blind peoples cognitive mapping of these spaces; and (c) the study of the contribution of this mapping to blind peoples spatial skills and performance in the real environment. The focus of this paper is on a case study of G, a 25-year-old late blind. The results were encouraging: G mastered the ability to navigate the virtual environment in a short time; after navigating, he generated a verbal description and a physical model of it which unveiled a fairly precise map of a space he did not know before; and finally G showed impressive navigating performance in the real space.

Newly blind persons using virtual environment system in a traditional orientation and mobility rehabilitation program: a case study.

This paper presents a virtual reality system (the BlindAid) developed for orientation and mobility training of people who are newly blind. The BlindAid allows users to interact with different virtual structures and objects via auditory and haptic feedback. This case study aims to examine if and how the BlindAid, in conjunction with a traditional rehabilitation programme, can help people who are newly blind develop new orientation and mobility methods. Follow-up research based on this study, with a large experiment and control group, could contribute to the area of orientation and mobility rehabilitation training for the newly blind. The case study research focused on A., a woman who is newly blind, for 17 virtual sessions spanning ten weeks, during the 12 weeks of her traditional orientation and mobility rehabilitation programme. The research was implemented by using virtual environment (VE) exploration and orientation tasks in VE and physical spaces. The research methodology used both qualitative and quantitative methods, including interviews, questionnaire, videotape recording, and user computer logs. The results of this study helped elucidate several issues concerning the contribution of the BlindAid system to the exploration strategies and learning processes experienced by the participant in her encounters with familiar and unfamiliar physical surroundings. Implications for Rehabilitation This case study shows that people who are newly blind can use VE simulation as part of their rehabilitation training. The ability to undergo training in the VE concurrently with the traditional O & M rehabilitation programme enabled people who are blind to practise O & M methods in the VE simulation and, through this, to increase their sense of control and confidence. The VE enabled the people who are newly blind to transfer their exploratory strategies and methods from the real space to the VE and back again to the real space. The VE can be used as a preplanning aid to explore unknown spaces in advance before orienting in the real space

BlindAid: A learning environment for enabling people who are blind to explore and navigate through unknown real spaces

In our everyday lives the fundamental role played by sensory systems, such as vision, hearing, and touch, is often taken for granted. Most of the information for the cognitive mapping of spaces used by people who are sighted is gathered through the visual channel. Unfortunately, people who are blind or have low vision lack the ability to collect the required visual information either in advance or in-situ. Indeed, for people who are blind an unknown environment can be unpleasant, uncomfortable, and unsafe even after extensive orientation and mobility rehabilitation training. In this study we developed a new virtual environment system for people who are blind to aid them in their anticipatory exploration and cognitive mapping of unknown environments. The two main goals of the study were: (1) to develop and assess an integrated haptic and audio virtual environment system though which people who are blind can explore a virtual map of an unknown real space and (2) to study the cognitive mapping process of people who are blind when using the virtual environment. The findings supply strong evidence that interaction with the BlindAid system by people who are blind provided a robust foundation for the participantspsila development of comprehensive cognitive maps of real unknown spaces. In conjunction with these results, the userspsila performance within the virtual environment supplied an assessment tool for orientation and mobility specialists. (Supported by a grant from National Eye Institute, NIH.).

A virtual environment for people who are blind – a usability study

For most people who are blind, exploring an unknown environment can be unpleasant, uncomfortable, and unsafe. Over the past years, the use of virtual reality as a learning and rehabilitation tool for people with disabilities has been on the rise. This research is based on the hypothesis that the supply of appropriate perceptual and conceptual information through compensatory sensorial channels may assist people who are blind with anticipatory exploration. In this research we developed and tested the BlindAid system, which allows the user to explore a virtual environment. The two main goals of the research were: (a) evaluation of different modalities (haptic and audio) and navigation tools, and (b) evaluation of spatial cognitive mapping employed by people who are blind. Our research included four participants who are totally blind. The preliminary findings confirm that the system enabled participants to develop comprehensive cognitive maps by exploring the virtual environment.

Rehabilitation Program Integrating Virtual Environment to Improve Orientation and Mobility Skills for People Who Are Blind.

This paper presents the integration of a virtual environment (BlindAid) in an orientation and mobility rehabilitation program as a training aid for people who are blind. BlindAid allows the users to interact with different virtual structures and objects through auditory and haptic feedback. This research explores if and how use of the BlindAid in conjunction with a rehabilitation program can help people who are blind train themselves in familiar and unfamiliar spaces. The study, focused on nine participants who were congenitally, adventitiously, and newly blind, during their orientation and mobility rehabilitation program at the Carroll Center for the Blind (Newton, Massachusetts, USA). The research was implemented using virtual environment (VE) exploration tasks and orientation tasks in virtual environments and real spaces. The methodology encompassed both qualitative and quantitative methods, including interviews, a questionnaire, videotape recording, and user computer logs. The results demonstrated that the BlindAid training gave participants additional time to explore the virtual environment systematically. Secondly, it helped elucidate several issues concerning the potential strengths of the BlindAid system as a training aid for orientation and mobility for both adults and teenagers who are congenitally, adventitiously, and newly blind.