Arab Educational Information Network

The present study aimed at investigating the effect of using interactive software based on visual cues on developing visual creative thinking skills and the efficiency of visual search tasks of primary stage hearing impaired students in mathematics. Eleven students from Al-Amal Institute for hearing impaired students in Al Taif participated in the experiment. To meet the objective of the study, the researcher designed the following tools: 1) interactive software based on visual cues with fixed pattern (color and motion) in decimals unit. 2) Test of visual creative thinking skills. 3) Performance test of visual search tasks. According to the results, there were statistically significant differences between the pre-post applications in favor of the post application. The difference is due to the use of the visual cues interactive software in both visual creative thinking skills and visual search tasks. The study concluded with the following recommendations: First, providing some interactive software for mathematics courses for students with varied special needs, audio- visual or intellectual, in all educational stages, especially with the advancement in the field of computer technology. Second, Colleges of Education and school districts, in different geographical areas, should cooperate in providing a highly qualified training to in-service mathematics teachers with the help of specialized designers of such interactive software. Third, developing the mathematics learning and teaching methods through the use of electronic and non-electronic designs. This could be achieved through regional and national competitions among teachers, workshops on modern techniques in handling the special needs students and, finally, modifying the courses of mathematics to serve those students through the best use of the outcomes of the technological revolution in all teaching procedures for normal and special needs students. (Published abstract)