Contract Closed

Artificial Intelligence Software to Tutor Literary Braille to the Blind and Visually Impaired

NCSER

Program: Small Business Innovation Research

Award amount: $1,050,000

Project director: Benny Johnson

Awardee:

Quantum Simulations, Inc.

Year: 2011

Project type:

Fast Track

Contract number: EDIES11C0034

Purpose

Braille is the primary medium of written communication for persons who are blind. Prior research shows that Braille literacy strongly correlates with stronger reading habits and the pursuit of higher education, whereas Braille illiteracy negatively impacts students' academic performance and ability to navigate the everyday world. A recent report found that there has been a dramatic decline in Braille literacy since the 1960s and that in the last two decades the literacy rate among blind children has persisted at just 10 percent. This project will develop a web-based tutoring system to provide on-demand Braille literacy support to the visually impaired.

Project Activities

The main technological objectives include designing and implementing a user interface for dynamic Braille input and output, designing a rules-based expert system for the Braille curriculum, and designing a rules-based expert system to analyze student work and provide feedback. To assess implementation feasibility, the usability of the technology, and to gather data on the promise of the product to support student learning, a single-case pilot study will collect data from 50 students over 15 weeks. Outcome measures will include items from the Minnesota Braille Skills Inventory.

People and institutions involved

IES program contact(s)

Edward Metz

IES Research Scientist

NCER

Products and publications

Product Video Demonstration: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuB_eVnDp-0

Product: The web-based Artificial Intelligence Braille Tutor software will provide kindergarten through 12th grade students who are blind or visually impaired with on-demand support for understanding Braille code. Braille output will be accessible via a refreshable tactile display for blind users and will be visually on-screen for users who can see it. The tutor will either supplement existing curricula or be integrated within lessons, will support skills like spelling and vocabulary learning within existing literacy curricula, and will be for use in special or general education classes. Implementation will not require teachers to change lessons or materials.

Supplemental information

FAST-TRACK AWARD:
Phase I Amount: $150,000
Phase I Period: 6 months

Phase II Amount: $900,000
Phase II Period: 2 years

Questions about this project?

To answer additional questions about this project or provide feedback, please contact the program officer.

Artificial Intelligence Software to Tutor Literary Braille to the Blind and Visually Impaired

Purpose

Project Activities

People and institutions involved

IES program contact(s)

Edward Metz

Products and publications

Supplemental information

Questions about this project?

Questions about this project?

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