Spatial Thinking in the Curriculum of Students who are Blind or Low Vision

盲人或低视力学生课程中的空间思维项目将促进盲人或视障学生学习空间思维的知识，空间思维是科学和数学学习的基石。这一示范研究项目将产生经过试点测试的评估和干预措施，这将成为更先进、更有力地调查盲人或视障学生如何进行空间思维和学习空间思维的基础。推动这项初步研究的两个主要研究问题是：失明或视力低下的学生是否表现出与有视力的同龄人相似的空间思维技能？第一步：将现有仪器改造成触觉和音频形式。第二步：触觉工具的形成性评估。教育干预或空间思维训练方案是否能提高传统和新工具测量的盲人或低视力学生的空间思维能力？第一步：开发空间思维干预。第二步：干预活动的形成性评估。第三步：应用干预活动。国家公认的地理教育和空间思维专家Phil Gersmehl将担任该项目的外部评估员。Gersmehl博士是纽约地理学习中心的联合主任，也是明尼苏达大学的地理学教授。项目材料将在俄勒冈大学尤金大学洛本·S博士空间和地图认知实验室网站上传播。结果将在以下一个或多个会议上公布：盲人和视障人士教育和康复协会、美国地理学家协会、国际制图会议和国家科学基金会-S人力资源开发部联合年会。期刊文章预计将提交给《美国地理学家协会年鉴》和/或《视障和失明杂志》等出版物。

The Spatial Thinking in the Curriculum of Students who are Blind or Low Vision project will advance the knowledge of how students who are blind or visually impaired learn spatial thinking, a cornerstone of science and mathematical learning. This demonstration research project will result in pilot-tested assessment and interventions, which will serve as the basis for more advanced, robust investigations of how students who are blind or visually impaired think spatially and learn spatial thinking. The two primary research questions driving the pilot study are:Do students who are blind or low vision demonstrate similar spatial thinking skills as their sighted peer groups? Step 1: Adapting existing instruments into tactile and audio format.Step 2: Formative evaluation of tactile instruments.Can educational interventions or spatial thinking training protocol enhance spatial thinking skills of students who are blind or low vision as measured by traditional and new instruments?Step 1: Developing the Spatial Thinking Intervention.Step 2: Formative Evaluation of Intervention Activities.Step 3: Applying the Intervention Activities.Dr. Phil Gersmehl, a nationally recognized expert in geographic education and spatial thinking, will serve as the external evaluator for this project. Dr. Gersmehl is Co-Director of the New York Center for Geographic Learning and a Professor of Geography at the University of Minnesota. Project materials will be disseminated at Dr. Lobben?s Spatial and Map Cognition Laboratory website at the University of Oregon Eugene. Results will be disseminated at one or more of the following conferences: the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired, the Association of American Geographers, the International Cartographic Conference, and the NSF?s Division of Human Resource Development Joint Annual Meeting. Journal articles are expected to be submitted to publications such as the Annals of the Association of American Geographers and/or Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness.