A Fully Accessible Arabic Learning Platform for Assisting Children with Intellectual Challenges

  • Moutaz Saleh
  • Jihad Mohamad Aljaam
Part of the Lecture Notes in Computer Science book series (LNCS, volume 8548)

Abstract

Children with intellectual challenges (IC) are growing up with wide exposure to computer technology. Computer software and assistive devices have the potential to help these children in their education, career development, and independent living. In spite of the current spread of the use of computers in education in the Arab world, complete suites of solutions for children with IC are very scarce. This paper presents a fully accessible Arabic learning platform for assisting IC children in the State of Qatar. The platform provides four main components which are divided into learning management content, multimedia educational tutorials, edutainment games, and ontology-based learning with the aim of enhancing those children skills, understanding, communications, and memorization skills, while overcoming their obesity problems. The effectiveness of the proposed platform has been tested on IC children, and the results show clear advances on such children’s learning capabilities and improved largely their performance.

Keywords

Intellectual Challenges Learning Assistive Technology Accessibility Multimedia Tutorials Edutainment Games Ontology 

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. 1.
    Dawe, M.: Desperately seeking simplicity: How young adults with cognitive disabilities and their families adopt assistive technologies. In: Proceedings of the ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI), pp. 1143–1152. ACM (2006)Google Scholar
  2. 2.
    Black, B., Wood, A.: Utilising information communication technology to assist the education of individuals with Down syndrome, Portmouth, UK (2003)Google Scholar
  3. 3.
    Lloyd, J., Moni, K., Jobling, A.: Breaking the hype cycle: Using the computer effectively with learners with intellectual disabilities. Down Synd. Res., 68–74 (2006)Google Scholar
  4. 4.
    Ortega-Tudela, J.M., Gomez-Ariza, C.J.: Computer assisted teaching and mathematical learning in Down syndrome children. Comput. Math. Down Synd. 22, 298–307 (2006)Google Scholar
  5. 5.
    Richardson, B., Leydon, K., Fernström, M., Paradiso, J.A.: Z-Tiles: Building Blocks for Modular, Pressure-Sensing Floorspaces. In: Proceedings of CHI, pp. 1529–1532. ACM (2004)Google Scholar
  6. 6.
    Lund, H.H., Klitbo, T., Jessen, C.: Playware technology for physically activating play. Artificial Life and Robotics 9(4), 165–174 (2005)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  7. 7.
    Karime, A., Hossain, M.A., Gueaieb, W., El Saddik, A.: Magic stick: A tangible interface for the edutainment of young children. In: IEEE Inter. Conf. on Multimedia and Expo, pp. 1338–1341. IEEE (2009)Google Scholar
  8. 8.
    Ichida, H., Itoh, Y., Kitamura, Y., Kishino, F.: ActiveCube and its 3D applications. In: IEEE VR, no. cube ID, pp. 2–5. IEEE (2004)Google Scholar
  9. 9.
  10. 10.
    Mayer, R.E.: Multimedia learning. Cambridge University Press, New York (2001)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  11. 11.
    Staddon, J.E.R., Cerutti, D.T.: Operant Conditioning. Annual Review of Psychology (54), 115–144 (2003)Google Scholar
  12. 12.
    Shaffallah Center: http://www.shafallah.org.qa

Copyright information

© Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2014

Authors and Affiliations

  • Moutaz Saleh
    • 1
  • Jihad Mohamad Aljaam
    • 1
  1. 1.Department of Computer Science & EngineeringQatar UniversityDohaQatar

Personalised recommendations