Knowledge Database

• Slide Presentation for the lecture of: Pedro EncarnaçãoCatholic University of Portugal, Portugal

• Topic of lecture: Development of an Integrated Manipulation and Communication Assistive Technology to Support Academic Activities

• The lecture was given at Beit Issie Shapiro’s 6th International Conference on Disabilities - Israel

• Year: 2015

Development of an Integrated Manipulation and Communication Assistive

Technology to Support Academic Activities

Pedro Encarnaçãopme@ucp.pt

Project

UARPIE2013-2015

This is a team work...

Pedro EncarnaçãoGonçalo PiedadeMargarida Ribeiro

Al CookKim Adams

Luís Azevedo

Margarida Nunes da Ponte

Anabela CaiadoJoana Pereira

Teresa LeiteClarisse NunesMônica Silva

Alexandra Martins

Ana Londral

Motivation

• Play is the most prevalent activity in childhood and has a central role in child development, fostering learning of cognitive, language and social skills

• Through play, children reveal their internal emotions and cognitive skills

Besio, 2008; Ferland, 2005

Motivation

• Motor experience plays a critical role in development

• Physical and cognitive development are intrinsically related

• Early experiences shape development

Butler, 1986; Piaget, 1954

Motivation

• Play-like activities foster knowledge acquisitionSandberg and Heden (2011)

• Active participation by doing hands-on activities and communicating about them has a large impact on a person's retention of learning

Dale, 1946

• For learning math concepts, in particular, several authors stressed the importance of manipulation and of being able to “verbalize to internalize”, ask for help, or talk aloud so teachers can ascertain their level of understanding Bisanz et al., 2005; Ginsburg et al., 1998; Bley&Thornton, 1994

Motivation

• In Portugal, as in most countries today, children with special educational needs are, to the maximum possible extent, placed in regular schools

• In regular classrooms, students with disabilities should be involved in academic activities along with their typically developing peers, taking into consideration their individual needs

Motivation

• Physical disabilities and communication impairments can thus have a strong impact on children’s learning by compromising active participation in learning activities

Eriksson et al., 2007; Schlosser et al., 2000

Background

• Work by Kim Adams & Al Cook on access to Math activities for children with disabilities by controlling Lego robots via AAC devices Adams & Cook, 2014

Project UARPIE

• Goal: develop an integrated augmentative manipulation and communication assistive technology (IAMCAT) to enable children to manipulate educational items and communicate about their learning experiencewww.uarpie.anditec.pt

Project

UARPIE2013-2015

IAMCAT - physical

The robot is controlled through cells in The Grid 2 software communication boards. The

child interacts with the system through his/her computer

access method

Manipulation is via a Lego Mindstorms car-like robot with a gripper and a pen attached

Project

UARPIE2013-2015

IAMCAT - virtual

A virtual robot with virtual objects on a computer screen was also developed.Rationale: Decrease cost Facilitate the use by non

technical persons Facilitate dissemination

of the assistive technology

Project

UARPIE2013-2015

IAMCAT tests

• Nine children with disabilities integrated in regular classes used the IAMCAT to perform pre-school and first grade language, mathematics, science & social studies activities

• Before using it in the classroom, children were trained to control the robot using the IAMCAT

Project

UARPIE2013-2015

ParticipantsParticipant

Gender

Age (years)

Grade Robot Access method

#1 F 5 Pre-school level 3 Physical Direct (Track-ball)

#2 F 5/6 Pre-school level 3 /First grade Virtual Direct (Track-ball)

#3 M 6 First grade Physical Direct (Eye-tracking)

#4 F 6 Pre-school level 3 Virtual Direct (Track-ball)

#5 M 6 First grade Virtual Direct (Track-ball)

#6 M 5 Pre-school level 3 Physical Direct (Track-ball)

#7 M 4 Pre-school level 2 Physical Direct (Track-ball)

#8 M 3 Pre-school level 1 Physical Direct (Eye-tracking)

#9 M 3 Pre-school level 1 Physical Direct (Eye-tracking)

Project

UARPIE2013-2015

2013/2014

2014/2015

Training protocol

• Goal of the robot training protocol: develop the following skills– driving to any workspace location– picking and placing objects– using the pen to trace lines, and – communicating using the Grid system while

controlling the robot

Encarnação et. al. (2014)

Project

UARPIE2013-2015

Classroom sessions

• Participants used the system in their regular classes to perform pre-school and first grade language, mathematics, science & social studies activities

• A portfolio of IAMCAT-adapted activities was presented to the teachers for them to better understand the capabilities of the IAMCAT

• Activities were prepared with the participant’s teachers

Project

UARPIE2013-2015

Classroom sessions

• Activities were proposed to the entire class: each participant had the opportunity to perform the activities using the IAMCAT and his/her peers did the activities with pencils on paper or cutting and gluing, as required by the particular activity

Project

UARPIE2013-2015

Classroom sessions

• All necessary physical materials or the virtual scenarios were prepared by the research team (in one case by the teachers)

• In general, classes were conducted by the regular teachers

• The special education teacher or one of the researchers provided technical support for the robot, and academic and robot control support to the study participant

Project

UARPIE2013-2015

Classroom sessions

• Three classroom sessions were organized for each child, one dedicated to each curricular area

• Classroom sessions were videotaped• To evaluate teacher’s perceptions,

participants’ teachers were interviewed and a content analysis of the interviews was performed using the Atlas.ti® 6.2 software Roberts, 1997

Project

UARPIE2013-2015

Classroom sessions

Physical – driving through neighborhoodVirtual – solar system

Physical – choosing the answer &communicating

Virtual – placing apples

Project

UARPIE2013-2015

Results – teachers’ perceptions• The use of the IAMCAT by the participants

– Enabled the participation in the same activities that the other students were doing, though requiring more time to complete them

– Increased the communication with their peers– Contributed to accessing new knowledge and

to demonstrating skills– Had a significant impact in their social and

academic performance

Project

UARPIE2013-2015

Results – teachers’ perceptions• The use of the IAMCAT by the participants

– Contributed to their self-assertion within class– Contributed to a greater appreciation by peers

• The use of the IAMCAT by the participants’ peers– Helped them to realize the difficulties children

with disabilities have to face everyday

Project

UARPIE2013-2015

Results – teachers’ perceptions• Integration of the IAMCAT in classes

– Requires training regular teachers on the use of assistive technologies

– Requires a difficult balance between the attention given to child with disabilities, that needs more time to complete the activity, and the rest of the group. This was facilitated by the presence of another teacher or teaching assistant in class

Project

UARPIE2013-2015

Conclusions

• Teachers considered the IAMCAT a valuable resource that can be integrated in regular classes and that is compatible with the teachers’ curricular planning and management

• However they pointed out the need for proper training and for the presence of another teacher / teaching assistant in class

Project

UARPIE2013-2015

Acknowledgements

ContactsPedro Encarnação

pme@ucp.pt

www.uarpie.anditec.pt

References• Adams, K., & Cook, A. (2014) Access to hands-on mathematics measurement activities using robots controlled via speech

generating devices: Three case studies. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, 9(4), pp. 286-298.• Besio, S. (Ed.) (2008) Analysis of critical factors involved in using interactive robots for education and therapy of children

with disabilities. Italy: Editrice UNI Service.• Bisanz, J., Sherman, J. L., Rasmussen, C., & Ho, E. (2005) Development of arithmetic skills and knowledge in preschool

children. In J. I. D. Campbell (Ed.), Handbook of Mathematical Cognition (pp. 143-162). New York, NY: Taylor & Francis.• Bley, N. S., & Thornton, C. A. (1994) Accommodating special needs. In C. A. Thornton & N. S. Bley (Eds.), Windows of

opportunity: Mathematics for students with special needs (pp. 137-166). Reston, VA: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.

• Butler, C. (1986) Effects of powered mobility on self- initiated behaviours of very young children with locomotor disability, Dev Med Child Neurol, 28, pp. 325–332.

• Dale, E. (1946) The cone of experience. In Audio-visual methods in teaching (Vol. 1, pp. 37-51). New York, NY: Dryden Press.

• Encarnação et. al. (2014) Training on the use of an integrated augmentative manipulation and communication assistive technology for academic activities, Presented at RAatE 2014, Birmingham, UK.

• Eriksson, L., Welander, J., & Granlund, M. (2007) Participation in everyday school activities for children with and without disabilities. Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities, 19, pp. 485–502.

• Ferland, F. (2005) The Ludic Model, 2nd ed., P. A. Scott, Trans. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada: CAOT publications ACE.• Ginsburg, H. P., Klein, A., & Starkey, P. (1998) The development of children's mathematical thinking: Connecting research

with practice. In I. E. Siegel & K. A. Renninger (Eds.), Handbook of child psychology, Vol. 4, Child psychology in practice (5th ed., pp. 401-476). New York: John Wiley and Sons.

• Piaget, J. (1954) The Construction of Reality in the Child. Great Britain: Routledhe.• Roberts, C. (Ed.). (1997) Text Analysis for the Social Sciences: Methods for Drawing Inferences from Texts and Transcripts.

Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.• Sandberg, A., Heden, R. (2011) Play’s importance in school. Education 3-13: International Journal of Primary, Elementary

and Early Years Education, 39(3), pp. 317-329.• Schlosser, R. W., McGhie-Richmond, D., Blackstien-Adler, S., Mirenda, P., Antonius, K., & Janzen, P. (2000). Training a

school team to integrate technology meaningfully into the curriculum: Effects on student participation. Journal of Special Education Technology, 15(1), pp. 31-44.

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