Teaching life in nature with practical activities for visually impaired student

In this study, an instructional design model including ‘Life in Nature’ topics was prepared for visually impaired students. The ‘Life in Nature’ unit in the Life Skills Curriculum covers topics related to recognising living things and the natural environment, understanding human – nature interactions, and developing responsibility for environmental protection. In the instructional design model, activities and materials related to ‘Life in Nature’ topics were developed. This study was conducted as part of a broader design-based research project comprising four phases: needs analysis, design and development, implementation, and evaluation. The present article focuses on the design considerations underlying the developed activities and materials and their evaluation in terms of functionality and usability. Three visually impaired students participated in the needs analysis phase of the instructional design and one visually impaired student participated in the implementation phase. Data were collected using lesson and activity observation forms, semi-structured interviews, achievement tests, and video recordings. The findings indicated that the developed activities and materials supported the implementation participant’s learning and were functional and usable within the implementation context.