EchoVis Street vs Ballyland Code 3

EchoVis Street is a simple audio game, aimed for blind and visually impaired people. The main goal of this game is to present one of many possibilities of use the mobile devices to develop ability to use hearing skills by visually impaired people. We recommend sight persons also to try their skills in this area. This game consist several levels, each with a different traffic sounds simulation. The player's main objective is to cross the road in the virtual environment avoiding to be hit by a passing car or tram. This should be done in base of acoustic informations analysis arriving to the player's ears. Therefore, we recommend playing with stereophonic headphones connected to your smartphone and without looking at mobile phone screen. All of the necessary communicates are being read with use of text to speech synthesizer In our opinion, this application can be successfully used, for example, by spatial orientation instructors or trainers conducting training in explaining to sighted people the way the blind perceive the world. To reach this goal, we have planned to create 3 games in the EchoVis project boundaries - more information can be obtained on www.echovis.tt.com.pl website. We encourage you to provide us with your opinions, ideas, application functionality issues, etc. Watch out for speeding cars and trams.

“Ballyland Code 3: Pick Up” is a fun, educational app that introduces young students to Coding and Computational thinking on an iPad, including those who are blind or visually impaired. The app is a sequel to two previous Ballyland Code apps and offers a new coding challenge. Challenge 3 again involves a digital game grid with rows and columns, in which this time you need to code Wheelie, the car from Ballyland, to move around and pick up the frog, flower and coin. These three targets will be in a different position for each level of the Challenge. Coding the shortest route to pick them all up will test computational thinking and ‘mental mapping’ skills. A great learn-to-code app for all! Visit the Sonokids website sonokids.org for more information. Specifications: • Easy/Moderate level; • Audio Based Coding™: built-in speech, accessible coding interface, audio description, fun and meaningful sound effects, audio and visual (animated) on-screen coding output, mini audio-play; • No reading skills required; • No need to type code; • Unique accessibility for learners who are blind or visually impaired; • Finger gestures: Finger drag, Flick left and right with one finger, Flick down and up with one finger, Double tap, Three finger flick left; • “Black Curtain” option so everyone plays by ear; • Designed with feedback from children, parents and teachers; • Option to use Ballyland 3D printable tactile grid, moveable characters and objects for learning support (visit the website); • Use at home and school. Learning outcomes: • Computational thinking and basic Coding concepts and skills, such as breaking problem down in steps, sequencing, using coding commands; • Listening, Locating, Memory, ‘Mental Mapping’; • Orientation, spatial awareness on touch screen; • Navigating rows and columns in a digital grid (important for math!).