TEACHING PHYSICAL GEOLOGY TO THE VISUALLY DISABLED: A REVISED LAB MANUAL AND TEACHING GUIDE

Geology is very much a visual science and because of this, we have modified our current laboratory manual to accommodate students with visual disabilities. The new teaching format draws on the teaching method called EMBed^©, which uses physical Examples, Map assessment methods and feasible Body demonstrations. This method is intended to enable any instructor (including graduate and undergraduate teaching assistants) to teach visually disabled student(s) based on this using the current lab manual. The revised manual is set up like the original lab manual but with step-by-step methods, instructions, exercises, diagrams with pictures and interpretations with cues for the instructor to use on complex teaching problems using the EMBed^© teaching method. There are also sections on supplies needed, suppliers and probable cost of these supplies. The individual labs each have materials needed to teach the labs that can be ordered for minimal costs or found in a regular lab class and collections on campus. These processes and materials used are detailed for each individual lab with an appendix on using different styles of the EMBed^© method at the end for each chapter.

This presentation will highlight how the manual is designed to help the novice or seasoned instructor roll thru the teaching process of working with a visually disabled student. This guide will also give them the mastery skills in teaching the visually disabled without stumbling by having to improvise from scratch in a current lab format. This framework will enable other institutions introductory help on setting up a basic lab course or geology lab for teaching the visually disabled using this lab manual. It is hoped that this manual / teaching guide will enable any instructor to be able to organize with minimal cost a lab to enable a visually disabled student to enjoy the learning of geology.