Beyond Workarounds and Mitigation: �Demystifying Chemistry Laboratory Instruction for Blind and Vision-Impaired Students

CARY SUPALO, EDUCATIONAL TESTING SERVICE, UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY

CASEY WRIGHT, WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY

CLEAR 2023 SYMPOSIUM

MAY 4, 2023

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Language And Disability

• Language around disability is constantly evolving ¹
• Identity-first language
• E.g., visually-impaired students
• Person-first language
• E.g., students with visual impairments

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• Social model of disability
• Disabilities are produced by barriers in society and the environment²

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Disability:IN (2022). Disability Etiquette – A Starting Guide. Retrieved from: https://disabilityin.org/resource/disability-etiquette/

Oliver, M. The social model of disability: thirty years on. Disability & Society 2013, 28 (7), 1024−1026.

Online Laboratory Learning

• Exponentially increased due to the COVID-19 pandemic
• Platforms vary in accessibility considerations

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https://chemcollective.org/vlabs

https://www.labster.com/explore/chemistry-lab-online

https://phet.colorado.edu/

https://www.beyondlabz.com/

Context

• First-semester general chemistry
• Health science and agriculture students
• BeyondLabz online lab environment

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Wright, C. E. Leveraging an App to Support Students with Color-Vision Deficiency and Color-Blindness in Online General Chemistry Laboratories. Journal of Chemical Education 2022 99 (3), 1149-1154. DOI: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.1c00664

Color Vision Deficiency/Color Blindness

Color vision deficiency – produces confusion around the perception of different colors

• Deuteranopia - red−green color blindness, most common
• Tritanopia - blue-yellow color-blindness
• Achromatopsia - only black, white, and gray are seen

Estimated frequency of occurrence in large-enrollment in general chemistry courses

• 40 male students and 3 female students in a course with 1000 students

Often Unreported

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Color Blind Pal App

• Smartphone-based app, available for Mac OS

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• Users take a screen capture, center their cursor on the object to read color

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• Can be used to simulate color blindness

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Images retrieved from ColorBlind Pal App: https://colorblindpal.com/

Incorporating the Color Blind Pal App into BeyondLabz

Flame Tests Learning Objectives

• Learn how to perform flame tests to identify metal ions
• Na⁺, K⁺, Ba²⁺, Sr²⁺, Cu²⁺
• Collect flame color observation data

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Beyond Labz https://www.beyondlabz.com/. Copyright 2019 Beyond Labz.

Using the Color Blind Pal App in Flame Tests

• Take a screen capture of the flame image.
• Place target on the flame to obtain color name

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Color Blind Pal, https://colorblindpal.com/. Copyright 2020 Vincent Fiorentini.

Beyond Labz Simulation, https://www.beyondlabz.com/. Copyright 2019 Beyond Labz.

Student feedback about using the app:

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“The only thing that is kind of difficult is obviously the flame does not stay one color so when you look through the Color Blind Pal app the color names are kind of all over the place, but for most of them it stayed on one color more than any other and that is the one that I went with”

Precipitation Reactions Learning Objectives

• Observe and identify precipitation reactions.
• Use solubility rules to predict precipitates from chemical reactions.
• Write balanced equations, complete ionic equations, and net ionic equations for precipitation reactions
• Mix Mn²⁺ , Pb²⁺ , Ca²⁺ , Ni²⁺ , and Ba²⁺ with:
• Na₂S, NaCl, Na₂SO₄, NaOH, and Na₂CO₃

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Using the Color Blind Pal App in Precipitation Reactions

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Color Blind Pal https://colorblindpal.com/. Copyright 2020 Vincent Fiorentini.

Beyond Labz https://www.beyondlabz.com/. Copyright 2019 Beyond Labz.

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Titrations Lab Learning Objectives

• Examine titration curves as representations of neutralization reaction progress.

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• Learn how to read a buret to perform a titration

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• Determine the exact concentration of a strong acid using a base of known concentration.

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Beyond Labz https://www.beyondlabz.com/. Copyright 2019 Beyond Labz.

Titrations

Activity 1: Performing Titrations

• Use NaOH of known concentration to find unknown concentration of HCl 0.100M
• Indicator – phenolphthalein
• (clear at low pH -> magenta at high pH)

Activity 2: Concepts in Acid-Base Titrations

• Examining and interpreting titration curves
• Equivalence point vs. endpoint in titrations
• Indicator bromocresol green
• (yellow at low pH-> blue at high pH)

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Activity 1:

Activity 1

Activity 2

Using the Color Blind Pal App in Titrations

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Color Blind Pal https://colorblindpal.com/. Copyright 2020 Vincent Fiorentini.

Beyond Labz https://www.beyondlabz.com/. Copyright 2019 Beyond Labz.

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Reflections on the Color Blind Pal App

• The app worked well for online labs
• You can use it in the in-person lab too!
• There are more color vision deficiency technologies to choose from ^1,2
• Simulating color-vision-deficiencies helped me as an instructor to consider multiple ways for students to collect data in the lab

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¹ Bandyopadhyay, S.; Rathod, B. B. The Sound and Feel of Titrations: A Smartphone Aid for Color-Blind and Visually Impaired Students. J. Chem. Educ. 2017, 94, 946– 949.

² Soong, R.; Agmata, K.; Doyle, T.; Jenne, A.; Adamo, A.; Simpson, A. J. Rethinking a Timeless Titration Experimental Setup through Automation and Open-Source Robotic Technology: Making Titration Accessible for Students of All Abilities. J. Chem. Educ. 2019, 96 (7), 1497– 1501.

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Considerations for Vision Impairments in Online Laboratories

• Barriers can be magnified for blind and low-vision students
• Limited screen reader accessibility
• Text equivalents need to be provided for graphics content¹

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• Create the least restricting learning environment for vision-impaired learners to enable them to become independent learners²

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• Choose accessible online environments

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¹ Pagano, T.; Ross, A. Teaching Chemistry to Students with Disabilities: A Manual For High Schools, Colleges, and Graduate Programs, 4th ed.; RIT, 2015; Vol.1, p. 168.

² D’Agostino, A. T. Accessible Teaching and Learning in the Undergraduate Chemistry Course and Laboratory for Blind and Low-Vision Students. J. Chem. Educ. 2022, 99, 140.

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https://phet.colorado.edu/�

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Getting Started with Accessible Online Laboratory Activities

• Universal design for learning (UDL)¹
• Proactively designing accessible materials to prevent exclusion
• Multiple means to convey chemical knowledge, multiple representations of chemical content^2,3
• Beneficial for all learners. ^2,3,4
• Aim for progress over perfection!⁵

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¹CAST. UDL: The UDL Guidelines. https://udlguidelines.cast.org/

²King-Sears, M. E.; Johnson, T. M. Universal Design for Learning Chemistry Instruction for Students With and Without Learning Disabilities. Remedial Spec. Educ.2020,41(4), 207−218.

³“Every little thing that could possibly be provided helps”: Analysis of online first-year chemistry resources using the universal design for learning framework. Chemistry Education Research and Practice, 23(2), 385–407.

⁴The Future of Laboratory Chemistry Learning and Teaching Must be Accessible Egambaram, et al. Journal of Chemical Education 2022 99 (12), 3814-3821

⁵ Evans, M. (2022) Progress Over Perfection: A Better Way to Accessibility. Retrieved from: https://meryl.net/accessibility-progress-over-perfection/

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Source: The University of Vermont Center on Disability and Inclusion by Michael Giangreco and illustrated by Kevin Ruelle

Today’s perception: students with BVI cannot and do not pursue science.

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We can raise awareness to shift the needle from a deficit model to a pedagogy of possibilities.

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The new paradigm: scale inclusion as the norm across contexts.

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The technology exists for accessible hands-on STEM learning for students with BVI.

New access technologies are on the horizon: the Multi-Line Refreshable Braille Display.

• The Blind will no longer be restricted to ONE LINE of refreshable braille. We will have access to multiple lines which allow a tabular representation in two dimensions, and access to dynamic tactile graphics in real-time.

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The methodologies exist for accessible hands-on science learning for students with BVI

• Accessible laboratory procedures (e.g. braille materials, tactile graphics, human readers)
• Talking lab equipment (e.g. SciVoice^TM Talking LabQuest)
• Safety protocol
• Benchtop space management
• Mentorship
• Access Technology (e.g. embossers, screen-readers)

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Full integration is a collaborative approach within a learning community.

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Together, we can change the perception of what is possible for students with BVI in STEM and beyond!

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You have the power and authority to shift the needle on this new paradigm

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“What features and capabilities do your products currently offer for students who are blind and visually impaired? Screen-reader accessibility and compatibility? High contrast support? Tactile graphics accessibility? Refreshable braille support?”

“What features and capabilities do your products currently offer for students who are blind and visually impaired? Screen-reader accessibility and compatibility? High contrast support? Tactile graphics accessibility? Refreshable braille support?”

Acknowledgements

• Educational Testing Service
• University of Sydney
• Purdue Department of Chemistry
• Organizers of the CLEAR 2023 conference

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Questions and Comments

• Contact Dr. Cary Supalo:

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• csupalo@ets.org

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• Contact Dr. Casey Wright:

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• casey.e.wright@wmich.edu

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Additional Resources

Inclusion in Science Learning a New Direction: A Conference on Disability and STEM 14th Annual ISLAND conference, will be held on Friday, October 13th and Saturday, October 14th at Princeton University.

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Companies selling accessible laboratory equipment:

• Independence Science
• View Plus

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