CodeQuest vs Tactile Images READER

CodeQuest is an interactive game designed to teach coding logic to preschool and early elementary students. Students learn new skills as they navigate a series of grids that increase in difficulty as the game progresses. CodeQuest was created for use by blind, visually impaired, and sighted students alike, making it ideal for use by an entire class! CodeQuest is easy to learn. Players help an astronaut return to his ship by devising a series of commands to guide him. The solution with the least number of steps earns the highest possible score. The grids get increasingly complex as the game progresses. This allows for the introduction of concepts like sequencing and looping. In addition to all the game fun and coding concepts, students also benefit from the computational thinking used throughout CodeQuest. This includes the ability to: develop a solution to a problem; to recognize patterns and trends; and to identify the best among multiple possible solutions to a problem. Tactile graphic design files of the grids are available for download. Go to www.aph.org and search “CodeQuest” to find them. You will also find design files of three tactile grid boards and several manipulatives including the astronaut, rocket ship, alien, and arrow tiles that can be laser-cut or 3D-printed. Features: * Fun and easy to use for young students. * Fully compatible with VoiceOver. * Integrates fundamental coding concepts such as sequencing and looping into game play. * Allows students to work on orientation concepts including up, down, left, and right. * Motivates students to practice problem solving, planning, and computational thinking skills. * Great for visually impaired students to learn access technology through game play. * Great for blind students to practice tactile graphic reading skills.

Replicate the tactile learning experience at your own place & pace. Meet the virtual assistant that describes tactile graphics just like a specialist and allows blind people to study at home. This educational tool is part of the Tactile Images e-learning platform, where teachers and parents can find, personalize and create interactive tactile graphics, with audio descriptions. The Tactile Images Reader app teleports the voice and knowledge of the teacher at home. How? Let’s say that we have the tactile graphic of an African elephant. You will explore it with both hands, as you usually do, to contextualize. So far so good. But when you place the phone above the graphic, the magic happens. Just point at the ear of the elephant and the smartphone will tell you: ”This is the ear of the elephant. The ears of an African elephant are bigger than the ears of an Indian elephant because they help the elephants cool down by radiating the excess heat. The ears can also be used to communicate visually, flapping ears signifying either aggression or joy.” The descriptions are customizable and can be adapted to the specific needs of every person. The Tactile Images Reader mobile assistant empowers you to discover the world independently. It gives you the freedom to explore untouchable objects and study school subjects based on graphics, such as Maths, Geography or Biology at your own pace. Using this app feels like watching the Discovery Channel for the first time. How does it work? The app works only with interactive tactile graphics from our e-learning platform. Join for FREE right here www.tactileimages.org and get access to a Library of 800 tactile graphics with multilingual descriptions and drawing software that allows teachers and parents to create their own interactive tactile graphics. Download your first interactive catalogue for FREE https://bit.ly/Catalog_UrbanLandscapes, emboss the drawings and explore with the app! Remote teaching and homeschooling have never been easier for blind and visually impaired people! How to use? Position the phone above an interactive tactile graphic. The app will read the QR Code placed in the upper left corner and tell you the title of the graphic. Position the index finger on the Braille-written title (available for the tactile graphics in the Library) and the app will tell you the description of the graphic. Start exploring with both hands. The app will identify the position of the index finger and beep once when you come across an area with descriptions. Point the index finger if you want to find out the description of that area. Preferably, clench your fist and extend the index finger as if you were pointing to that area. Be steady for 3 seconds. The app will send you 3 beeps and deliver the audio description of the area. Additionally, you can touch the QR Code to listen to general information about the subject of the graphic. Features - Audio descriptions can be in these languages: English, French, German, Italian, Turkish, Romanian, Finnish, Spanish - You are free to personalize the descriptions of any graphic - Multi-sensorial learning - Mobile assistant (works anywhere: school, home, park, library, museum, city hall, train station, metro) - You can either hold it with your hand or use a phone holder (Gooseneck) - Modern technologies: AI, machine learning, interactive augmented reality, finger tracking This app was featured in the American Alliance of Museums http://bit.ly/exploration-at-museums and other 35 publications. The Tactile Images e-learning platform was financed by The Romanian Ministry of Culture, the Administration of the National Cultural Heritage, the Civic Innovation Fund, the Orange Foundation, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, OMV Petrom, ING Bank Romania, Microsoft Romania, Electrica SA. This app is created by the Urban Development Association, which has the mission to improve the life quality of blind children through education.