• International Journal of Computer Science & Network Security
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.258-268
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• 2021

Online learning systems are becoming an effective educational medium for many universities. The accessibility of online learning system in universities means that every student, including the visually impaired, is able use all the site's services. This research focuses on investigating the accessibility of online learning systems for visually impaired users. The paper purpose is to understand the perception of visually impaired undergraduate students towards Blackboard's accessibility and to make recommendations for a new Blackboard design with accessible features that support their needs. Impact of a new Blackboard design with accessible features on visually impaired students, using Taif University students as a case study is evaluated in this paper, as it is similar to most learning systems used by Saudi universities. A study on Taif University's utilization of Blackboard was conducted using mixed method approaches (an automatic tool and a user study). In the first phase, Taif's use of Blackboard was evaluated by the web accessibility tool called AChecker. In the second phase, we conducted a user study to verify previously discovered accessibility challenges to fully assess them according to the accessibility and usability guidelines. In this study, the accessibility of Taif University's Blackboard was evaluated by thirteen visually impaired undergraduate students. The results of the study show that Blackboard has accessibility issues, which are confusing navigation, incompatibility with assistive technologies, untitled pages or parts, unclear identification for visual elements, and inaccessible PDF files. This paper also introduces a set of recommendations that aim to improve the accessibility of Blackboard and other educational websites developed for this population. It also highlights the serious need for universities to enhance web accessibility for online learning systems for students with disabilities.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.61 no.5
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• pp.277-285
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• 2017

The purpose of this study is to investigate the perspective of pre-service chemistry teachers on the learning situations of visually impaired students through scientific inquiry in a darkroom and to propose a teaching and learning method for students with visual impairments. Twenty-one pre-service chemistry teachers from college of education in Gyeongbuk were encouraged to explore individually hands-on model for the molecular structure of ice freely, and had a discussion with a one of the researchers during the activity. All the conversation and discussion were audio-taped and transcribed for analysis. As a result, pre-service chemistry teachers realized that learning situation of the visually impaired students was quite different with their perception while exploring and figuring out hands-on model of the molecular structure of ice in the darkroom. They already learned and could see this model by themselves but also recognized that visually impaired students had inconvenience and difficulty in learning science concepts. Based on these reflections, some pre-service chemistry teachers suggested directions for modification to fit visually impaired students' needs more.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Costume
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• v.66 no.6
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• pp.95-109
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• 2016

The process of making fashion accessories brings many benefits to visually impaired people. It helps the development of their tactile sensation, improves their aesthetic attitude, creativity, and imagination, and brings energy to their life. The current accessory making education in Korea is targeted to people with normal vision, and does not reflect the specific needs of the visually impaired. This causes a lot of trouble in educating the visually impaired. Therefore, this study aims to increase the efficiency of accessory making education by selecting curriculum and material that are appropriate and systematic for the visually impaired. In order to understand visual impairment, literature review was conducted to examine the definition and classifications of the impairment. Research was also done regarding material types and production method of fashion accessory. The study also designed an education program, including teaching guidelines, by referring to literature related to fashion accessory design, teaching guideline. The study conducted 12 experiments based on the results from April to June 2014. After revising and supplementing the teaching method, 2nd set of experiments were conducted from July to September 2014. Each class lasted for one and a half hour every week, and the class was composed of 6 students, 1 instructor and 1 volunteer. After each class, interviews were done to collect student opinions about the curriculum and material. Total experiment results and interview were reflected in constructing the final education program. The result of the experiments and interviews showed that selecting the accessory materials for class must be selected carefully. The visually-impaired students were very sensitive to the size, texture, shape, hole size of beads and length of material. After the experiments, all the students were able to distinguish the size and shape of the beads well, and finished the accessories using the given materials. The study verified that there is a need for another approach when educating the visually impaired about fashion accessory design. Many factors need to be considered from selecting materials to class contents. This study will contribute as a reference to fashion accessory making education as well as other design education for the visually impaired.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.609-618
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• 2015

The purpose of this study is to investigate the perspectives of science educators on the learning situations of visually impaired students through scientific inquiry in a darkroom. Twenty-four science educators who came to the annual conference of the Korean Association for Science Education volunteered to participate in 'the scientific inquiry in the darkroom' activities. They were encouraged to touch models of 'the molecular structure of ice' and 'the structure of eyes' and to discuss with participants during the activities. Surveys were done before and after darkroom activities, and the discussions during and after the activities were recorded and analyzed. As a result, participants recognized that science education for visually impaired students is both very feasible and necessary. Also, some of them, who have had an experience of teaching blind students and thought that they fully understood the learning situation of the visually impaired, were especially surprised by the fact that they did not actually understand how it was like to be a visually impaired and responded that they were able to more deeply comprehend the learning situation of visually impaired students through these activities. Through this experience, participants also became resolute to try more deeply to understand not only the visually impaired students, but also sighted students with learning disabilities. Based on these results, educational implications of scientific inquiry in the darkroom were discussed.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.515-530
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• 2016

Recently an extensive study of the mathematicians who have overcome the visually impaired and contribute to the academic in math was published. In the case of Korea, we can find there are mathematicians who have overcome physical disabilities such as cerebral palsy and polio. However there is no example of blind person who majored mathematics to become a mathematic's teacher or professor and have entered any mathematics related professions. This let us to study the reasons that caused difficulties to visually impaired students majoring in mathematics. We also suggest ways that may help blind students to have access to mathematics intuitively. In this study, we propose a tactile mathematics textbooks and teaching manuals utilizing 3D printing which the visually impaired students can touch and feel. We can supply such materials to visually impaired youth, special education teachers and parents in Korea. As a result, visually impaired students will be able to access mathematics easily and can build their confidence in mathematics. We hope that some blind students with mathematical talent do not hesitate to major mathematics and choose career in mathematical professions.

• Journal of the Korea Computer Graphics Society
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.99-109
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• 2020

This study was conducted to improve the education method for improving perception awareness of the visually-impaired. 'Hear me later' was designed and implemented based on VR content that allows the visually-impaired experience in the eyes and environment. The main target is from middle and high school students to adolescents in their twenties. It is consisted of a student, the user's daily life with waking up at home in the morning, going to school, taking classes at school, and disembarking home late in the dark. In addition, 10 quests are placed on each map to induce users' participation and activity. These quests are a daily activity for non-disabled people, but it is an activity to experience uncomfortable activity for visually impaired people. In order to verify the effect of 'Hear me later', 8 participants in their early teens to early 20s' perception of visually impaired people was measured through pre and post evaluation of VR contents experience. In order to verify the effect of'Hear me later', 8 participants in their early teens to early 20s' perception of visually impaired people was measured through pre-post evaluation of VR experiences. As a result, it was found that in the post-evaluation of VR contents experience, the perception of the visually impaired was increased by 30% compared to the pre-evaluation. In particular, misunderstandings and changes in prejudice toward the visually impaired were remarkable. Through this study, the possibility of a VR-based disability experience education program that can freely construct space-time and maximize the experience was verified. In addition, it laid the foundation to expand it to various fields of improvement of the disabled.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.18 no.8
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• pp.36-50
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• 2018

The subjects of this study are three visually-impaired undergraduates currently considering if they should take a leave of absence after finishing the first year in S University located in Busan City. From March to July, 2018, this researcher explored the meaning of their university entrance and the essential meaning and structure of their school life experiences by using Giorgi's phenomenological methodology. According to the results, this author drew 32 meaningful statements and also 10 main themes, "the excitement of campus life and the name of being an undergraduate", "parents' suggestion", "something other than being a massager", "Is it a place that anyone can enter? Or, is it a special place?", "loneliness within the public", "Everything is an obstacle.", "It's not giving up, but still I am in a vague moment.", "the beginning of another conflict", and "studying in a university is not for the present but for the future". They were categorized into being a university student and the meaning of it (category1), adaptation to university life and reality (category 2), and one year after the entrance: the meaning of being a university student (category 3). Based on the above results, this author intends to provide foundational material about what universities can do for visually-impaired students to adapt to university life in the initial steps properly.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Educational Facilities
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.19-28
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• 2014

Student halls and their convenient facilities have been a focal point for various student activities at university campus. It has been for most of the student a place of unique memories and of attachment often associated with those good and bad school days. However, it is questionable whether these facilities are supportive and accessible for all of the students and other users including the handicapped. Therefore, based on the concept of UD(universal design) which was widely applied to U.S. institutions, this study intended to evaluate student hall facilities in U.S. and to provide an improvement direction for Korean UD application. For that purpose, four universities were selected for an in-depth analysis and 76 survey indices were utilized based on previous research. It was found that (1) design consideration without braille sign for VIP(visually impaired person) in student buildings can be differently approached with electronic devices; (2) the best demonstration of UD in student buildings can be seen in spacious flat pathway, easy access through ramp and wide entry area, necessary for people in wheel-chairs, but used by all, implying an increase of the ratio of public space; (3) one of the good UD features is an attractive physical environment rather than institutional appearance, in which they ultimately will support and completely adaptable at optimal levels by everyone; (4) consistent maintenance and management maximize the potential of UD principles and minimize physical limitations.

• Journal of Korea Entertainment Industry Association
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.181-192
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• 2019

The purpose of this study is to look at the fun that high school students from blind schools feel in sports programs. A questionnaire was used to collect data from 10 out of 12 blind schools nationwide, including 122 male and 102 female students. Research tools are open questionnaires and questions are as follows. - Questionnaire: "Write down three of the most interesting things about sports programs." The data analysis was done with frequency analysis and the following conclusions were drawn. First, male high school students at blind schools are able to build up their physical strength in the area of competent factors (control-self) (23, 21.5%), in the area of competent factors (7, 77.8%) and in the area of motion-related factors (competition) (24, 15.1%), and in the area of non-execution factors (26, 37.7%), Second, high school girls with visual impairments did not respond in the areas of proficiency (control-self) because of stress release (25, 26.6%), in the areas of control-tain), in the areas of movement (competition) because they were able to do various exercises (22, 15.7%), and in the areas of non-watering (environmental) (18, 37.5%). Third, in the sports program comparative analysis of high school students between genders of blind schools, boys are interested in health and physical fitness in the field of competent factors (control-self) and girls are considered to be a means of relieving stress. In the field of competent factors (control-others), boys and girls can react to a variety of sports opportunities. In the future, by studying the fun of students in the physical education program through research to find out more fun in the school physical education program, we will explore practical ways to maximize student participation and increase motivation level The educational aspect of the process, that is, the educational value provided by the physical education, should be composed of content that can change the thinking and behavior of the teacher and the student so that the program contents and operation method.