Article pubs.acs.org/jchemeduc
Assessing the Educational Effectiveness of Films of Chemical Experiments for Educating Deaf−Mute Junior High and High School Students Piotr Jagodziński and Robert Wolski* Faculty of Chemistry, Department of Chemistry Education, Adam Mickiewicz University, 60-780 Poznań, Poland S Supporting Information *
ABSTRACT: Experimentation plays an important role in chemical education. It is the key to understanding and confirming the laws of nature. Students with physical disabilities face obstacles in laboratory activities related, among other things, to problems with understanding of many laws and theories. For this reason, the authors pay particular attention to the factors contributing to the limitations experienced in these activities. Research has been conducted on the impact of various factors that facilitate the understanding of information among deaf−mute and hard of hearing students in a junior high school and a high school. A methodology for the creation and use of didactic films demonstrating chemical experiments to students with hearing and speech disability has been developed and presented. The impact of these films on absorption and retention of knowledge and their educational efficacy in the chemical education of deaf and deaf−mute students has been assessed. Particular attention is paid to the role of the sign language interpreter in the educational process. It is shown that the use of specially developed films creates conditions enabling deaf−mute and hard of hearing students to obtain similar educational results as students without these disabilities. KEYWORDS: Laboratory Instruction, Multimedia-Based Learning, Elementary/Middle School Science, High School/Introductory Chemistry, Student-Centered Learning FEATURE: Chemical Education Research
T
For students who are deaf or hard of hearing, this barrier to information gathering and interaction is why their development of cognitive ability is difficult and often limited. This limitation, however, motivates many disabled students to work out mechanisms that activate cognitive, intellectual, and adaptation skills ensuring adequate occupational development and functioning.1,2 The results of research conducted among deaf−mute and hard of hearing students in junior high school and high school, focusing on chemistry teaching, allow assessment of some aspects of the cognitive ability of students with impaired hearing in comparison to their hearing and speaking peers. In the opinion of many scientists, people without the ability to receive auditory stimuli through the organ of hearing are deemed deaf. According to those scientists, all deaf people cannot hear, although some can speak. Those students who were deaf from birth or suffered early hearing loss and consequently have not learned to speak by way of usual social contact with others or in the course of education are considered deaf−mute.3,4
o understand the difficulties in teaching an experimental subject such as chemistry and to attempt to increase the effectiveness of chemistry teaching to students with speech and hearing disabilities, it is necessary to understand the basic issues related to the cognitive abilities and mental capacity of students with speech and hearing disabilities. These issues are indicated only briefly here. In the natural sciences, including chemistry, people use different ways to acquire knowledge about the world around us, about the structure and properties of matter. However, the most important means students use is their informative contact with the outside world. This informative contact with the environment is ensured by well functioning receptors through which the collection of information begins. If one sense is damaged, a person’s typical interactions with reality are disrupted, causing disruptions in the ways that person can gather information and interact with the world. This is the experience of people with a damaged sense of hearing. People who hear nothing at all have no sense of sounds, rhythms, and, above all, they do not hear speech with all its intellectual and emotional richness. Human cognitive ability enables not only the receiving and processing of information, but also adaptation to the environment and influence on the environment, which is very important in chemistry teaching. © 2012 American Chemical Society and Division of Chemical Education, Inc.
Published: July 13, 2012 1122
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TEACHING CONSIDERATIONS FOR STUDENTS WHO ARE DEAF−MUTE AND HARD-OF-HEARING
Article
THE DIDACTIC FILM AND ITS FUNCTIONS Visualizing educational content is a very important aspect of modern education. Didactic films significantly help teachers wanting to enrich their lessons’ didactic setting. Using film in teaching can serve the following functions: illustrating, providing background, verifying, practicing, consolidating, instructing, and controlling. In pedagogical work, the effective use of film depends on knowledge of the film’s content, as well as its function, structure, and the particular methods applied in schoolwork. The didactic film used in this study enables the approximation of chemical phenomena by students and prepares students to properly set up, accomplish, and explain chemical experiments that they themselves conduct.13−16 Tools used in the preparation of the films are described in the Supporting Information.
While considering the visual perception of deaf−mute students, it is important to note that the process of acquiring cognitive experiences is different from that of hearing students. The experience of reality by deaf students is based mainly on visual sensations. However, the senses of smell, touch, taste, and vibration are also engaged.5 Memory as Challenge and Opportunity
Memory is an important issue in teaching chemistry to deaf− mute students. It appears that oral memory does not develop or function in deaf−mute students as it does in hearing students. In line with the dominance of visual perception in cognitive activities, visual thinking is dominant also in memories and imagination.6 It was once believed that the distinct cognitive circumstances of deaf and hard of hearing students, with considerable preference for visual content, led to better results in visual memory in comparison with hearing persons. Numerous studies conducted in the United States and Europe have not confirmed that opinion.7 Current research suggests that, for example, deaf−mute and hard of hearing students confuse similar objects to a greater degree than hearing students, which leads to a less exact recognition and recall of those objects. Numerous studies have confirmed that the short-term memory of deaf students depends on visual−spatial stimuli coding, whereas in hearing students, temporal−sequential coding occurs.8 Research on verbal memory, also called semantic memory, of people who are deaf−mute and the hard of hearing is divided according to memorization material into these categories: words and mime-sign marker memorization; sentence memorization; and text memorization. Studies have shown that the verbal memory of deaf−mute and hard of hearing students develops intensively between the 4th and 10th years of schooling. This is similar to hearing students. The difference was stated in word memorization. Research shows that deaf students are typically better at memorizing sign markers than words. Deaf−mute students are better at organizing signs than words into logical groups.9−11
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RESEARCH METHODOLOGY The purpose of this study was to assess the role of films in teaching chemistry to hearing-impaired students using signing, text subtitles, and narration in teaching chemistry, and to compare the effectiveness of these components to text subtitles and vocal narration in students without hearing impairments. Research was conducted in a junior high school and a high school for young people who are deaf−mute and hard of hearing. This study was conducted over four years because of the small numbers of deaf−mute and hard of hearing students in each class. A comparison study involving junior high school and high school students without speech and hearing disabilities was conducted in parallel. Two sets of four variations of films were produced: one for the hearing-impaired students and one for the students without speech and hearing disabilities. Tables 1 and 2 provide the details of the elements of each version. Table 1. Film Versions Shown to Students Who Are Deaf− Mute and Hard of Hearing Film Versions Film Components Sign language translation Descriptions of laboratory equipment, laboratory activities, and chemical nomenclature Subtitles instead of sign language Narration
The Role of Teaching in Molding Verbal Memory
Verbal memory is molded during the teaching of various subjects and in different everyday situations. The use and context of a certain vocabulary (conceptual) base transmits the meaning of that vocabulary. At the same time, specific terminology belonging to the area of knowledge in question is identified. The learning process involves constant transfer from short-term to long-term memory. This requires short breaks while the information is absorbed and committed to memory. Students remember little, even after interesting classes, if information flows too quickly. Of particular importance in the process of memorizing new lesson material is its association with facts that are already known. For deaf− mute students, visual association should be the basis of learning and training of visual, situational, and verbal memory. Events presented in the form of pictures in a film sequence are memorized better than when presented only in written or oral form.12
A
B
C
D
+ +
− +
+ −
− +
− +
− +
− +
+ +
Table 2. Film Versions Shown to Students without Speech and Hearing Disabilities Film Versions Film Components Narration Descriptions of laboratory equipment, laboratory activities, and chemical nomenclature Subtitles instead of narration
A
B
C
D
+ +
− +
+ −
− +
−
−
−
+
Demographics of the Student Groups
Students were randomly divided into research groups. In the case of deaf−mute and hard of hearing junior high school and high school students, group I worked with the full version of the film, film A; group II worked with version B of the film; group III worked with version C; and the control group, group IV, worked with version D. 1123
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ethene receiving in the laboratory; ethene combustibility investigation; search for double bonding in hydrocarbon particles; acetylene particle modeling; acetylene receiving and acetylene properties search; and hydrogen as an alternative energy source.
Junior high school and high school students without speech and hearing disabilities were also divided into research groups. Students in group 1 worked with the full version of the film, film A; group 2 worked with version B; group 3 worked with version C; and group 4 worked with version D. The school research involving deaf−mute and hard of hearing students was conducted over four years between September 2005 and June 2009. In total, 84 students from junior high school and 78 students from high school took part in this research. The age of the junior high school students who took part in the research ranged from 13 to 15 years of age. The high school students involved were between 16 and 18 years old. Table 3 provides a synopsis of this information.
Assessment
Before the films were shown, the initial level of the students’ knowledge was assessed through a pretest. Next, the students participated in a cycle of lessons in the subjects outlined above. Following the cycle, they had to complete a posttest exercise to determine their knowledge level. Both tests consisted of 12 questions that corresponded to the taxonomy of educational objectives categories. Bloom’s taxonomy of educational objectives, which relies upon the introduction of educational targets, was used as the initial basis to enable a precise and unambiguous description of students’ abilities.17 However, this research used Niemierka’s educational targets taxonomy, called the “ABCD taxonomy”. It corresponds to Bloom’s taxonomy, but is adapted to chemistry education targets.18 Each taxonomic category corresponded to three test exercises. Details about the ABCD taxonomy are included in the Supporting Information. Students received 1 point for each correct answer. We added points from each pretest at the beginning of the research and posttest at the end. Therefore, the sets of exercises from each of the educational targets’ taxonomic categories had equal values of 3 points, giving a total of 12 points. Three months after the final test, students completed a retest to determine the durability of their knowledge, which was measured by decrease in knowledge. The exercises in the retest and their multiplechoice answers were the same as the posttest exercises, but were put in a different order.
Table 3. Distribution of Students Who Are Deaf−Mute and Hard of Hearing Taking Part in This Research by Experimental and Control Groups Experimental Groups Research Year
I
1 2 3 4 Total
6 5 6 5 22
1 2 3 4 Total
1 4 4 5 5 18
II
Control Group III
IV
Junior High School Students, N = 84 5 6 5 4 5 5 6 5 6 5 6 4 20 22 20 High School Students, N = 78 2 3 4 6 4 5 5 4 4 7 5 6 5 4 5 23 17 20
Data Analysis
To make calculations, the average number of points received by students from the experimental and control groups was determined. On the basis of the average values of the students’ results, the standard deviation and median were calculated. The standard deviation value was used to plot the distribution of results. The median was also determined to indicate the middle result. Next, the increase in knowledge of the students in the groups was calculated. To do this, the sum of points received in the pretest was subtracted from the sum of points received in the posttest. Calculations were done separately for the each group. Thereafter, educational effectiveness was calculated by subtracting the value of knowledge increase in group I from the value of knowledge increase in groups II, III, and IV. This result was then divided by the value of knowledge increase in the group I and multiplied by 100 to obtain a percentage value. For example: ([I − II]/I) × 100% = educational effectiveness. The same procedure was used to determine the knowledge increase and educational effectiveness for each of the individual educational targets’ taxonomic categories. Furthermore, knowledge decrease was determined by subtracting the sum of points received in the retest from the sum of points received in the posttest. The results were divided by the sum of points received in the retest and multiplied by 100 to obtain a percentage value. These indicators were submitted to statistical analysis: knowledge increase, educational effectiveness, and knowledge retention. It was then determined, using a χ2 test, whether the hypotheses of the research study were statistically significant. A survey was also conducted to establish the usefulness of the films. Answers to the survey’s questions were given by deaf−
Chemistry Topics of the Films
Before the research began, the junior high school students had learned about substance properties, atom building, types of chemical bonds, basic gases, water and water solutions, oxides, hydroxides, and acids. In the course of the research, the students watched films featuring chemical experiments from a unit on salts and afterward executed those experiments in the laboratory. The experiments conducted were the following: chemical reaction of sulfuric(VI) acid with magnesium; salt solution conduction treatment; chemical reaction of hydrochloric acid with sodium hydroxide; chemical reaction of sulfuric(IV) acid with potassium hydroxide; chemical reaction of calcium oxide with nitric(V) acid; chemical reaction of calcium oxide with calcium hydroxide; investigation of water solubility of salts; sediment precipitation of salts weakly soluble in water; chemical reaction of salts with acids; and chemical reaction of salts with water-soluble hydroxides. In the case of the research conducted in high school, students had some prior general knowledge of chemistry from junior high school and from the extended program of inorganic chemistry during the first two years of high school. During the pedagogical experiment, students watched films featuring experiments from a unit on hydrocarbons and then conducted them in the laboratory. The experiments executed were as follows: search for carbon presence in different substances; obtaining methane in laboratory; methane combustion; modeling of hydrocarbon particles; modeling of ethene particles; modeling of propene particles and butene particles; 1124
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Table 4. Distribution of Increase and Decrease of Knowledge and Educational Effectiveness Determined for Students from Junior High School with and without Speech and Hearing Disabilities Taxonomy of Educational Objectives Categories A, % Deafa
Groups a
C, %
D, %
Total, %
Hearingb
Deafa
Hearingb
Deafa
Hearingb
Deafa
Hearingb
Deafa
Hearingb
37 11
41 10
40 12
44 15
55 19
59 16
63 21
68 23
46 15
51 15
15 27
18 24
22 35
23 30
15 55
16 43
16 61
21 54
17 39
19 35
32 19
36 18
34 20
33 26
47 24
48 31
47 35
53 36
38 22
41 27
19 24
21 23
27 30
28 32
39 30
48 45
27 27
32 30
22 5 18
24 5 20
18 6 13
21 11 16
47 15 23
47 16 20
29 8 18
32 10 19
b
I; 1 (N = 22; N = 25) Knowledge Increase Knowledge Decrease II; 2 (Na = 20; Nb = 24) Knowledge Increase Knowledge Decrease III; 3 (Na = 22; Nb = 26) Knowledge Increase Knowledge Decrease IV; 4 (Na = 20; Nb = 23) Knowledge Increase Knowledge Decrease Pair of Groups I; IIa 1; 2b a I; III 1; 3b a I; IV 1; 4b a
B, %
35 40 25 25 Educational Effectiveness 40 43 8 11 20 19
Junior high school students with speech and hearing disabilities. bJunior high school students without hearing and speech disabilities.
Table 5. Distribution of Increase and Decrease of Knowledge and Educational Effectiveness Determined for Students from High School with and without Speech and Hearing Disabilities Taxonomy of Educational Objectives Categories A, % a
Groups a
Deaf
Hearing
b
a
C, %
Deaf
Hearing
b
a
D, %
Deaf
Hearing
b
a
Total, %
Deaf
Hearing
b
Deaf
a
Hearingb
b
I; 1 (N = 18; N = 22) Knowledge Increase Knowledge Decrease II; 2 (Na = 23; Nb = 21) Knowledge Increase Knowledge Decrease III; 3 (Na = 17; Nb = 24) Knowledge Increase Knowledge Decrease IV; 4 (Na = 20; Nb = 22) Knowledge Increase Knowledge Decrease Pair of Groups I; IIa 1; 2b a I; III 1; 3b a I; IV 1; 4b a
B, %
39 10
42 11
42 15
44 13
66 14
67 12
61 10
73 15
49 12
54 13
18 23
25 19
25 31
27 27
22 45
27 39
21 48
30 46
21 34
27 30
34 18
38 10
37 20
40 11
56 22
56 16
50 24
63 16
42 21
47 13
26 26
30 22
31 21
35 22
38 27
54 32
34 25
40 24
21 5 13
17 4 12
17 4 11
17 4 10
40 11 22
42 10 19
28 7 15
26 6 13
48 50 24 21 Educational Effectiveness 43 40 9 11 18 17
High school students with speech and hearing disabilities. bHigh school students without hearing and speech disabilities.
mute and hard of hearing students from the junior high school and high school where the research was conducted. The questions used in this survey can be found in the Supporting Information.
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students from junior high school are shown in Table 4 and results for students from high school are shown in Table 5. The data in Tables 4 and 5 show the increase and decrease of knowledge and educational effectiveness for all groups of students taking part in the pedagogical experiment. All the results are presented in percentage terms and are related to individual categories of the educational targets taxonomy (ABCD). Results for the combined taxonomic categories are also presented. Data in these tables show the educational effectiveness of films on the basis of the established groups: I− II, I−III, I−IV; and 1−2, 1−3, 1−4. Table 6 presents the survey results.
RESULTS
Research was conducted on the educational effectiveness of films featuring chemical experiments for students from junior high school and high school and on the role of sign language in films for deaf−mute students. Additionally, the influence of other factors on the level of understanding of the film’s contents was investigated. Research on students without speech and hearing disabilities was conducted in parallel. Results for 1125
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In general, however, those students came off 8% worse than students from group I (Table 4). The results of the high school students who are deaf−mute and hard of hearing are similar to the results of junior high school students with the same disabilities. The best results were recorded by students in group 1. Students in groups 2, 3, and 4 showed worse results than those in group 1. Removal of sign language caused a 28% decrease of the film’s educational effectiveness, whereas removing written descriptions of laboratory equipment, laboratory activities, and chemical reagents caused the film’s effectiveness to decrease by 7% (Table 5). Similar research was conducted among junior high school and high school students without speech and hearing disabilities. The films these students worked with featured the same experiments as for the deaf−mute and hard of hearing students. The results of the groups I and 1 are close to or the same as for the groups I and 1 of students with the disabilities discussed above. In comparing results of the control groups (whose students worked with films without voice narration) with results from other groups (whose students worked without sign language interpretation), small differences in the results of those groups were noted. It is evident that removing sign language interpretation for students with disabilities has a similar effect as removing vocal narration in the case of students without hearing disabilities. In both cases, one channel of information transfer was removed. In films in which written descriptions were removed, a minimal difference results. Both students with and without hearing disabilities reacted in similar ways to a lack of descriptions in the films. Thus, the removal of descriptions from films had a slight impact on the educational effectiveness of the films used in this research. A similar situation is found in the case of those versions of the films in which vocal narration and sign language interpretation were replaced with subtitles. Subtitles increased distraction to the same degree for students who are deaf−mute and hard of hearing and students without those disabilities. Students’ concentration on more than one element of information has an unfavorable influence on the perception of information. All the results and examined relationships were subjected to a statistical analysis to confirm the assumed hypothesis. To do this, the statistical significance of differences was determined using a χ2 test. Test results confirmed, in all cases, that differences in results between group I and groups II, III, and IV of deaf−mute and hard of hearing students were statistically significant. A similar situation occurs in the case of group 1 and groups 2, 3, and 4. However, the comparison of results of groups I and 1 of students with and without hearing disabilities using the χ2 independence test did not indicate any difference in all cases. Therefore, it can be concluded that the deaf−mute and hard of hearing students were receiving statistically the same results as the students without those disabilities. After the pedagogical experiment was concluded, deaf−mute and hard of hearing students from groups I and 1 answered questions from the survey. They stated that the inclusion of sign language in films featuring chemical experiments is very useful and facilitates understanding of the experiments conducted. In the students’ opinion, a slower pace of the commentary is appropriate and additional information in the form of written descriptions facilitates understanding of the experiments. Students indicated that the information presented
Table 6. Survey Results of Students Who Are Deaf−Mute and Hard of Hearing from Junior High School and High School Students Choosing Survey Responses A, B, or C (N = 162) Response A, %
Response B, %
Response C, %
Question
Junior High School
High School
Junior High School
High School
Junior High School
High School
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
64 71 7 86 100 64 71 100 100 57
83 96 29 96 100 100 79 88 88 75
29 29 93 14 0 36 29 0 0 14
17 0 67 4 0 0 21 13 13 25
7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 29
0 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
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DISCUSSION OF RESULTS The best results among the deaf−mute and hard of hearing students who participated in the research were achieved in group I. Students from this group worked with version A of the films, that is, the full version with sign language translation. Groups II, III, and IV demonstrated worse results (Table 4). The poorest results came from group II; these students worked with films without sign language interpretation. However, the closest results to those of the group I were achieved by group III, the students of which worked with films without descriptions of chemical reagents, laboratory equipment, and laboratory activities. Exceptionally good results, especially in the taxonomic categories C and D (i.e., problem-solving activities) were achieved by students in group I. The elimination of sign language interpretation explaining the experiments brought a significant decline in knowledge increase in groups II and IV, respectively, and thus caused a decrease in the educational effectiveness of the films. Replacement of sign language interpretation with subtitles did not bring the expected results, as the educational effectiveness of the film only slightly improved. It had been expected that the replacement of sign language interpretation with subtitles would bring the same results at a lower cost of production. Production of a film with subtitles requires less time and simpler tools. Production involving sign language interpretation requires additional filming of the sign language interpreter in silhouette and the use of special tools to place this silhouette in the films in synchronization with the chemical experiments. However, it appears that results achieved by students from group IV are worse than the results of group I. In particular, a large difference in educational targets’ taxonomic categories C and D (problem solving) can be observed. The use of sign language interpretation distracts deaf−mute and hard of hearing students’ attention to a lesser degree than subtitles. The results suggest that students who are deaf−mute and hard of hearing are used to the presence of a sign language interpreter in multimedia material, especially as lessons are conducted with the use of sign language by teachers. Removal of the names of laboratory equipment, laboratory activities, and chemical substances does not demonstrate a significant impact on the students’ results. The greatest differences were observed in taxonomic categories C and D. 1126
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in sign language was clear and legible and they expressed preference for the inclusion of sign language interpretation in all didactic multimedia materials. Students confirmed that all special film versions shown to them could be used to convey instructions in preparation for the execution of experiments in a chemical laboratory. Thanks to the films, most students could correctly execute the planned chemical experiments. However, students commented that the number of descriptions should be further increased and the sign language commentary should be extended. Additionally, one-third of junior high school students suggested the pace of information transfer in films should be further slowed down.
REFERENCES
(1) Woods, M. In Working Chemists with Disabilities, Expanding Opportunities in Science; Blumenkopf, T. A. et al., Eds.; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1996. (2) Jenny, B. Laboratories for All: Children with Disabilities Are Out in the Cold When It Comes to Doing Science Experiments. A New Generation of Gadgets Is Now Bringing Them in to the School of Laboratory. The New Scientist 1990, 126 (1720), 47−51. (3) Lang, H. G.; Propp, G. Science Education for Hearing Impaired Students: State of the Art. Am. Ann. Deaf 1982, 127 (7), 860−869. (4) Lang, H. G.; Stinson, M. S.; Basile, M.; Kavanagh, F.; Liu, Y. Learning Styles of Deaf College Students and Teaching Behaviors of Their Instructors. J. Deaf Stud. Deaf Educ. 1998, 4, 16−27. (5) Myklebust, H. R. The Psychology of Deafness, 2nd ed.; Grune and Stratton, Inc.: New York, 1964. (6) Myklebust, H. R.; Bruten, M. A Study of Visual Perception of Deaf Children. Acta Otolaryngol. 1953, 43 (S105), 116−126. (7) Dye, M. W. G.; Hauser, P. C.; Bavelier, D. Deaf Cognition: Visual Attention in Deaf Children and Adults, Oxford Scholarship Online Monographs; Oxford University Press: Oxford, U.K., 2008. (8) Blanton, R. L.; Nunnally, J. C.; Odom, P. B. Graphemic, Phonetic, and Associative Factors in the Verbal Behavior of Deaf and Hearing Subjects. J. Speech Hear. Res. 1967, 10, 225−231. (9) Colin, D.; Paivio, A. The Associative Learning of the Deaf: The Effects of Word Imagery and Signability. Mem. Cognition 1975, 3, 333−340. (10) Bonvillian, J. D. Effects of Signability and Imagery on Word Recall of Deaf and Hearing Students. Percept. Mot. Skills 1983, 56, 775−791. (11) Marschark, M.; DeBeni, R.; Pollazo, M. G.; Cornoldi, C. Deaf and Hearing-Impaired Adolescents’ Memory for Concrete and Abstract Prose: Effects of Relational and Distinctive Information. Am. Ann. Deaf 1993, 38, 31−39. (12) Fontana, D. Psychology for Teachers, 3rd ed.; Palgrave Macmillan: New York, 1995. (13) Dowyer, F. M. An Experiment in Visual Learning at the Eleventh-Grade Level. J. Exp. Educ. 1968, 2, 1−6. (14) Gerlovich, J.; Parsa, R.; Frana, B.; Drew, V.; Stiner, T. J. Iowa Acad. Sci. 2003, 109, 61−66. (15) Laroche, L. H.; Wulfsberg, G.; Young, B. J. Chem. Educ. 2003, 80, 962−966. (16) Burnett, W. T., Jr.; Lion, D. H. J. Chem. Educ. 1977, 54, 243− 244. (17) Bloom, B. S.; Engelhart, M. D.; Furst, E. J.; Hill, W. H.; Kratwohl, D. R. Taxonomy of Educational Objectives; The Classification of Educational Goals. Handbook 1: Cognitive Domain; David McKay: New York, 1956. (18) Czupiał, K.; Niemierko, B. Methodology of Chemical Testing; WSiP: Warszawa, Poland, 1977.
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SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS It would appear that people who are deaf−mute and hard of hearing should not have any problems with absorbing information, especially in visual form, transferred by educational films. However, chemistry teachers working with young people who are deaf−mute and hard of hearing informed us that didactic tools, including films, did not always fulfill the functions assigned to them. In particular, the pace of information transfer in educational films is too fast and there is no commentary in sign language. The fast pace of the narration did not, in many cases, allow correct perception of information by hard-of-hearing students. Our research concentrated on the use of educational films featuring chemical experiments in teaching students who are deaf−mute and hard of hearing. This research proved conclusively that better results were attained by using special film versions. Chemical experiments run with sign language and identifying laboratory equipment, laboratory activities, and chemical nomenclature, as well as a slower pace of information transfer by voice narration with clear intonation, resulted in better perception of transferred knowledge. This was connected with better results demonstrated by students in comparison to those who did not benefit from interpretation into sign language. It is particularly worth noting that the introduction of a special version of the films for students who are deaf−mute and hard of hearing allowed them to demonstrate learning results close to those of students not burdened with those disabilities. This creates an opportunity for intellectual development, at least in chemistry teaching, on a similar level to junior high school and high school students without speech and hearing disabilities. It also opens the possibility of further education for students who are deaf−mute and hard of hearing in courses where chemistry is one of the basic subjects.
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Article
ASSOCIATED CONTENT
S Supporting Information *
Tools used in the preparation of the films; details about Niemierka’s ABCD taxonomy; survey questions. This material is available via the Internet at http://pubs.acs.org.
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AUTHOR INFORMATION
Corresponding Author
*E-mail:
[email protected]. Notes
The authors declare no competing financial interest. 1127
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