Projeto de Criação do Curso Tecnologia Assistiva para Pessoas com Deficiência Visual Aplicada ao Ensino: novas concepções para professores

Abstract

The inclusive process of students with visual impairment is still considered ineffective, in some cases, due to the lack of knowledge about the specificities of these people. It is believed that new concepts are needed, presented as relevant in this study, which are: Biopsychosocial Model, Assistive Technology (AT) and the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) for equal conditions for access and permanence). Given this assertion, the objective was to develop these new conceptions about the inclusive process of students with visual impairments in the initial and continuing education of teachers within the scope of the Federal Institute of Acre. To achieve this end, four specific objectives were pursued, which were: I) seek and build theoretical subsidies to support the development of these concepts in the initial and continuing education of teachers; II) to develop an action-research during the execution of two offers of the optional subject "Assistive Technology for people with visual impairment applied to teaching" in the Licentiate Course in Biological Sciences at IFAC, Campus Rio Branco to support the formatting of a training course initial and continued (FIC); III) improve the course's syllabus; and IV) as an educational product, format an FIC course for teachers within the scope of IFAC. For that, as a method, an action research was carried out on the occasion of two offers of a curricular component, with a sample of 28 employees, compulsorily selected from the condition of enrolled and, as a theoretical approach, the UDL. It was based on descriptive exploratory bibliographic and documentary research that gave rise to three scientific articles. During the action research, the data collection instruments were: semi-structured questionnaires, observations and records of teaching-learning activities developed during the two offers. The analysis of the results reveals that the internalization of these concepts by the teachers in training. can make a difference when it comes to planning and executing lessons, including different singularities. It also revealed that the development of activities based on the UDL was effective in achieving the learning objectives. It also indicated that the visually impaired people interviewed by the employees expressed the need to fight the capacity that arises through attitudes of prejudice and discrimination motivated by the existence of a normocentric pattern in society. With regard to the improvement of the discipline, the content was condensed, presenting at the end a solid menu with the most relevant contents to be developed in just one 45-hour course. In the final considerations, it is pointed out that the educational product elaborated from the experience with the discipline, which, according to the opinion of specialists in the field of visual impairment and graduates of the two offers, becomes extremely relevant and coherent with the existing demand, as well as corroborated by the Integrated Teaching of the EPT Network. Finally, it indicates the need to develop more research focusing on the themes studied, with a view to consolidating a truly inclusive discourse capable of facing the capacity and archaic pedagogical practices that disregard the multiculturality present in educational spaces.