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Dissertation Final_rev 3_Koehler.pdf (941.38 KB)

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Examining the Conceptual Understandings of Geoscience Concepts of Students with Visual Impairments: Implications of 3-D Printing

Koehler, Karen E
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1494273823844707

Abstract Details

2017, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, EDU Teaching and Learning.
The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the use of 3-D printed models as an instructional tool in a middle school science classroom for students with visual impairments and compare their use to traditional tactile graphics for aiding conceptual understanding of geoscience concepts. Specifically, this study examined if the students’ conceptual understanding of plate tectonics was different when 3-D printed objects were used versus traditional tactile graphics and explored the misconceptions held by students with visual impairments related to plate tectonics and associated geoscience concepts. Interview data was collected one week prior to instruction and one week after instruction and throughout the 3-week instructional period and additional ata sources included student journals, other student documents and audio taped instructional sessions. All students in the middle school classroom received instruction on plate tectonics using the same inquiry-based curriculum but during different time periods of the day. One group of students, the 3D group, had access to 3-D printed models illustrating specific geoscience concepts and the group of students, the TG group, had access to tactile graphics illustrating the same geoscience concepts. The videotaped pre and post interviews were transcribed, analyzed and coded for conceptual understanding using constant comparative analysis and to uncover student misconceptions. All student responses to the interview questions were categorized in terms of conceptual understanding. Analysis of student journals and classroom talk served to uncover student mental models and misconceptions about plate tectonics and associated geoscience concepts to measure conceptual understanding. A slight majority of the conceptual understanding before instruction was categorized as no understanding or alternative understanding and after instruction the larger majority of conceptual understanding was categorized as scientific or scientific with fragments. Most of the participants in the study increased their scientific understandings of plate tectonics and other geoscience concepts and held more scientific understandings after instruction than before instruction. All students had misconceptions before the instructional period began, but the number of misconceptions were fewer after the instructional period. Students in the TG group not only had fewer misconceptions than the 3D group before instruction, but also after instruction. Many of the student misconceptions were similar to those held by students with typical vision; however, some were unique to students with visual impairments. One unique aspect of this study was the examination of student mental models, which had not previously been done with students with visual impairments, but is more commonplace in research on students with typical vision. Student mental models were often descriptive rather than explanatory, often incorporating scientific language, but not clearly showing that the student had a complete grasp of the concept. Consistent with prior research, the use of 3-D printed models instead of tactile graphics seemed to make little difference either positively or negatively on student conceptual understanding; however, the participants did interact with the 3-D printed models differently, sometimes gleaning additional information from them. This study also provides additional support for inquiry-based instruction as an effective means of science instruction for students with visual impairments.
Tiffany Wild (Advisor)
Mollie Blackburn (Committee Member)
Lin Ding (Committee Member)
162 p.
Education; Geology; Middle School Education; Plate Tectonics; Science Education; Teaching
3-D Printing; visual impairments; science; inquiry-based; misconceptions; conceptual understanding; mental models; classroom talk; classroom instruction; plate tectonics; geoscience; tactile graphics; conceptual change

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Koehler, K. E. (2017). Examining the Conceptual Understandings of Geoscience Concepts of Students with Visual Impairments: Implications of 3-D Printing [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1494273823844707

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Koehler, Karen. Examining the Conceptual Understandings of Geoscience Concepts of Students with Visual Impairments: Implications of 3-D Printing. 2017. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1494273823844707.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Koehler, Karen. "Examining the Conceptual Understandings of Geoscience Concepts of Students with Visual Impairments: Implications of 3-D Printing." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1494273823844707

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

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© 2017, some rights reserved.Creative Commons License Examining the Conceptual Understandings of Geoscience Concepts of Students with Visual Impairments: Implications of 3-D Printing by Karen E Koehler is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Based on a work at etd.ohiolink.edu.
This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.