Techniques and Tools to Enhance Blind and Visually Impaired Students Participation in High School Level and General Chemistry Laboratory Classes

该项目旨在开发工具和技术，使盲人和视障学生能够在没有视力正常的助手的帮助下进行普通化学实验室实验。这项工作的具体目标包括：(1)改编目前在印第安纳盲人学校（ISB）使用的Addison Wesley化学高中实验课程；通过将JAWS语音软件与游标实验室工具、ID mate便携式条形码读取器以及ISB使用的其他工具相结合，(2)在宾夕法尼亚州立大学、杜鲁门州立大学和ISB测试和改进工具和技术，(3)在ISB项目的第2年和第3年对修改后的课程进行实地测试，(4)通过比较使用视力辅助的研究组和对照组，对技能、概念学习和态度结果进行详细评估，(5)创建一个引导探究综合盲人和六年级学生的实验练习，以及(6)通过出版物和会议展览传播结果。这个项目团队由一名盲人研究生（Supalo）和一名盲人化学教授（Wohlers）组成，他们将主要负责新工具和技术的开发和初步测试。他们将与ISB的科学教师罗斯和宾夕法尼亚州立大学的化学教育专家格林伯格在项目的实地测试和评估阶段密切合作。

This project seeks to develop tools and techniques that will allow blind and visually impaired (VI)students to carry out general chemistry laboratory experiments without the aid of sighted assistants. Specific objectives of this work include:(1)adaptation of the Addison Wesley Chemistry high school laboratory curriculum currently used at the Indiana School for the Blind (ISB), by combining JAWS speech software with Vernier laboratory tools,ID mate portable bar code readers,and other tools in use at ISB,(2)testing and refining the tools and techniques at Penn State,Truman State,and ISB,(3)field testing the modified curriculum in years 2 and 3 of the program at ISB,(4)performing a detailed assessment of skills,concept learning,and attitudinal outcomes by comparing study groups with control groups that use sighted assistance,(5)creation of a guided inquiry integrative laboratory exercise for blind and VI students,and (6)dissemination of results through publications and exhibits at conferences. This project team consists of a blind graduate student (Supalo)and a blind chemistry professor (Wohlers)who will have primary responsibility for the development and preliminary testing of new tools and techniques.They will collaborate closely with Roth, a science teacher at ISB,and Greenberg,a chemical education expert at Penn State,in the field testing and assessment phases of the program.