vb960313.htm

The Computerized Braille Tutor: A Computer-based Braille Learning Program

G. Kapperman, A. Heinze, B.B. Hawkins, S. Ruconich

Abstract: The Computerized Braille Tutor is an interactive software tutorial, accompanied by a manual, that sighted persons can use to learn the literary braille code or to refresh their braille skills, either independently or under the supervision of an instructor in a braille course. The software presents 15 lessons that address different aspects of the literary braille code and include braille-translation and proofreading exercises and graded self-evaluation proficiency tests.

The Computerized Braille Tutor is a well-designed and thoroughly tested computer software program that a sighted individual can use independently or with an instructor's assistance to learn the literary braille code or to refresh braille skills. The software was not designed to be used by blind children or adults, since it does not include or produce tactile or auditory materials, nor was it designed to replace highly skilled teachers.

The Computerized Braille Tutor operates only on MS DOS computers (IBM compatible) with hard-drive capabilities-not on Macintosh or Apple computers-and is available on 3.5inch diskettes. The manual that accompanies the software contains installation instructions and user-friendly instructions on using the software. Developed under a federally funded project, the software is not copyrighted and hence is in the public domain. Therefore, users are free to copy it and to share it with others.

The software program can be used by any sighted person, including university students taking braille courses (as an instructional tool to provide additional practice and feedback), teachers of students with visual impairments who need to refresh their braille skills or to learn braille, rehabilitation teachers who work with visually impaired adults, and relatives and friends of persons who read braille. This article reviews current textbooks on braille for sighted people and computer-assisted braille-transcription programs, and then presents a detailed description of The Computerized Braille Tutor, its manual, and the results of field tests.

Textbooks on braille

Only a few textbooks have been used to teach sighted people to read and write braille. Usually, one of two texts is used to teach literary braille (the code in which most books are produced): New Programmed Instruction in Braille, Second Edition (Ashcroft, Henderson, Sanford, & Koenig, 1994) or Instruction Manual for Braille Transcribing (Dorf, 1984).

Since a review of the literature uncovered no studies on methods of instructing sighted persons in braille and there are only a few textbooks on braille for sighted persons, the authors also reviewed materials for teaching braille writing and reading to newly blind adults. Several teaching strategies are presumed to be effective with a diverse population of students (Weiss & Weiss, 1987). These include the following:

> 1. using only words for which the proper contractions (shorthand forms of words or parts of words) have been introduced

> 2. introducing short-form words (a group of letters used to represent a word, such as ab for about) during several lessons, instead of presenting all 76 short-form words in one lesson

> 3. providing practice in reading and writing braille.

Other, less commonly used teaching strategies that are presumed to be equally effective are the use of

> 1. short sentences (typically 6-8 words) during early writing lessons and slightly longer sentences (9-11 words) during later writing lessons

> 2. a simple sentence structure and language that is as natural as possible within the constraints of the contractions known by the end of a particular lesson.

DEFICIENCIES

Several deficiencies were found in these texts. First, although the texts provide some practice in reading braille, it is questionable whether they contain enough practice to allow sighted teachers of visually impaired individuals to gain the excellent braille reading and writing skills they need. In contrast, The Computerized Braille Tutor provides considerable practice in translating both print to braille and braille to print and in identifying and correcting errors in braille text.

Second, the texts provide no practice in proofreading (finding and correcting mistakes in braille text), yet proofreading is one of the most important skills that sighted instructors must have to give appropriate feedback to their students as well as to produce the highest-quality braille for them. The Computerized Braille Tutor includes proofreading exercises for each of the 15 lessons.

Third, although the texts include print sentences and their braille equivalents, none can provide instantaneous feedback on the accuracy of a symbol just brailled. Although instructors can give students quick feedback during formal braille classes, students who are learning braille independently have no opportunity to receive it, The Computerized Braille Tutor is the only instructional tool that can provide not only instantaneous feedback on the correctness of a person's responses, but also the opportunity to "try again" as often as desired before being given the correct response. It is commonly accepted that the availability of immediate feedback is a critical feature of the learning process.

The Computerized Braille Tutor software also offers an advantage over the use of braille paper in completing braille exercises because errors can easily be corrected. In contrast, it is difficult (and sometimes even impossible), especially for beginning braillists, to make legible corrections on braille paper, because erasure-whether with a wooden braille eraser, a spoon, or a fingernail-never obliterates a braille dot. Furthermore, the addition of one symbol to an already brailled line means the erasure and rebrailling of the entire line following the symbol, since braille dots come in only one size and cannot be made bigger or smaller.

Braille software

Braille transcribers have used computer-assisted braille-transcription programs to correct braille quickly and flawlessly. These programs designate six keys on the computer keyboard as braille dots 1-6. The user of such a program may press the three computer keyboard keys representing a braille "s" (dots 2, 3, and 4), for example, and immediately see the dot pattern for that letter on the computer screen. These programs, which have been greatly expanded since they first appeared in the early 1980s, have been used by sighted braillists with Apple computers (Holladay, 1981; Stepp, 1980), IBM and IBM-compatible computers (Blessum, 1990; Dozier, 1990; Sullivan, 1990a), and the Commodore (Hoefer, 1989). However, they simply allow braille to be transcribed using the computer; their purpose is not to use the computer to teach

The software developed by Ponchillia and programmed by Holladay (Ponchillia & Holladay, 1983) presented the first six lessons of the text by Dorf and Scharry (1977) using the Apple computer. In these lessons, students were asked to write braille equivalents of print sentences displayed on the computer screen. The program was Ponchillia's master's degree thesis and was never taken beyond those six initial lessons.

Hoefer (1983) based his program for the Commodore computer on the same text by Dorf and Scharry and used a format similar to that of Ponchillia and Holladay. Hoefer's program covered the first 10 lessons of the text. Although both programs provided instantaneous print feedback as each symbol was brailled and allowed for the easy correction of errors, neither program included braille reading or proofreading practice.

The third program, the Braille Teacher, by A. Welle (personal communication, January 25, 1995), is a computer-based tutorial that became available in 1994. It is designed for use on IBM and IBM-compatible computers only. There are two versions of the software: one version for use by sighted persons and the other for use by blind persons.

The version of the Braille Teacher for sighted people contains 10 lessons that describe all the rules of the literary braille code. In each lesson, a specific set of rules is described and the specific braille symbols are displayed graphically. After the user finishes reading the explanatory material, he or she can cause the computer keyboard to act as a braillewriter keyboard, with the s, d, f, j, k, and l keys acting as the six keys of the braillewriter modification of the computer keyboard. The user can then type as many lines of braille as he or she wishes. The lines of braille scroll to the top of the screen as the user produces braille. The Braille Teacher does not include print exercises to translate into braille, reading or proofreading exercises, or self-evaluation proficiency tests. In addition, the user has no means of checking the accuracy of the braille that he or she has produced.

The version of the Braille Teacher for blind users presents only a narrative explanation of the rules governing the literary code, to which the user gains access by means of a speech synthesizer. No practice exercises are included in this version.

The Computerized Braille Tutor

The Computerized Braille Tutor addresses the numerous concerns just highlighted and includes many of the recommended learning approaches described earlier. It incorporates in the sequencing of its practice exercises and self-evaluation only those words for which the Grade 2 braille contractions have been introduced. It spreads short forms over several lessons, rather than presenting them all in one lesson, and spreads punctuation over several lessons, beginning with the simplest and most commonly used. The program provides practice in reading, writing, and proofreading, as well as a self-evaluation post-test for each lesson and feedback (both the identification of errors and the provision of correct responses) on the practice exercise and self-evaluation. Finally, the program materials (software, lesson content, and manual) were field tested by university students, teachers, and parents-both those who knew braille and evaluated the program as a refresher tool and those who did not know braille and evaluated it as a learning tool. In addition, some field testers were experienced computer users, while others were not. Input from the field testers was incorporated into the final version of the program.

PROGRAM SPECIFICATIONS

The program for all modules is based on Edgar (Sullivan, 1990b), software for MS DOSbased computers (IBM and IBM-compatible computers) that includes editing capabilities and braille-to-print and print-to-braille translation. The Duxbury Braille Translator tables underpin the software (Sullivan, 1990a). The Duxbury program is a highly regarded translator that is written according to the following specifications:

1. It is written in the programming language, C.
2. It includes an authoring language (an English-like set of commands) that allows a less experienced programmer to enter and format the print and braille and to modify the program as needed.
3. It displays an initial menu that provides immediate access to any module.
4. It designates the s, d, f, k, and l keys of the computer keyboard as braille dots 1-6 and accurately represents on the computer screen each dot combination that is entered.
5. It displays explanatory text and braille dots in yellow symbols on a black background.
6. It displays the braille line in its correct form when the user presses the F5 key.
7. It points out the errors that the user has made when he or she presses the F4 key.
8. It clears either the correct answer or the errors display when the user presses the F3 key.
9. It allows the keyboard to be used as a traditional computer keyboard during braille reading sections, so the user can type the print equivalents of the braille symbols he or she reads.
10. It includes simple editing capabilities, so the user can correct errors and move forward and back by line or character.

LESSONS

The order of the content of the 15 lessons was arranged with several considerations in mind. Although the sequence of the presentation of contractions is similar, in many respects, to that of the Instruction Manual for Braille Transcribing (Dorf, 1984), short forms, punctuation, and several other special signs are divided over several lessons and presented in a somewhat different sequence. In general, this sequence is as follows:

> Lesson 1: alphabet, punctuation and composition signs, and paragraphing

> Lesson 2: numbers and single-letter contractions

> Lessons 3-10: one-cell contractions, short forms, and additional punctuation

> Lessons 11-13: two-cell contractions and italics

> Lesson 14: specific signs related to numbers and money and brackets

> Lesson 15: additional formatting and measurement signs, outlining, poetry, headings, and page numbering.

Each lesson is divided into two to seven parts, with each part divided into four sections.

The first section presents the specific braille characters or contractions to be learned in that lesson, a discussion of the pertinent rules related to those characters or contractions, and examples. The second and third sections contain print-to-braille and braille-to-print translation exercises, respectively, which allow the user to practice reading and writing braille characters.

The fourth section includes proofreading exercises in which the user must identify and correct errors in braille text. At the end of each lesson there is a graded self-evaluation proficiency test (post-test) that consists of print-to-braille, braille-to-print, and proofreading samples.

The user can easily move within a lesson or from one lesson to another. For example, after the user completes the practice exercises, he or she can move directly to the self-evaluation proficiency test or review the material again if many errors were identified in the practice exercises. With a few simple steps, the user can also review material from an earlier lesson, if necessary, or having completed the self-evaluation for any lesson, he or she can retake it by going back to the appropriate menu and selecting it again.

FEEDBACK

This program provides the user with immediate feedback as he or she works through the practice exercises and the self-evaluation. Although it does not spell out exactly what kinds of errors may have been made, it presents several symbols that indicate where an error has been made and notes the general kinds of steps that must be taken to correct it. These symbols are easily accessed through particular function keys and include 1) D (delete), indicating that something was written that should not have been, usually spelled-out portions when contractions would have been used; 2) S (substitute), indicating that something must be substituted for what was written in that space, usually an incorrect use of contractions; 3 ) ^ (insert), indicating that something was left out that must be inserted; and 4) T (transpose), indicating that some type of reversal has been made.

For the practice exercises, one of these feedback symbols appears below each error. The user can attempt to correct an error and receive feedback any number of times before he or she decides to see the correct response by using a separate function key. For the self-evaluation, the user can also obtain feedback and the correct response and receives a calibrated percentage score on each posttest item and on the entire posttest performance. The percentage score is based on algorithms in the program, not on a one-to-one correspondence, and indicates generally how well the user has performed on an item or on the test as a whole.

USER'S MANUAL

The Computerized Braille Tutor is accompanied by a brief manual that 1) orients the user to the program and the lessons, 2) facilitates the user's efficiency with the software and content by providing specific tips and examples of various procedures that will be used often, and 3) provides user-oriented materials to guide notetaking and a means of recording progress throughout the program. For example, for users who have had little or no experience working with computers, the manual contains a section that thoroughly describes the process of "getting started." In addition, the manual describes the lessons and the feedback system, provides sample "walk-throughs" for moving around in the lessons, and presents several general tips for the user. It is intended to make the program as user friendly as possible. Furthermore, for experienced computer users who prefer to work entirely on a computer, the information in the manual is included in the program.

AUTHOR PROGRAM

For those who wish to tailor the program to meet specific needs or to maintain its currency, the program includes an Author component that is thoroughly described, including the procedures for using it, in an appendix to the manual. By following these procedures, users can change the content of any or all sections of the lessons. Although this component is written for users who have no knowledge of programming, some facility with DOS-based computer programs is useful.

Results of field tests

The Computerized Braille Tutor materials were field-tested by 10 persons: 2 rehabilitation teachers, 2 teachers of visually impaired students, 2 university students, 2 parents, and 2 rehabilitation counselors. In each category, individuals were selected to represent computer users and individuals without DOS-based computer experience, as well as those who knew braille and those who did not. During the field tests, 1 parent and 1 rehabilitation counselor did not complete the process, so the following discussion is based on the 8 persons who completed the field tests. Although the number was too small for a quantitative data analysis, a qualitative analysis of the responses yielded some useful comments. The primary discernible pattern among the braille users was a concern that persons who use The Computerized Braille Tutor to learn braille initially may benefit from additional practice or supervision. The participants' comments fell into the following categories:

- Data entry: errors related to entering information into the program materials. Sample comments: "Problem: plural subject, singular verb"; "Ultimatum was misspelled in the proofreading section"; and "How many characters should be on the line? I was able to split hob-by at the end of the line, but the correct answer did not."
- Programming: issues related to how the program was designed. Sample comments: "Corrections were difficult to make because of the cursor position"; "On proofreading, why can't there be alternative ways to be right?" and "A 'print screen' function would be great for learners to practice reading [embossed braille]."
- Content: scope and sequence of information, social sensitivity of the practice sentences, and the amount of practice available. Sample comments: "I would prefer 15 items on the practices and 10 on the tests," "I liked doing the paragraph style [proofreading]," and "Exercise needs more words using the 'gh' contraction."
- Presentation: issues related to the layout, structure, and packaging of the materials. Sample comments: "I like the yellow-onblack contrast on the screen"; "I think you should include with the program a sheet for each lesson with the dot numbers that will be covered in that lesson, so the person using the program doesn't have to write [them out]"; and "I did not understand the usage of the 'F' keys at first; this needs to be explained more clearly on screen for those of us who are computer illiterate."

- Miscellaneous. Sample comments: "It was weird to shift from writing braille to typing on the same keyboard!" and "I really was surprised how quickly things came back to me and how many contractions and short forms I had forgotten."
- Target population. Sample comments: "[This program] would be great for the 'no-braillers' to use in conjunction with a course where [more complex] rules could be explained face to face. I think it is fabulous as a refresher!" and "Might need more practice if learning braille for the first time."

Some of the comments required no response, whereas others were limited by the DOS format in which the program was written. For instance, although bold or highlighted characters might be useful for emphasizing sections in the explanation of rules for braille usage, the programming language used does not allow for this format. Some of the suggestions may be addressed in future versions of the program, particularly a Windows-based program with multitasking capabilities.

The following changes were implemented as a direct result of the field testers' comments.

> 1 .Data entry errors and materials that might be considered socially insensitive were rewritten.

> 2.The booklet was incorporated into the information section.

> 3.The explanation sections and print versions of each lesson were saved in ASCII format on the program disk to be printed or read (for example, by synthetic speech programs) as needed.

> 4.The program was revised to permit it to be installed on computers of various speeds.

> 5. When possible, proofreading exercises were written in story format, and procedures for accessing print copies of proofreading text are included in the manual.

> 6. Information was added to the manual on the meaning of feedback codes, the proofreading process, the layout of the computer screen, and more detailed requirements of the system (for instance, some virus-protection programs hinder the installation of the program).

> 7.The number of practice sentences was increased to 15 per section, with 10 self-test sentences per unit.

> 8.Student note-taking sheets and tracking sheets for monitoring one's own or others' progress were created. These changes improved the quality of the program materials and increased their applicability.

On the basis of these preliminary findings, research is needed to determine the possibilities for developing the following: multiple correct answers for proofreading, a full-cell braille-cell cursor, the calculation and tracking of scores, an ongoing log and analysis of errors per user for multiple users, possible braille-embossing capabilities, and improved font and graphic capabilities for the presentation of information.

Limitations and strengths

The Computerized Braille Tutor has some limitations. First, the system requires the allocation of 5 megabytes of memory on the hard drive and does not work well with some virus-protection programs. Second, although it is possible for visually impaired individuals to access the content of the lessons (to supervise others' learning, or as a simple review), the process for doing so bypasses the interactive feedback aspect of the program. Third, the program does not include or produce tactile or auditory materials. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that users supplement their learning of the braille code with hands-on experience with braillers and tactile braille under the supervision of skilled braillists or braille instructors. Furthermore, it is beyond the scope of this program to teach the important issues related to teaching braille reading and writing, nor is it possible for individuals to rely on The Computerized Braille Tutor as the sole preparation for becoming certified braille transcribers.

However, the authors believe that The Computerized Braille Tutor is a much-needed resource for sighted individuals to review and, in some cases, to learn braille. The strengths of this program include the incorporation of effective learning principles in both the software and content, such as immediate feedback; practice in reading and writing braille, and in proofreading; the division of large units of content into smaller, more manageable sections; and the sequencing of practice materials, so users are presented with words using contractions only after they have learned the relevant contractions. Although visually impaired individuals cannot use The Computerized Braille Tutor's interactive programming, since it does not produce tactile or auditory symbols, they can gain access to information in the lessons on a more limited basis.

References

Ashcroft, S.C., Henderson, F., Sanford, L., & Koenig, A. (1994). New programmed instruction in braille, Second edition. Nashville, TN: SCALARS.

Blessum, N. (1990). Microbraille 2 [computer program]. Thousand Oaks, CA: Micro Engineering.

Dorf, M.B. (1984). Instruction manual for braille transcribing. Washington, DC: National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped.

Dorf, M.B. & Scharry, E.R. (1977). Instruction manual for braille transcribing. Washington, DC: Division for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress.

Dozier, L. (1990). Pokadot [software]. Rochester, NY.- National Braille Association.

Hoefer, J. (1983). Bobcat [software]. Shawnee Mission, KS: Author.

Hoefer, J. (1989). Tabicat [software]. Shawnee Mission, KS: Author.

Holladay, D. (1981). Braille-Edit [software]. Madison, WI: Raised Dot Computing.

Ponchillia, S. & Holladay, D. (1983). Braille training program [software]. Madison, WI: Raised Dot Computing.

Stepp, R. (1980). Ed It [software]. Champaign, IL: Author.

Sullivan, J. (1990a). The Duxbury braille translator [software]. Littleton, MA: Duxbury Systems.

Sullivan, J. (1990b). Edgar [software]. Littleton, MA: Duxbury Systems.

Weiss, J.B. & Weiss, J. (1987). Braille: A different approach. Louisville, KY: American Printing House for the Blind.

The development of The Computerized Braille Tutor described in this article was sponsored by Grant No. H246F30005 from the U.S. Department of Education. The authors express their sincere appreciation to the staff of the Illinois Department of Rehabilitation Services for their cooperation in the project and to Erika Musser, of Chicago, for her tireless advocacy on behalf of braille readers.

Gaylen Kapperman, Ed.D., research scientist, Research and Development Institute, 1732 Raintree, Sycamore, IL 60178 and faculty, Northern Illinois University; E-mail: GKapper@NIU.edu.; Antoinette Heinze, Ed.D., research scientist, Research and Development Institute and faculty, Northern Illinois University.; B. Brucie Hawkins, M.A., instructor, Faculty of Special Education, Department Of Educational Psychology, Counseling, and Special Education, Northern Illinois University, Dekalb, IL 60115.; Sandra Ruconich, Ed.D., Division of Special Education, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO 80639.