LIFT: An eLearning Introduction to Web Search for Young Adults with Intellectual Disability in Sri Lanka

For users with intellectual disability new to the Internet, mastering web search requires both conceptual understanding and supported practice. eLearning offers an appropriate environment for both self-paced learning and authentic practice since it can simulate the types of interactions encountered during web searching. Yet eLearning approaches have not been explored towards supporting young adults with intellectual disability (YAWID) to search the web or supporting them to learn web search. This paper presents a study that examines the experiences of 6 YAWID learning to search the web with LIFT, an eLearning tool designed with a specific focus on supporting memory through mental models and practice exercises. The content and approach of LIFT are tailored to the Sri Lankan context, incorporating the use of the Sinhala virtual keyboard for Google search and culturally relevant metaphors. We collected a range of observations as the participants used the eLearning tool, subsequently independently searched for information online, and finally described the Google search process to a teacher. We surveyed their understanding through drawings they created about the Internet and Web search. The findings establish the significant potential for eLearning to engage and support YAWID learn web search, with a realistic environment for safely practicing web search and navigation. This study contributes to human-computer interaction by integrating three aspects of eLearning: accessible interface, content, and interactive practice, also accommodating web search in the Sinhala language. It acknowledges that understanding specific users is critical if interaction designs are to be accepted by their users.