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LIBERATING
THE UNIVERSE: MAKING ASTRONOMY ACCESSIBLE TO ALL STUDENTS A
pioneering NASA education program strives to make astronomy accessible to all
students, including the disabled. The program brings together existing internet
technology and other tools to open the Universe to students who would otherwise
be denied the experience due to their physical or cognitive challenges. It is
funded by NASA through the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) with the
participation of the elementary school system in Howard County, Md. "We
discovered that our program benefits all students, regardless of whether they
have a disability or not, because it capitalizes on the innate curiosity of children,
and it is carefully tailored to their development level," said Dr. Carol
Grady, a National Optical Astronomy Observatory researcher stationed at NASA's
Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. Grady is the Science Lead for the
program, and became involved after her son, who has special needs, expressed an
interest in her work with the Hubble Space Telescope on planet formation and stellar
evolution. "The
advances in astronomy over the last hundred years are one of humanity's greatest
cultural achievements, and I did not want kids like my son to get the message
that activities like this are not open to them," said Grady. "This can
happen so easily that it's inadvertent - for example, if someone sets up a telescope
in a field with rough terrain, it automatically rules out participation by those
in wheelchairs." The
team uses existing internet technology and simple tools because teachers are under
constant time and budget pressure. Many schools already have computers with internet
connections, so the program leverages existing technology investments. The new
approach is that the technology is tested, evaluated, and combined in a way that
enriches the learning experience for all students and is easy for teachers to
implement. For
example, a basic astronomy lesson is that the Earth is spherical. Current educational
approaches simply give this information to students, either in a lecture or a
book. However, disabled students may not be able to easily read the book or comprehend
the lecture. Instead, Grady identified web cameras around the world that show
live pictures of the local landscape. She then has a teacher ask the children
to look at the pictures, note the time, and whether it's day or night. Then the
teachers ask what shape would best fit their observations. Since the lesson is
based on pictures, students who have trouble with text or lectures can participate
fully. Since the lesson begins with observations and leads to a conclusion, it
teaches the scientific method and kindles the children's natural inquisitiveness,
benefiting all. "Since
reading and writing is emphasized in all curriculum areas, modifications and alternatives
need to be provided for students who have difficulty with reading and writing,"
said Nancy Farley, an Occupational Therapist with Howard County Public Schools.
Examples provided through the program include devices to assist visually impaired
students, such as spheres with the continents raised, and technology that enables
students to hear the text on websites and other reading material. "The technology
also helps to break down the writing tasks into more manageable steps for the
students. As a result, the students are less reluctant to engage in the interactive
activities in the space science curriculum since the reading and writing tasks
are no longer overwhelming to them," said Farley. The
team chose elementary-school-age children so they could get assistive technology
to them before frustration with their disability led the students to give up attempting
to learn. Additionally, classes for such students tend to be smaller, so more
time and attention can be devoted to testing new learning approaches. Other schools,
such as the Prince Georges County school system in Md., have expressed interest
in the program, and the techniques can be adapted to other subjects. "The
project is the result of interdisciplinary collaboration, including general educators,
special educators, assistive technology specialists, and scientists," said
Farley. The National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) is operated by the Association
of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA), Inc., under a cooperative agreement
with the National Science Foundation. The Space Telescope Science Institute is
operated by AURA, for NASA, under contract with the Goddard Space Flight Center,
Greenbelt, MD. The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation
between NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA). Back
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