SENSE

(The following information is provided by the school.)

Background

Caritas Jockey Club Lok Yan School (Lok Yan) is a school for children with severe intellectual disability, that provides education and rehabilitation services for hospitalised children with complex medical condition and multiple physical disabilities.  Lok Yan admits day students in recent year.  With the School’s 30 years of experience of conducting educational research to cater for learners’ diversity, the school emphasises the use of knowledge management strategies to develop curriculum, pedagogy and assessment methods to prepare teaching materials and to explore various teaching strategies that promote effective learning, such as multi-sensory learning and teaching and intensive interaction.

 

Highlights

Use eye tracker to improve the learning ability of students with severe intellectual disability

Most Lok Yan students suffer from speech and language impairment and multiple physical disabilities, eye movement is their only autonomous activity. In this regard, teachers introduced a new technology “eye tracker” in recent years, to help students to develop their potential.

An eye tracker is a device that uses eye movements to control the computer. Teachers subdivide learning steps according to students' abilities, set clear and step-by-step learning goals, set up learning ladders, and teach students at their learning paces.  Even students with the lowest abilities can start learning from sensory responses through this device, thereby enhancing their cognitive ability, establishing causal relationships, and strengthening their manipulation capabilities.

In the early stage, students learn regardless of correctness. The school’s self-developed software enables students to move computer images by their eyeball movements, so that students can perceive changes and establish causal concepts.  Advanced eye trackers can even support subject-based learning.  For example, in Mathematics, students use eye movements to place images in designated locations and establish classification concepts.  The eye tracker successfully stimulates students’ learning interest, enhances their learning ability and self-confidence, and as a result improves the quality of their lives.

Teachers have also explored the use of eye trackers in daily life. The school has tried to apply the eye tracker technology in our newly set up "Barrier-free Experimental Restaurant", letting students activate various household appliances with the help of the eye tracker. This technology helps to create equal opportunities for learning and development, promote well-being and independence for students with intellectual disabilities, and ultimately give them a life with dignity and quality. At the same time, the school is planning to invite students from ordinary schools to develop technologies for the disabled to use in restaurants and thus encouraging a more harmonious and inclusive society.