Cognitive IoT Braille Game Design for Inclusive TVET in the Digital Era

Abstract

The incorporation of blind and visually impaired students into Malaysia's conventional Technical and Vocational Education and Training is constrained by insufficient inclusive infrastructure, assistive technologies, and specialised educational resources. This paper intends to fill this gap by creating a Cognitive IoT-Enabled Braille Board Game designed to enhance cognitive development encompassing memory, spatial reasoning, and problem-solving via interactive and tactile learning experiences, especially for TVET students. The work aims to create a prototype of a cognitively stimulating IoT braille board game for blind and visually impaired individuals. It involves creating a concept sketch, integrating the game with microcontroller programming, locking system, and sensors, and evaluating its performance in real-time by analysing blind and visually impaired individuals' cognitive skills. Results indicate that the game could enhance cognitive abilities in visually impaired communities, potentially promoting cognitive development via physical education and science and technology. It shows that the game can evaluate the effectiveness of a particular set of working-memory training tasks in an ecologically valid setting in the context of brain games.

Keywords: Cognitive Learning, IoT, Braille Technology, Inclusive TVET, Digital Education