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Virtual learning environment for children with disabilities: A proposal based on MOODLE and content management with over the Top (OTT) technology

Abstract:

Nowadays the Learning Management Systems (LMS) are widely used in all educational levels (schools, colleges and universities). MOODLE, one of the most used platforms, had been registered in more than 76000 sites over 230 countries. However, the World Health Organization (WHO) claims that 5.1 percent of children worldwide have a disability. In the same line, one third of all children not in primary school are those that present disabilities. This situation becomes more complicated in developing countries due the lack of educational services and tools adapted to needs of children with disabilities as well as the poor connectivity of centers of special education to online resources. For these reasons, in this paper we present an approach to address three important aspects Virtual Learning Environments (VLE) as support tools for special education in Ecuador: the connectivity problems of centers of special education, the lack of online resources for children with disabilities, and the lack of tools to analyze the children and teachers perception about educational contents stored in VLE. Our proposal uses the Over The Top (OTT) technology and performs statistical and data mining analysis to provide support for decision making. The approach has been put to test with 26 children with different types of disabilities and has reached encouraging results.