Assessment of the impact chemistry text and figures have on visually impaired students' learning
Abstract
Most of the literature fails to address how blind students visualize abstract science, specifically chemistry material. It also fails to discuss or access mental imageries of highly visual and abstract material and how blind students as well as the professors cope with this type of concepts in a science course. Chemistry texts and figures are being translated into braille and tactile paper for blind science students, yet there has not been an assessment of their impact on students' learning. This study describes what blind students visualize or understand when they read a text describing abstract chemistry material with words with high visual context; how their visualizations differ when they are reading the chemistry text from tactual perception versus reading a description in braille; and how blind students reconcile the discrepancy between their perception of molecular models from the text and tactual perception of the figures.
Degree
Ph.D.
Advisors
Bodner, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Science education
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