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如何学习空间思维的知识，这是科学和数学学习的基石。 这个示范研究项目将导致试点测试的评估和干预措施，这将作为更先进的，强大的调查谁是盲人或视障学生如何空间思考和学习空间思维的基础。 推动试点研究的两个主要研究问题是：盲人或低视力的学生是否表现出与视力正常的同龄人相似的空间思维能力？第一步：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能否提高盲人或低视力学生的空间思维技能（通过传统和新仪器测量）？第一步：开展空间思维干预。第2步：干预活动的形成性评估。第3步：应用干预活动。Phil Gersmehl博士，国家认可的地理教育和空间思维专家，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和明尼苏达大学的地理学教授。项目材料将在洛本博士分发？俄勒冈州尤金大学的空间和地图认知实验室网站。 研究结果将在下列一个或多个会议上分发：盲人和视力障碍者教育和康复协会、美国地理学家协会、国际制图会议和国家科学基金会？人力资源开发司联合年会。 期刊文章预计将提交给出版物，如美国地理学家协会年鉴和/或视觉障碍和失明杂志。

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.