Universal Design for Access into
Science, Technology, Engineering and Math
Project Activities
Jean-Marie Magnier, Mathematics
Jean's course for this grant is Algebra 1. She has created a set of on-line lessons which are meant to supplement the materials presented in class. The same topics are covered, but the interactive format allows students to control the pace of the lesson. The fact that the lessons are available on-line enables anyone who misses a class to make up the material, or to view it again at their convenience. Students with visual impairments have the capability to enlarge the lessons. There will also be an audio file created for these lessons. For students with hearing impairments, the lessons are complete with graphics, text explanations and animations to clarify topics. Through this grant, Jean has also become more aware of her lecture style and she is constantly working on methods like not facing the board, speaking out everything that she writes (as opposed to pointing and saying "this term"), and speaking and writing more slowly and carefully. Slowing down has been a definite improvement for ALL her students! Jean remarks "I have never had a student ask me to "write a little faster please!" or "could you erase that section already?"". Jean has prepared a series of handouts for the class, and created enlarged font copies for students with low vision. She plans to compile a set of these large font copies for other faculty in her department to use as well.
Linda Meccouri, Computer Information Systems
- Creation of an audio set of CDs for the PROG 109 Textbook. This set of CDs was created by a research team of students from the previous PROG 109 class. The student team researched available technology for students with low-vision and found the text book one of the major barriers. Since there was no audio available, we undertook the project of obtaining the text files of every chapter, re-formatting for accessibility and creating a set of CDs. Copies of the CD set are available from the Office for Students with Disabilities.
- Set up Blackboard, a 508 accessible course delivery system for the PROG 109 class with course materials such as outlines, syllabus, scheduling, discussion board and "lecture notes" for every chapter.
- Teaching procedures include much group work with each student contributing to the learning of other students. This methodology although not as "gimmicky" holds the most potential for educational equity since it allows for every student's talents to be valued and incorporated into the class learning outcomes. For example, when studying a new concept, I might break students into small groups for discussion, review and case studies. Each small group must check for comprehension of all of its members because a group grade as well as an individual grade is assigned in the assessment.
- Based upon first day of class surveys, I have changed the in-class lecture format to include overhead projector, large print PowerPoint presentations. The presentations have been incorporated into the Blackboard site and may be downloaded in outline, graphic or text format. Large versions of every textbook graphic are also included in the PPT presentation.
As it turns out, a number of students have expressed interest in the audio-format CDs and all students are benefiting from the extra course materials and attention to universal student success.
Bill Mullett, Physics
A strategy that I am investigating is to provide students with transcripts of lab procedures and activities beyond those found in the lab manual. These transcripts will ultimately be in a CD multi-media format. A possible scenario of activities leading to a finished CD and its distribution is as follows:
- Video tape w/audio
- CD Video
- CD Video w/ Closed Caption
- Classroom sharing
- "File Sharing" from PC to students
This sharing could take the form of:- CD's
- Files downloaded from Internet site
- Files made available at "Student Success Center"
Gordon Snyder, Telecommunications
The STCC course currently under development is GN-210 - Introduction to Telecommunications. The course is an introduction to the basic concepts of telecommunications and is delivered in the spring semester using a blended format with both in-class and web components. The course includes a brief history of the telecommunications industry followed by a description of present public and private telecommunications networks. Concepts of analog and digital signals, frequency spectra, filters, bandwidth, modulation and multiplexing techniques are explored. In addition, the hardware of a telecommunications system is introduced with coverage including transmission and reception technology, switching systems and transmission media.
As part of the project, work currently being done includes:
- Using Mimio to capture audio and handwritten lecture material and homework solutions from a whiteboard in Mimio Ink file format.
- Using Mimio BoardCast (http://www.mimio.com/meet/boardcast/) to combine Mimio ink files and audio together in a RealNetworks format that can then be streamed over the Internet or archived for on demand viewing.
- Integrating the lecture notes and materials with the Blackboard and RealNetworks videos allowing students to point, click, see and hear the videos reviewing in class examples and homework solutions.
- Determining procedures to effectively deliver large file format/high bandwidth video content (CDs, streaming, etc) to students in an effective and time efficient way.
Portions of the course have been used as a model and were presented at two NCTT faculty workshops in June and July of 2002. Content development and use of the developed course as a model at NCTT workshops and other functions will continue, including the annual NSF ATE Conference in October 2002
.Dawn Tamarkin, Biology
- I have created clay models of cell organelles so that visually-impaired students can experience the cell. Each of the clay organelles is shaped as much as possible to reflect the actual shape of the organelle. Students can take the models, feel them, and put them into a re-shapeable membrane outline to create specific cell types; the cell types that they create are the same ones that students without disabilities are viewing in the microscopes.
- I have also used the Mimio system for recording my lectures and lecture notes while giving the lectures. I have not perfected the use of this system for many technical reasons, but some of my students have enjoyed using my online notes. The overall goals for using this system are:
- to provide images of the lecture-room blackboard on the computer monitor for visually-impaired students to view in large format and in print-outs
- to enable visually-impaired students to link what they hear in class with what I was writing in the board during class
- to provide the audio for students with hearing-disabilities to listen to later at any desired volume
- to provide extra studying tools for all of my students
- I have also been working on trying to come up with ways to partner students in lab so that students with physical disabilities have a non-disabled buddy. This can help motor-impaired students to get their microscopes, make slides, etc.
- I currently maintain a website for my classes. The website has been modified to be Bobby-approved. Having a website for students to use at home can especially help those students with extra needs.
Mark Wells, Chemistry
- A website is being developed to supplement the traditional lecture-based Introductory Chemistry course. Notes, pictures, video clips, solutions to assigned problems, a discussion forum, and links to other websites are among the resources that will be available to students. Incorporating the concepts of universal design into the website allows students with or without disabilities to benefit from the materials and resources available.
- To improve the classroom lecture presentation, a mobile multimedia station has been developed that facilitates presentation of course concepts. Since each classroom is equipped with network access, content directly from the web can be displayed during class as well as other presentation clips stored on CD-ROM.
- A web-based introductory chemistry course is being developed which includes a lab component that can be conducted in the student's home. Some lab exercises will involve materials that are common in most homes or are readily available from a hardware or department store. Other lab exercises are virtual experiments to be simulated on a computer. The availability of web-based distance learning helps to enable those students with certain disabilities to participate in study that might otherwise be difficult if not impossible.
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