The use of interactive tactile puzzle in Geography teaching for visually impaired students

A systematic literature review

Abstract

Teaching Geography to visually impaired students poses the challenge of presenting concepts that are abstract and that, initially, depend on the sense of sight for their understanding, in a way that these students can also assimilate those knowledges. For these students, the teaching-learning process is more significant when everyone involved in the educational process understands that the lack of vision, or its commitment, is not an impeding factor, it just requires creative strategies. Students who cannot see or who have limitations in their visual field demand accessibility in pedagogical practices and teaching materials, considering their remaining senses. It is through hearing, touch, smell and taste that this group interacts with the environment that surrounds him. Thus, it is of fundamental importance that these senses are used as channels of perception of disciplinary contents. The objective of the present work is to present a systematic review of the national academic literature on the teaching of geographic concepts of region and territory for visually impaired students using an interactive tactile puzzle. The method used was the systematic review of the literature. The works selected during the refining of the information founded demonstrate the space that still exists for academic production in the area of visual impairment in the educational context. The results presented highlight that there is a process that needs to be respected for the validation of educational resources aimed at the accessibility of subject contents for students with disabilities. It is extremely important that these artifacts be tested with specialized reviewers and the subjects for whom they are intended. Finally, it is emphasized that the accessibility of educational content depends on prior knowledge of the conditions and potential of its target audience. In the case of visually impaired students, the remaining senses must be considered when designing and constructing products that intend to provide meaningful learning for these individuals.