ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
&quot;Science Is Not My Thing&quot;: Exploring Deaf Non-Science Majors&apos; Science Identities
Author: Gormally, Cara L.
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Nonmajors,Self Concept,Deafness,Hearing Impairments,Partial Hearing,Stereotypes,Student Attitudes,Disproportionate Representation,Undergraduate Students,Hearing (Physiology),Assignments,Interviews,Biology,Introductory Courses,College Science,Scientific Attitudes

Students who are deaf and hard-of-hearing are underrepresented in science majors, yet we know little about why. Students from other underrepresented groups in science--women and people of color--tend to highly value altruistic or communal career goals, while perceiving science as uncommunal. Research suggests that holding stereotypical conceptions about scientists and perceptions of science as uncommunal may strongly hinder recruitment into science majors. This study sought to explore the science identities of students who are deaf, hard-of-hearing, and hearing signers. The study focused on non-science majors in bilingual (American Sign Language and written English) biology laboratory courses. This study is the first step to understanding if stereotypes about scientists and perceptions of science as uncommunal disproportionately affect students who are deaf and hard-of-hearing. Findings suggest that students' science identities are influenced by stereotypical portrayals of scientists and a preference for people-centered careers, specifically within the Deaf community. Applied research is needed to challenge stereotypes, and identify connections between science and the Deaf community, to support the growth of deaf and hard-of-hearing students' science identities to increase participation in science careers.
A Universal Design for Robotics Education
Author: Bülbül, Mustafa Sahin
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Robotics,Curriculum Design,Student Centered Learning,Self Efficacy,Active Learning,Inquiry,Visual Impairments,Teaching Methods,Teaching Models,Design Requirements

In this century, technological and educational needs increase drastically. Out of local language, educators need to teach robotic language and use necessary technologies to design robots like with the Arduino set. Users may develop their own robots with this set. It also improves design and implementation skills. However, it is not a suitable design for blind learners. The universal design approach suggests educators to design courses in a way that meets the needs of all participants. By this approach, learning environments are helpful and useful for participants with special needs. With the scope of the study, we suggest a three step course design for robotics education; introducing with appropriate materials, using real materials with descriptions and discussing for further designs. In the first step, larger materials with big holes and components will be used to make sense of the devices. In the second step, while the sighted learners are testing we suggest educators describe what is happening in the activity. The last step is about imagination for what we should do more. The present study may lead to new insights on how to introduce systems to facilitate the learning process for blind students.
A Tale of Two Courses: Exploring Teacher Candidates&apos; Translation of Science and Special Education Methods Instruction into Inclusive Science Practices
Author: Kahn, Sami
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Preservice Teachers,Science Process Skills,Science Education,Special Education,Teaching Methods,Inclusion,Science Instruction,Lesson Plans,Early Childhood Education,Methods Courses,Qualitative Research,Discourse Analysis,Disabilities,Academic Accommodations (Disabilities),Science Teachers,Special Education Teachers,Access to Education,Pedagogical Content Knowledge,Educational Legislation,Equal Education,Federal Legislation,Data Analysis

Early childhood educators teach science to all students, including students with disabilities. Strategies for accommodating students with disabilities in science, including familiarity with equitable frameworks such as Universal Design for Learning (UDL) are therefore a critical aspect of early childhood teacher candidates' pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). Such strategies are often emphasized in special education courses that are offered separately from science methods courses. This practice assumes that teacher candidates can synthesize and transfer those practices into their science lesson planning. To explore how teacher candidates actually assimilate the instruction on inclusive science that is taught in their preparation coursework, this study examined the early and late semester science lesson plans of 26 early childhood teacher candidates who were concurrently enrolled in science and special education methods courses. Qualitative and discourse analysis illuminated the following key findings: 1) Teacher candidates demonstrate a strong tendency to accommodate students with disabilities by having them rely on others both before and after extensive instruction; 2) Instruction appears to reduce teacher candidates' accommodating students with disabilities through separate materials/activities/directions; 3) Principles of UDL were more evident in late semester lesson plans; and 4) Late semester lesson plans contained more &quot;behavior oriented&quot; language and concerns. These findings are discussed with particular attention paid to ways in which science and special education teacher educators might intervene at key junctures in teacher candidates' lesson planning processes to promote student autonomy, science inquiry, and greater use of the continuum of adaptations that are available to them.
A Direct TeX-to-Braille Transcribing Method
Author: Papasalouros, Andreas
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Blindness,Visual Impairments,Braille,Tactile Adaptation,Disabilities,Mathematics Education,Science Education,College Students,Case Studies,Foreign Countries,Computer Software,Programming

The TeX/LaTeX typesetting system is the most wide-spread system for creating documents in Mathematics and Science. However, no reliable tool exists to this day for automatically transcribing documents from the above formats into Braille/Nemeth code. Thus, visually impaired students of related fields do not have access to the bulk of study material available in LaTeX format. We have developed a tool, named latex2nemeth, for directly transcribing LaTeX documents to Nemeth Braille, thus facilitating the access of blind students to Science. In order to support the extensive set of Mathematics symbols covered by TeX, we propose some new symbols based on the extension mechanisms of the Nemeth code.
Approaching Undergraduate Research with Students Who Are Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing
Author: Gehret, Austin U.
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Deafness,Hearing Impairments,Undergraduate Students,Student Research,STEM Education,Student Surveys,Mentors,Program Effectiveness,Barriers,Biological Sciences,Interpersonal Communication,Peer Teaching

An undergraduate research experience can provide a unique opportunity for students to learn and grow as scientists; when positive, this experience is often transformative and motivates students to pursue science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) graduate degrees or careers. Conversely, negative research experiences can sour a student's opinion of research, propagate misconceptions of graduate school, and lead to attrition from STEM fields. Negative research experiences can be equally devastating for faculty mentors and may result in reluctance to mentor future research students. Using a mentoring approach, which has traditionally translated to positive research experiences for hearing students, may not be as efficacious for mentoring d/Deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) research students, particularly when a communication mismatch is at play. Up until recently, most research has focused on how to understand and improve the learning environments for DHH students in the classroom. Here, we present several challenges and strategies associated with the undergraduate research experience for DHH students. The challenges and strategies outlined were derived from a pilot survey administered to DHH students who previously took part in undergraduate research. The preliminary strategies put forth by respondents will inform future mentoring and training efforts with the goals of enriching DHH students' research experiences and their pursuit of graduate STEM degrees or postgraduate careers in STEM.
Stemming on STEM: A STEM Education Framework for Students with Disabilities
Author: Hwang, Jiwon
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: STEM Education,Disabilities,Art Education,Inclusion,Interdisciplinary Approach,Teaching Methods,Problem Solving,Student Motivation

There has been increased attention paid to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics also known as STEM. The focus on STEM has been both educational and occupational. Unfortunately, students with disabilities perform below their peers without disabilities in math and science. The authors discuss issues related to STEM and students with disabilities. These issues include (1) traditional views of STEM education, (2) the importance of STEM education, and (3) students with disabilities performance in STEM. The authors posit a framework for STEM education for students with disabilities and promote the incorporation of the arts to increase students' STEM knowledge and achievement.
An Examination of Accessible Hands-on Science Learning Experiences, Self-Confidence in One&apos;s Capacity to Function in the Sciences, and Motivation and Interest in Scientific Studies and Careers
Author: Isaacson, Mick D.
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Learning Experience,Hands on Science,Self Esteem,Motivation,Science Interests,Science Careers,Science Instruction,Secondary School Students,STEM Education,Pretests Posttests,Science Activities,Student Attitudes,Visual Impairments,Blindness,Quasiexperimental Design,Likert Scales,Assistive Technology,Disabilities,Statistical Analysis

This study examined the potential relationship of accessible hands-on science learning experiences to the development of positive beliefs concerning one's capacity to function in the sciences and motivation to consider science as a college major and career. Findings from Likert survey items given before and after engaging in accessible hands-on science laboratories show that students who were blind or had low vision (BLV) were more likely to agree with the following items after engaging in accessible science experiences: 1) I plan on enrolling as a science major in college; 2) My educational experiences, so far, have given me the confidence that I need to decide on majoring in an area of science in college and then a career in science; 3) I feel that I have the skills needed to independently perform a lab activity in (on) ______; 4) I feel that I have the skills needed to independently start data collection during a lab activity in _____; 5) I feel that I have the skills needed to independently stop data collection on a lab activity in _____; 6) I was actively involved in data collection during the_____ lab. The Likert survey findings are consistent with the notion that accessible science activities may foster the development of self-beliefs that one has the capacity to independently function in scientific domains, which may promote an inclination to consider scientific pursuits. Insufficient accessible science learning experiences may contribute to the underrepresentation of individuals with disabilities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Providing accessible science learning activities may help to increase both the number of individuals who have disabilities and diversity in the STEM fields.
Students&apos; and Instructor&apos;s Perspective on the Use of Blackboard Platform for Delivering an Engineering Course
Author: Uziak, Jacek
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Integrated Learning Systems,Student Attitudes,Teacher Attitudes,Engineering Education,Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,College Students,College Faculty,Foreign Countries,Questionnaires,Blended Learning

The use of Information Technology (IT) has been growing over the years in various human endeavours. It has also been adopted in education sector for teaching and learning. Various studies have been conducted to assess the effectiveness and acceptance of e-learning strategy by students. In particular, the current research is an attempt to obtain students' and instructor's perspective on the use of Blackboard software. The technology is a course management system used in a blended learning mode to deliver a third year mechanical engineering course at the University of Botswana (UB). In terms of students' views, the study covered a period of nine years and the questionnaire survey was administered to each succeeding cohort of students. Whereas in terms of the instructor's perspective the motivation and the challenges faced during the years of use of the platform were described. Results indicate that students were generally comfortable with the use of Blackboard as they highly embraced it. Students indicate that their performance improved and communication with instructor was enhanced significantly. The respondents also recommended that Blackboard should be used in other courses in their programme of study. The instructor considered the time factor the most vital challenge related to the use of the platform. However, despite the challenges the application of the learning platform and the development of its material was a positive experience for the instructor and well received by the students.
Self-Efficacy of Students with Visual Impairments before and after Participation in an Inquiry-Based Camp
Author: Farrand, Kathleen
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Self Efficacy,Program Effectiveness,Science Instruction,Summer Programs,Inquiry,Age Differences,Elementary Secondary Education,Visual Impairments,Blindness,Student Surveys,Student Attitudes,Likert Scales,Pretests Posttests,Student Projects,Science Experiments

The purpose of this pilot study was to determine students' self-efficacy level prior to participation and after participation in an inquiry-based science camp to determine if self-efficacy levels changed as a result of participation. A validated instrument, the 30 item Morgan-Jinks Student Self-Efficacy Scale (MJSES) (Jinks &amp; Morgan, 1996) was used to identify the constructs of self-efficacy before and after the weeklong summer camp. The results suggest that the inquiry-based science camp had a positive impact on junior participants' academic self-efficacy and did not increase senior participants' academic self-efficacy.
Going on Safari: The Design and Development of an Early Years Literacy iPad Application to Support Letter-Sound Learning
Author: McKenzie, Sophie
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Emergent Literacy,Early Childhood Education,Instructional Design,Handheld Devices,Computer Oriented Programs,Alphabets,Reading Instruction,Foreign Countries,Phonics,Usability,Computer Literacy,Affordances,Data Analysis,Elementary School Students,Mixed Methods Research,Educational Games,Instructional Effectiveness,Outcomes of Education,Interviews

This paper explores the design, development and evaluation of an early childhood literacy iPad application, focusing on the English Alphabet, called &quot;A to Z Safari&quot; trialled in Australian classrooms. A to Z Safari was designed to assist students in the early years of schooling with learning the alphabet and building on their knowledge of letter-sounds. This paper details the process that led to the design and development of A to Z Safari and evaluates the success of the application (also known as &quot;app&quot;), using the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), from a classroom trial in 2015. Quantitative data from the app statistics gathered on student use, and qualitative interviews with classroom teachers explores how students and teachers received A to Z Safari. It was found that the design of A to Z Safari exhibited ease of use and usefulness for the target cohort in regards to gameplay and teacher support, however a number of updates need to be made to the app's functionality to satisfy future, larger scale use. Suggestions for those designing similar apps for use in classroom environments have been provided.
Ambiguity in Speaking Chemistry and Other STEM Content: Educational Implications
Author: Isaacson, Mick D.
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: STEM Education,Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,Blindness,Visual Impairments,Barriers,Chemistry,Learning Disabilities,Ambiguity (Semantics),Teaching Methods,Textbooks,Online Courses,Verbal Communication,Secondary School Science,College Science

Ambiguity in speech is a possible barrier to the acquisition of knowledge for students who have print disabilities (such as blindness, visual impairments, and some specific learning disabilities) and rely on auditory input for learning. Chemistry appears to have considerable potential for being spoken ambiguously and may be a barrier to accessing knowledge and to learning. Educators in chemistry may be unaware of, or have limited awareness of, potential ambiguity in speaking chemistry and may speak chemistry ambiguously to their students. One purpose of this paper is to increase awareness of potential ambiguity in speaking chemistry and other STEM fields and the ramifications of ambiguity. Another purpose is to introduce rules (known as MathSpeak) for non-ambiguous speaking of mathematics that could be adapted for use in chemistry. Reducing ambiguity in speaking chemistry may enhance learning of chemistry and could encourage students who have blindness, visual impairments, and/or other print disabilities to pursue careers in STEM fields.
Teaching Physics to Deaf College Students in a 3-D Virtual Lab
Author: Robinson, Vicki
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Physics,Science Instruction,Deafness,Teaching Methods,Computer Simulation,College Students,Computer Software,Scientific Concepts,Laboratory Experiments

Virtual worlds are used in many educational and business applications. At the National Technical Institute for the Deaf at Rochester Institute of Technology (NTID/RIT), deaf college students are introduced to the virtual world of Second Life, which is a 3-D immersive, interactive environment, accessed through computer software. NTID students use this virtual environment to practice concepts first encountered in the laboratory.
Paraeducators Transition from Silent Partners to Collaborators with Science Teachers in Urban Middle Schools
Author: Staples, Kimberly A.
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Paraprofessional Personnel,Science Instruction,Individualized Education Programs,Learning Disabilities,Emotional Disturbances,Behavior Disorders,Science Teachers,Inquiry,Scientific Concepts,Middle School Students,Faculty Development,Educational Change,Misconceptions,Mixed Methods Research,Diaries,Teaching Methods,Educational Strategies,Pretests Posttests,Self Efficacy,Measures (Individuals),Teacher Attitudes

Within middle school classrooms a diverse body of students require specialized instruction and science teachers with unique abilities to implement a reform-based science curriculum. To achieve the goal of success for all, students who are English language leaners and with exceptionalities, such as learning disabilities, and emotional and behavioral disorders, are often assigned paraeducators to support science learning. However, professional development often focuses on immersing paraeducators through a broad model of curricular modifications and general support strategies. This study reports findings of a three-year professional development project for middle level science teachers and paraeducators designed to increase science conceptual understanding and inquiry skills development. The overarching goals were to: 1) increase middle level science teachers ability to explain science concepts, and 2) develop paraeducator's ability to directly assist in delivering inquiry-based science for students with Individualized Educational Plans identified with learning disabilities and emotional and behavioral disorders. A total of 13 science teachers collaborated with 11 paraeducators to identify practices impeding reform-based science instruction, address misconceptions, and modify delivery of instruction and assessment. The model for collaborating with science teachers enabled paraprofessionals to experience science as inquiry and expand their understanding of the vital role paraeducators have in supporting science learning. This mixed methods research design utilized data collected from the STEBI-A [and modified version for paraeducators], RTOP, and reflective journals to determine project impact. Analyses of the data reveal change in conceptual understanding, perceptions, and methodologies by which teachers and paraeducators collaborate to implement science instruction. The model demonstrates strategies for shifting the paradigm of paraeducators as silent partners to active participants in teaching inquiry-based science in middle schools.
Primary School Students&apos; Views about Science, Technology and Engineering
Author: Pekmez, Esin
Date: 2018-01-23
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Student Attitudes,Elementary School Students,Science Education,Technology Education,Engineering Education,Grade 4,Grade 5,Grade 6,Urban Schools,Case Studies,College School Cooperation,Semi Structured Interviews,Knowledge Level,Foreign Countries,Learning Modules,Pretests Posttests,Definitions,Qualitative Research

Some of the main goals of science education are to increase students' knowledge about the technology and engineering design process, and to train students as scientifically and technologically literate individuals. The main purpose of this study is to find out primary students' views about science, technology and engineering. For this aim and in order to increase students' knowledge and understanding of science, technology and engineering, a module named &quot;Engineering and Technology Lessons for Children&quot; developed by the Museum of Science was applied to 88 students who were in 4, 5 and 6th grades. The science topic was &quot;balance and forces&quot;, and the engineering field was &quot;civil engineering&quot;. The module took five days and consisted of interactive teaching techniques such as experiments, science trips, observations, creative drama and designing. Out of these 88, 23 students took part in interviews to find out their views about science, technology, and engineering in detail. The students were attending a comprehensive primary school in an urban district of Izmir, which is the third biggest city in Turkey. Specifically, this school was chosen since it was a sister school to the university which means the university and the school had an agreement on benefiting from each other's competences and facilities. Since the school was a sister school it was a convenience sample and this was the main reason for choosing these students. This study is a case study survey type of research and is also a simple descriptive design. As an instrument, a semi-structured interview was used. According to the results of the analysis of the data, after implementing the module, students' awareness in terms of science, technology and engineering increased.