USE OF TACTILE IMAGES PRODUCED FOR STUDENTS WITH VISUAL IMPAIRMENT TO ENHANCE LEARNING OF ALL STUDENTS

The need for tactile images in geoscience became apparent to us when students with visual impairment enrolled in the core geoscience courses (physical and historical geology). Beginning with the use of "puffy" paint to reproduce drawings the process has progressed to the use of software (primarily TIGER embosser) to produce raised drawings that depict images required to convey concepts. Other models in use include those constructed from clay, wood, paper or other suitable materials. We have found that these are beneficial not only to visually impaired students, but also to all students for they represent, simplistically, the three dimensionality of solids and their spatial relationship that must be interpreted from two dimensional arrays of symbols on sheeted presentations. With a few simple modifications, certain tactile models can be utilized with any student who struggles with visual concepts such as interpretation of contour lines, measurement of stream gradient, recognition of landforms or the rectangular coordinate system. Constructions of topographic elements on corkboard by students, for example, enhance their understanding of topographic contours. Students construct a contour map from elevation data at numbered stations on a base map. Push pins are inserted at strategic elevation points and wire is wrapped around these points to represent the trace of the contour line on the map. This provides a clearer understanding of how contour maps are constructed and how they symbolically represent the shape, spatial distribution, relief and slope gradient over the representative land surface. Other activities may elucidate the measurement of stream gradient and comprehension of the rectangular coordinate system employed by most topographic maps. In this presentation we will discuss some of the activities streamlined to enhance the comprehension of these more difficult visual concepts necessary for the introductory student to master to understand and interpret topographic maps. Concepts initially designed for visually impaired students seem to naturally meld with universal design.