Desenvolvimento e avaliação de um material educacional tátil acessível para apoiar estudantes com deficiência visual no estudo de estrutura de dados

Abstract

Higher education courses in the field of technology are common choices among visually impaired individuals due to their frequent contact with assistive technologies, which provide them with greater autonomy in daily activities. However, this group faces many challenges at university, and the way classes are conducted in each subject may not be suitable for blind or low-vision students, especially when visual elements are used as the main or even the only teaching tool to address specific content. This master's dissertation presents research that seeks to answer the following question: "How can the teaching of Data Structures be supported for visually impaired students when visual elements are used as the primary teaching resources?" To address this problem, the research aimed to develop a tactile educational material to support the teaching of Data Structures for visually impaired students. Following the Design Science methodology, applied through the Design Science Research method, an artifact was created to facilitate the study of Binary Trees and some linear structures. It consists of a tactile educational material, produced through 3D printing, a usage guide, and two instructional sequences to support teachers. Data Structures professors and visually impaired students participated in the process through data collection, interviews, and questionnaires, as well as in the evaluation of the developed solution, which yielded positive results, meeting all identified requirements. It was concluded that the developed educational product can support visually impaired students in studying Data Structures, enabling the graphical understanding of structures through touch. However, institutions should shape their inclusion policies to encourage active participation of individuals with disabilities in seeking solutions for themselves, in order to promote and expand the implementation of satisfactory practical solutions.