Accessible Test
Tactile Town: 3-D O&M Kit
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Tactile Town: 3-D O&M Kit(formerly 3-D O&M Kit) (Continued) Purpose T Project Staff Karen J. Poppe, Tactile Graphics Project Leader Tom Poppe, Pattern/Model Maker Terri Gilmore, Guidebook Cover Layout Background Past research supports the efficacy of using interactive, three-dimensional models for teaching environmental concepts, especially to young children. From constructed 3-D representations, generalizations to the actual environment can be made. Realistic models allow information to be presented in small scale without the added complexity that simple raised-line images can pose for inexperienced, young tactile readers. The need for 3-D models for mapping purposes was expressed in compiled data from past field test activities and in the results from product-specific, on-line surveys. The need was also supported by multiple submissions of previously designed kits (e.g., Buddy Road Kit manufactured in New Zealand) for APH's review. In 2003, the project leader conducted an on-line survey regarding the need for a 3-D O&M kit. The survey requested feedback as to needed components if development of such a kit was undertaken. The results of the survey revealed the following:
In August 2007, with permission from the Product Advisory Review Committee, the project leader transferred the 3-D O&M Kit from "PARC-ing Lot" status to active development. The project leader and Pattern/Model Maker focused attention on the development of the prototype throughout the third and fourth quarters of the fiscal year. Notable activities encompassed the following: designing 3-D models of cars, pedestrians, and buildings; determining amount and structure of grassy areas, railroad tracks, roads dashes, and other manipulatives; tailoring components around a newly designed tri-fold Velcro board; acquiring commercially-available labeling materials; and authoring accompanying lesson plans. Work during FY 2009 The project leader and Pattern/Model Maker had the opportunity to conduct a Product Input Session on Tactile Town at APH’s 140th Annual Meeting. The session was well attended and participants representing teachers of the visually impaired, O&M specialists, and Ex Officio Trustees expressed great enthusiasm for the product and had lots of suggestions for additional parts and a toolbox-like storage container. Encouraged by the feedback, the project staff hurried to construct multiple prototypes for field testing purposes. Because of the complexity of the kit and the number of uniquely built pieces for each kit, prototype preparation occupied most of the first quarter of the fiscal year. Activities carried out by the project leader and Pattern/Model Maker consisted of the following:
Other pre-field test activities included reviewing the kit with two Orientation & Mobility Instructors at the Kentucky School for the Blind, who were so impressed with the kit that they wanted to participate as field test evaluators. The project leader also conducted a Research Department meeting attended by other project leaders and research assistants to review ways to acquire performance outcome data. It was determined that the project leader’s Skills Checklist could be utilized for this purpose. Identified field test evaluators were a blend of respondents to an APH Newsletter request for field test evaluators, as well as attendees of the Annual Meeting Product Input Session who had indicated interest in reviewing the final prototype. The number of respondents to the APH Newsletter posting was overwhelming, reaffirming the great need for this product. The prototypes of Tactile Town were shipped to evaluators on February 23, 2009. The evaluators were given until the end of May to use the materials with their students. With the exception of one, all evaluators returned their field test evaluation forms, along with three separate progress reports on each participating student over the three-month evaluation period. All of the field test evaluators were Certified Orientation and Mobility Instructors, with 72% having over 11 years of teaching experience; of those, 43% had teaching experience exceeding 21 years. They represented the states of Connecticut, Kentucky, Tennessee, Hawaii (2), Colorado, Kansas, Minnesota (3), California, Michigan, Texas, and Ohio. The majority (64%) of the field test sites were reported as “Itinerant;” 21% were residential settings; 7% were a combination of itinerant/residential; and 7% were resource settings. The field evaluators used the prototype with a total of 114 visually impaired and blind students. The student sample reflected a range of ethnic backgrounds: 61% were white, 13% were Hispanic, 13% were African American, 6% were Asian, and an equal percentage (4%) were either Native Hawaiian or reported as “two or more races;” and 3% were reported as “Other” (e.g., from India or Somalia). Nearly half (47%) of the students were braille readers; 25% were large print readers; and 11% read regular print. The rest of the student sample included non-readers, combination print/auditory or print/braille readers, and pre-readers. The students ranged in age from 4- to 21-years of age, with 13% between the ages of 4-6, 30% between the ages of 7-9, 19% between the ages of 10-12, 18% between the ages of 13-15, 15% between the ages of 16-18, and 5% between the ages of 19-21. The largest percentage of students (31%) were in grades 1-3; 28% of the students were in grades 4-8; 20% were in high school; 14% were preschoolers or kindergarteners; and smaller percentages were either post-high school/transition (4%) or unreported grade level (3%). Students reported as having additional disabilities represented exactly half of the student sample. Examples of other disabilities reported included speech/language impairment, autism, learning disabled, seizure disorder, cerebral palsy, and hearing loss. One hundred percent of the evaluators indicated that Tactile Town offered specific advantages over other available tools/materials for teaching orientation and mobility skills. Specific comments included: “The ability to customize the layout for the individual student’s needs, rather than a static/permanent mold of an intersection.” “The 3-D element was helpful for students who are still at the stage of developing the model/map to the real thing. Three-dimensional elements were easier to manipulate than two dimensional.” “Tactile Town offers so many different settings and scenarios…Using the Tactile Town Kit has broadened their [the students’] awareness and skills of traffic patterns in relation to real intersections they are crossing.” “It was great to have a kit specific to orientation and mobility instead of trying to make the components of the Wheatley Kit do the same things. It also offered the opportunity to make a bigger map of a larger environment—such as a whole neighborhood.” “It was helpful to have actual houses, buildings, “water,” and crosswalks that FEEL like they could be crosswalks, etc.” “It provided the transition from a real environment to a two-dimensional map that is often so difficult.” “It was more fun. It is colorful. It was easy for the children to manipulate, see, and read. There are more pieces and it looks very inviting.” With regard to ideal target populations, an equal percentage of evaluators (93%) thought Tactile Town was appropriate for preschoolers, as well as tactile readers in grades K-3 and low vision readers in grades K-3. Eighty-six percent of the evaluators thought it was appropriate for both tactile readers and low vision readers in grades 4-6; 71% indicated that it was appropriate for tactile and low vision readers in grades 7-8; 79% indicated it was appropriate for both tactile readers and low vision readers in high school; and 71% indicated that it was appropriate for students with multiple disabilities, blind adults, and sighted peers. These results highlighted the potential impact of Tactile Town on a wide audience of students. One-hundred percent responded “Yes” to the following questions posed on the evaluation form:
Over 90% of the evaluators responded “YES” to the following:
The only component receiving less than a 70% approval rating was the 2-tiered commercially-available storage container which some evaluators reported as not durable or awkward to carry. Specific ratings of each of the individual Tactile Town manipulatives, based upon a scale from 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest), yielded the following results from the evaluators.
Considering students’ reactions to the prototype as direct indicators of the expected usefulness and popularity of the kit, the project leader asked evaluators to comment on whether or not their students enjoyed using Tactile Town. One hundred percent of the evaluators responded “Yes.” Below are examples of actual comments received from the teachers: “Most of my students enjoyed Tactile Town. Some students would come to class early and find it and start playing with it/exploring it.” “Eight out of ten students cheered whenever I brought TT to their O&M lessons.” “The kids really enjoyed playing with the materials more that using it as tools.” “They enjoyed touching the pieces and manipulating the materials as I directed.” “They loved it and they said so. In fact, we had to create a chart on which students were on which lesson and they just begged me to come and ‘get me today’ just so they could use Tactile Town!”
The project staff will continue to make product enhancements based upon the field reviewer feedback. The project staff will prepare necessary hard tooling and related specification drawings that are needed internally and/or by outside vendors to mass produce the product. This information will be provided to Technical Research who will repeat the project leader’s and Pattern/Model Maker’s designs in the product specifications document. Tactile Town: 3-D O&M Kit is slated to be available from APH in July 2009. Yüklə 1,48 Mb. Dostları ilə paylaş:
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o provide a comprehensive kit of three-dimensional items that can be used for orientation