Speaking Math — A Voice Input, Speech Output Calculator for Students with Visual Impairments

Abstract

This project explored a newly developed computer-based voice input, speech output (VISO) calculator. Three high school students with visual impairments educated at a state school for the blind and visually impaired participated in the study. The time they took to complete assessments and the average number of attempts per problem were recorded when they used the VISO calculator and their typical individualized method of calculation. The results indicated that the time to complete assessments and the average number of attempts per problem decreased as the students continued to use the VISO calculator. Students reported positive perceptions of the calculator, particularly noting the independence it provided as compared to their typical means of calculation. Implications for practice, limitations of the study, and future research directions are discussed.

Assistive technology for students with visual disability in schools for the blind in Delhi

“…People with visual loss require assistive devices for a wide range of their activities including daily living, education and employment [7], [8], [9]. These assistive technologies range from low technology devices such as a large print book to specialized computer software [10].…”

Digital learning in mathematics for students with severe visual impairment: A systematic review

“…The results of our review show that digital textbooks and aural feedback have become essential in learning technologies for students with visual impairments, as audio was applied in nine of the 13 studies (Beal et al, 2011; Bouck et al, 2011; Bouck & Weng, 2014; Bouck et al, 2016; Hansen, Shute, & Landau, 2010; Huang, Chiu, Hwang, & Wang, 2015; Isaacson et al, 2010; Landau et al, 2003; Sánchez & Flores, 2005). The application areas varied from completely replacing Braille literacy to additional media and to tactile reading.…”

“…When studying spatial performance, such as in geometry tasks, it is important to know the onset of visual disability because students who have had visual experience for only one year or less in childhood have considerable advantage in looking at and perceiving shapes (Millar, 2008). The age of onset of the visual condition is only adequately described in two articles (Leo et al, 2017;Oliveira et al, 2012), and only four studies reported eye diagnoses (Bateman et al, 2018;Bouck et al, 2011;Bouck et al, 2016;Leo et al, 2017).…”

“…When studying spatial performance, such as in geometry tasks, it is important to know the onset of visual disability because students who have had visual experience for only 1 year or less in childhood have considerable advantage in looking at and perceiving shapes (Millar, 2008). The age of onset of the visual condition is only adequately described in two articles (Leo, Cocchi, & Brayda, 2017; Oliveira, Quek, Cowan, & Fang, 2012), and only four studies reported eye diagnoses (Bateman et al, 2018; Bouck, Flanagan, Joshi, Sheikh, & Schleppenbach, 2011; Bouck, Weng, & Satsangi, 2016; Leo et al, 2017). The diversity of eye pathologies implies that students differ in their preferences and possibilities concerning their choice of informatic tools (Carrière, 2012).…”

“…The addition of an audio function to the device can be Audio added to the device can be a medium to provide information on visual mathematical phenomena, and to enhance learning and cognition. However, more knowledge is needed about how cognitive processes are activated in order to comprehend an auditory text, not least a mathematical text, and about effective navigational strategies using text-to-speech technologies (Argyropoulos et al, 2019) The results of our review show that digital textbooks and aural feedback have become essential in learning technologies for students with visual impairments, as audio was applied in 9 of the 13 studies (Beal et al, 2011;Bouck et al, 2011;Bouck & Weng, 2014;Bouck et al, 2016;Hansen et al, 2010;Huang et al, 2015;Isaacson et al, 2010;Landau et al, 2003;Sánchez & Flores, 2005). The application areas varied from completely replacing Braille literacy to additional media and to tactile reading.…”