Facilitating learning resource retrieval for students with disabilities through an ontology-driven and disability-aware Virtual Learning Environment

Nganji, Julius T.; Brayshaw, Michael

Abstract

Existing virtual learning environments VLEs in educational institutions are not designed with the expectation that students with disabilities will use them. Consequently, retrieving relevant information by some students with disabilities is a challenging task. The focus of this study was to propose the design of VLEs to incorporate ontologies that facilitate information retrieval by students with disabilities in their learning, thus serving as a semantic web-based assistive technology in education. An Ontology-Driven Disability-Aware Personalised E-Learning System ONTODAPS was designed and then used to recommend specific learning materials to learners based on their learning goal and disability type. Preliminary results of the evaluation of ONTODAPS, by 30 students with disabilities, indicate that 70% of the participants found ONTODAPS to offer a better personalisation, better access to learning materials 68% and is easier to use 63% in retrieving learning materials than Sakai. Thus ONTODAPS serves as an assistive tool in their education through retrieval of relevant learning materials in a suitable format which is compatible with their disability.

Citation

Nganji, J. T., & Brayshaw, M. (2015). Facilitating learning resource retrieval for students with disabilities through an ontology-driven and disability-aware Virtual Learning Environment. International Journal of Information Retrieval Research, 5(3), 75-98. https://doi.org/10.4018/IJIRR.2015070105

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: 2015-07
• Deposit Date: Sep 6, 2019
• Print ISSN: 2155-6377
• Publisher: IGI Global
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 5
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 75-98
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4018/IJIRR.2015070105
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/2615634
• Publisher URL: https://www.igi-global.com/article/facilitating-learning-resource-retrieval-for-students-with-disabilities-through-an-ontology-driven-and-disability-aware-virtual-learning-environment/132503