Design and evaluation of a geometry learning application for visually impaired students

Studying and solving geometry questions are the most challenging parts of mathematics for visually impaired students (VIS). This study begins with the needs assessment to identify the needs of VIS, which shows that technology-assisted effective teaching and learning are not available for VIS to learn geometry. Therefore, this study focuses on developing a prototype in the form of a touch-based Android mobile application (GL Tutor), and finally evaluates the developed prototype in terms of usability. Touch-based interfaces were designed, developed, and evaluated based on usability goals (Effectiveness, Efficiency, and Satisfaction) following the ISO (International Organization for Standardization) guidelines. The usability evaluation assessed the interaction process between users and the application GL tutor. Two groups from Malaysia (6 VIS) and Bangladesh (10 VIS) participated in the evaluation process. The Effectiveness and Efficiency of the GL Tutor were evaluated through a practical test, whereas the Satisfaction was assessed through a set of self-tailored questionnaires after the test. The evaluation result portrays a significant indication of the acceptability of the designed GL Tutor; and therefore, can be helpful for the VIS to learn basic geometry.