STEM Learning of Complexity via Sonification by People who are Blind – A Case Study (Orly Lahav, Noha Chagab and Vadim Talis) Interactive Technologies and Games (ITAG) Conference 2015 Health, Disability and EducationDates: Thursday 22 October 2015 - Friday 23 October 2015 Location: The Council House, NG1 2DT

1. STEM Learning of
Complexity via
Sonification by Blind
People
Lahav, O., Chagab, N., & Talis, V.,
School of Education, Tel
Aviv University, Israel

2. • Students who are blind have been integrated
into public schools and are required to
complete the same curriculum as sighted
students
• Difficulties to access information in the
exploratory learning of science
2
The Central Need

3. Agent-based modeling that simulates complex
dynamic systems
The NetLogo (Wilensky, 1999)
3
Technology

4. • Low cost
• Transmittal of visual information to auditory
feedback
• Sonification of dynamic and complex systems
• Sonification of variables and events
• Agent-based NetLogo computer model of gas
in a container (collisions, pressure)
4
Listen 2 Complexity

5. 5
L2C
Gas in a Container

6. • What scientific conceptual knowledge and
systems reasoning were learned as a result of
interaction with the L2C environment among
people who are blind as it appears in their
answers to the pre- and post-test?
• What scientific knowledge was learned as a result
of interaction with the L2C environment by
people who are blind?
6
Research Q.

7. A., a woman, 34 years old who is adventitiously
blind
7
Method

8. • Scientific conceptual knowledge of contained
gas particles
(a particle’s behavior, the number of particles in
the container, temperature, volume & pressure)
• Reasoning in terms of complex systems
(interactions at the micro or macro levels; type
of decentralized or centralized control)
(Levy & Wilensky, 2008)
8
Method
Variables

9. • L2C Learning materials
• Background questionnaire
• Pre- and post-test questionnaires
• Research protocol
9
Method
Instrumentation

10. • Sonified NetLogo model
• Connected Chemistry curriculum (206
questions: 62 open-ended questions and 144
multiple-choice questions)
• Curriculum based on text-to-speech file and
Braille, followed by tactile images
10
Method
Learning Materials

11. • Modeling a bicycle tire
• Experimenting with particles
• Kinetic Molecular Theory of Gas
• Pressure
• Changing pressure
• Diffusion
• Atmospheric pressure and gravitational force
11
Method
CC Curriculum

12. • A. worked and was observed individually
• Research consisted of ten sessions (60
minutes each; 5-8 weeks)
Background questionnaire
Pre-test questionnaire
Connected Chemistry curriculum
Post-test questionnaire
12
Method
Process

13. 13
Results
Participant knowledge in pre & post-test
Open-ended questions
15%
Multiple-
choice
questions
85%
Sum
100%
Diffusion Atmospheric
pressure &
gravitational
force
Changing
pressure
Pre-test 3% 2% 2% 39% 46%
Post-test 4% 4% 3% 77% 88%

14. 14
Results
A. performance during the learning activities
Learning activities Open-ended
questions
Multiple-choice
questions
Sum
Modeling a bicycle tire 59% 100% 77%
Experimenting with particles 100% 83% 91%
KMT of gas 100% 100% 100%
Pressure macroscopic and
microscopic concepts 75% 100% 90%
Changing pressure 77% 83% 81%
Diffusion 82% 95% 91%
Atmospheric pressure and
gravitational force 98% 67% 89%
Sum 81% 87% 85%

15. A. At the first session had a lot of concerns to
not succeed because of her lack of knowledge.
A.: "I am not suitable for this study"
During the study A. commented that she
understands and loves the learning subject and
find it interesting not only in science but in
everyday life.
15
Results

16. A.: "I was pleased to participate in this research
in spite of all the concerns that I had. The subject
is interesting and the integration of the software
helped me to understand."
16
Results

17. • Conceptual Learning of Complexity via
Sonification – Relative benefits to learning
through sonified feedback for blind students
with respect to learning through visual
feedback for sighted people
• L2C versus Standard Learning Materials
17
Conclusion
Future Research

18. Thank you
Any questions?
lahavo@post.tau.ac.il