Abstract

The aim of the project is to study models and implement proactive agents to support the concept learning process of visually impaired and sighted children. To achieve this goal, the project scaffolds children's learning and play by providing them with a networked multimodal environment where each child receives support from proactive software agents populating the environment. Each agent models and scaffolds a child with respect to his/her personal traits and capabilities. The system supports collaboration in groups consisting of disabled and sighted children giving children possibilities to common social interaction and activities. The final goal of the project will result in creating and disseminating knowledge that enables equal participation and collaboration of children with special needs in pre-school groups.

Keywords: proactive software agents, multimodal user interfaces, exploratory learning, user interfaces for the disabled

Web page: http://www.uta.fi/proact

Site visits: 13 May 2003, 14 May 2004

Consortium

• Professor Marjatta Kangassalo, University of Tampere
• Professor Roope Raisamo, University of Tampere

Contact information and coordinator

Professor Marjatta Kangassalo, University of Tampere