Sustainable Education: Integrating Walkability and Assistive Technology in University Campuses
摘要
Integrating teaching and research within the university environment enriches both areas. On the one hand, it strengthens students’ critical formation by providing practical and up-to-date experiences, thereby enhancing the learning process. On the other hand, it fosters innovation by applying academic knowledge to the development of novel solutions. In this context, the objective of this article is to explore the integration of teaching and research to promote accessibility and inclusive mobility within the university context. The study centers on the elective course “Special Studies in Technology—Walkable Urbanism,” offered at the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism of the University of Brasília (FAU-UnB), which was coordinated with two applied research projects “Acessa UnB” and “Trilhas UnB.” Both initiatives aimed to develop Assistive Technologies (AT) to enhance campus accessibility for visually impaired individuals, through two thematic lines: the production of tactile maps and the development of an app for safe and autonomous mobility. The course focused on discussing urban planning oriented towards walkability, adapting its content to align with the research projects. The study applied the Design Science Research (DSR) methodology, combined with active learning principles, and structured in three phases. The first phase involved a literature review conducted with students. The second phase consisted of participatory fieldwork with students and visually impaired volunteers to assess walkability conditions and barriers in the campus, along five predestinated pathways. This phase included the application of the Pedestrian Ergonomic Comfort Index (ICEP). In the final phase, students developed design proposals at both macro and micro scales based on the findings. The project outcomes included the elaboration of tactile maps, app prototypes, and a collaborative tool to collect georeferenced user feedback. The results demonstrated mutual benefits: students became more engaged through the practical application of their proposals, while the project contributed to advancing knowledge in the development of tactile maps and assistive applications. The initiative highlighted the potential of integrating teaching, research, and innovation to generate practical solutions for real-world challenges. It also reinforced the value of inclusive education, participatory design, and interdisciplinary collaboration. The approach is scalable and replicable, offering a model for other academic and urban environments.