| The Project Demonstrating Excellence (PDE) consists of two distinct documents. This contextual essay document provides the intellectual context, methods, analysis, findings, interpretations and conclusions for the research inquiry. The study is focused on a subgroup within the congenital visually disabled community, without multiplicity, who have not developed any Internet fluency. Internet fluency for this study is described as basic Internet competences such as site navigation, searches, email, instant messaging, chat and execution of basic online transactions.; The inquiry is centered on an exploration and understanding of why members of this subgroup, also referred to as the "LBC," (Left Behind Community) have not achieved Internet fluency. The contextual essay also documents the process of the development of the Internet "SIGHTS" manual that can be used by sighted coaches in assisting the visually disabled to become fluent on the Internet. Additionally, theories of affective teaching, with emphasis on teaching the visually disabled, were examined.; The second document is the Internet "SIGHTS" manual, a social action project, developed to assist sighted coaches as they work with the visually disabled toward Internet fluency. The manual is an evolving electronic product designed to decrease learning turnaround time, abandon rates and frustration levels for both the coaches and the visually disabled working towards Internet fluency.{09}The manual is also published on the World Wide Web for easy access and maintenance. An online survey was conducted to rate the usefulness of the manual. The coaches were the respondents of the manual's usefulness survey. The respondent data has been applied to the .latest version of the manual. This feedback data will help continually refine the quality of future manual releases.; The overall study assists coaches in eliminating the LBC and suggests greater independence opportunities for the visually disabled. |
