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Making Astronomy Accessible for All
Amelia Ortiz Lina Canas Thilina Heenatigala
UNAWE 2015, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Some numbers (WHO, 2010)
• Over a billion people are estimated to live with some form of disability. This corresponds to about 15% of the world's population. Between 110 million and 190 million people 15 years and older have significant difficulties in functioning.
• About 100 million need a wheelchair.• 360 million people worldwide have disabling hearing loss
(5.3% of the world’s population)• People with cognitive impairment 1% of the total
population in high income countries and 2% in low and middle income (LAMI) countries
A couple about deafness:
Are we ready for a diverse audience?
Proposed strategy: UDL
What is UDL?
Framework for integrating flexible, usable, and accessible teaching and learning technologies with inquiry – and standards-based science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) curricula
We no longer consider persons with special needs but disabling environments
UDL Principles
The key concept is MULTIPLICITY: provide multiple means of representation, provide multiple means of action and expression and provide multiple means of engagement
Provide multiple means of representation
Learners differ in the ways that they perceive and comprehend information that is presented to them. For example, those with sensory disabilities (e.g., blindness or deafness); learning disabilities (e.g., dyslexia); language or cultural differences, and so forth may all require different ways of approaching content.
Provide multiple means of action and expression
Learners differ in the ways that they can navigate a learning environment and express what they know. For example, some may be able to express themselves well in written text but not speech, and vice versa. Therefore the materials should be accessible for all and there should be different options for expression.
Provide multiple means of engagement
To care is crucial for the final success in the learning process. Learners can have very different interests or reasons to be interested in learning. The lecturer needs to know which are his/her public's interests or which they might be, and use different ways to motivate the audience.
Strategies to develop educational materials and activities in the frame of UDL
InclusivenessPhysical AccessDelivery MethodsInformation ResourcesInteractionFeedbackAssessmentAccommodation
Strategies to develop educational materials and activities in the frame of UDL
Inclusiveness
UDL should use methods that make learning easy and accessible for everyone.
Strategies to develop educational materials and activities in the frame of UDL
Physical Access
Ensure that activities, materials, and equipment are physically accessible to and usable by all students.
Strategies to develop educational materials and activities in the frame of UDL
Delivery MethodsUse multiple accessible instructional methods addressing the four basic styles of learning
tactile
visual
kinesthetic
auditory
Strategies to develop educational materials and activities in the frame of UDL
Information Resources
Ensure that course materials, notes, and other information resources are flexible and accessible to all students.
Strategies to develop educational materials and activities in the frame of UDL
Interaction
Encourage effective interactions between students and the instructor. Ensure that communication methods are accessible to all participants.
Work in groups where each one supports the other with his/her particular strengths
Strategies to develop educational materials and activities in the frame of UDL
Feedback
Provide specific feedback to the students/ audience on a regular basis.
Strategies to develop educational materials and activities in the frame of UDL
Assessment
Regularly assess student progress using many accessible methods and tools, then adjust instruction accordingly
Strategies to develop educational materials and activities in the frame of UDL
Accommodation
Plan for accommodations for students for whom the instructional design does not meet their needs.
A general protocol
Teach to the four styles of learning: communication is more effectivie in this way
tactile
visual
kinesthetic
auditory
A general protocol
Teach to strengths: Take advantage of the audience's strengths and natural talents to engage them in the activity. Emphasize what they can do rather than what they cannot. This improves their self-steem and gives them more chances to learn.
A general protocol
Use many different ways to obtain feedback from the public to check if they are grasping the main ideas and contents.
Intellectual disabilities
Be direct and specific in the communication
Ask to be sure the student is understanding
Give him enoughtime to answer
Blindness
Refer to the person using his name and introduce yourself with your name too
Be very explicit when giving instructions and avoid using pronouns
Let the blind person know when you are leaving the room
Use different methods to access texts (Braille transcription, audible file)
Deafness
Ask which is his preferred method of communication
Get his attention before you start speaking
To shout or exaggerate does not improve the communication
Rephrasing instead of repeating is more effective to make sure the message has been correctly understood
Some resources:
Space Science is for Everyone (NASA)
http://www.washington.edu/doit/programs/accessstem/overview
Examples
Meet Our neighbours
A Touch of the Universe
Astronomy is a very visual science.
What resources available?
THE SKY IN YOUR HANDS – PLANETARIUM SHOW
Takes the audience on a journey through different constellations:
- Visual projection;- Special soundtrack;- Tactile support.
TACTILE EXIHIBITIONS
An Exhibition was designed with more than 20 tactile pictures about astronomy dealing with the most diverse and fascinating objects that we find in the night sky.
TACTILE MOON MODEL & TELESCOPE OBSERVATIONS
The exhibition also included a model of the Moon with features in high relief of craters and maria that dazzled the audiences.
We have since then expanded this activities into observations through telescope of our natural satellite and exploring the main
features of the telescope through touch.
A PLANETARIUM IN YOUR CLASSROOM!
Give visually impaired children a sense of what we experience in terms of shape when we’re at a planetarium and showing the constellations as well.
A PLANETARIUM IN YOUR CLASSROOM!
WHERE ARE YOU? - DISTANCES IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM
Using low cost materials we build a tactile models so that the students can learn about the distances within the solar system.
REAL TIME TELESCOPE OBSERVATIONS
Moimenta da Beira hosted the 4th Telescope Gathering, the largest gathering of telescopes in Portugal. The event had a record of nearly sixty telescopes from around the country, taking advantage of the uniqueness of the night sky.
Three telescopes dedicated to a pioneering experience in Portugal: to have real time telescope observations for visually impaired audiences.
REAL TIME TELESCOPE OBSERVATIONS
Faulkes Telescope offers a database of astronomy images as well as the opportunity for students to remotely operate the telescope and to take their own pictures of the cosmos.
Since Astronomy is a very visual science most often visually impaired sudents are cast aside from these activities, so the question is: how can we engage visually impaired students in such activities while promoting collaborative work with their peers?
A Touch of the Universe kit
A TOUCH OF THE UNIVERSE KIT
The kit contains:
-Planetarium program “The Sky in Your Hands”
-Tactile Moon
-A set of 3 3D constellation models
-Activity book
-“From the Earth to the Universe (FETTU)”
-“The Little Moon Phase Book”, by Noreen Grice
-Guides about the planetarium show, the tactile Moon and the FETTU prints.
A Touch of the Universe
A Touch of the Universe
Non-profit project to build and send 30 kits of tactile astronomy materials to be distributed among educators and teachers in underdeveloped countries in the Americas, Asia and Africa
A Touch of the Universe
Amelia Ortiz-Gil (coordinator) (Observatorio Astronomico - Universidad de Valencia) Kimberly Arcand (NASA-CXO) Caterina Boccato (Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova / INAF) Lina Canas (Nuclio / AWB / Galileo Mobile) Rosa Doran (Nuclio / Galileo Teachers Training Program) Héctor Espinós (IPL - Universidad de Valencia)Thilina Heenatigala (AWB/UNAWE) Mariana Lanzara (Observatorio Astronomico - Universidad de Valencia) Maria Jesus Moya (Observatorio Astronomico - Universidad de Valencia)Javier Navarro (IPL - Universidad de Valencia)Pedro Russo (UNAWE) Stefano Sandrelli (Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera / INAF)
A Touch of the Universe
IAU’s Office of Astronomy for Development Project
A Touch of the Universe
India, Chile, South Africa, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, República Dominicana, Nepal, Tanzania, Colombia, Costa Rica, Zambia, Iran, Ethiopia, Cuba (almost) and Bolivia (Galileo Mobile)
A Touch of the Universe
Nepal
A Touch of the Universe
India
A Touch of the Universe
Colombia
A Touch of the Universe
Bolivia - Galileo Mobile
A Touch of the Universe
What is in the kit? The Sky in Your Hands Planetarium show
The tactile Moon
Activity book
Chandra’s “From Earth to the Universe” tactile prints
Noreen Grice’s “The Little Moon Phase Book”
Models of constellations in 3D
DVD with planetarium soundtrack (English, Spanish, Portuguese)
Moon guide, Planetarium guide and feedback form
A Touch of the Universe
The Sky in Your Hands Planetarium show
A Touch of the Universe
The tactile Moon
3D model of the Moon specially designed to convey the visual information in a tactile way
A Touch of the Universe
Models of constellations in 3D
Tactile models of constellations showing the real physical distance relation between the stars in the constellation
A Touch of the Universe
Activity book
Activities that can be carried out with the half-sphere, the Moon and the constellations.
Regular print and Braille.
A Touch of the Universe
Chandra’s “From Earth to the Universe” tactile prints
A Touch of the Universe
Noreen Grice’s “The Little Moon Phase Book”
A Touch of the Universe
DVD with planetarium soundtrack (English, Spanish, Portuguese)
A Touch of the Universe
Moon guide, Planetarium guide and feedback form
Meet Our Neighbours
MEET OUR NEIGHBOURS!
13 tactile schematic images of the main objects of the Solar System;
Built with low cost materials through hands-on activities;
For visually impaired children and their non-visually impaired peers;
Promote interactive activities between all groups of children.
Visually impaired children and their sighted peers are encouraged to explore the tactile images and do some research on our celestial neighbours.
MEET OUR NEIGHBOURS!
The children choose from the tactile images explored their favorite object and then build them with the help of the educators.
They try to understand which textures they’ll need to build them.
MEET OUR NEIGHBOURS!
The children then choose from the different materials available to build their favorite celestial object.
MEET OUR NEIGHBOURS!
The children explain the main features of the celestial object, guiding their friends through the different tactile features.
MEET OUR NEIGHBOURS!
Every day materials easily available at a low cost.
MEET OUR NEIGHBOURS!
MEET OUR NEIGHBOURS!
All textures and materials were sent to educators and tactile materials experts in various countries so that they could provide feedback and suggestions regarding all resources produced to increase the overall quality of the schematic tactile images.
MEET OUR NEIGHBOURS!
MEET OUR NEIGHBOURS! Image Credit: NUCLIO, Portugal; Albhashy Lejkabre, Dominican Republic; Katarzyna Kowalska , Poland
MEET OUR NEIGHBOURS!
MEET OUR NEIGHBOURS!
CONHEÇA NOSSOS VIZINHOS CELESTES!
CONHEÇA NOSSOS VIZINHOS CELESTES!
SUSTAINABILITY & INCLUSION >> Use recycled materials and/or other low cost textures, native to each community,>> To support educators, materials such as "The scientist explains" are available online, >> A tutorial with content on how the objects are built.
All materials are available for free at:http://nuclio.org/astroneighbours/
It’s a collaboration!
SHARE IDEAS & COLABORATE!!
• We find that are people doing and imagining amazing things! • The world becomes a much more awesome place.• Make many good friends along the way.