[nabs-l] [SPAM?] STEM Classes in a Large Lecture Setting

[Arielle Silverman]

Hi Miso,
I majored in biology and took several bio, chem and stats courses in
large lectures. I personally found that the vast majority of graphical
material was not necessary for me to learn because it was redundant
with the spoken lecture, textbook or both. I was able to earn high
grades in these courses by simply listening to the lectures and
keeping up with textbook reading. Occasionally maybe about 10% of the
time, something in a diagram was actually distinct from the verbal
part of the course. When that happened, a quick discussion with the
prof or TA's in office hours always cleared it up.
Some blind students like to have readers or DSS make them tactile
diagrams. If it helps you learn and your school provides that service,
go ahead. My school provided tactile diagrams but I did not find them
at all helpful. Instead I preferred to have the prof describe
essential information. But everybody is different.
Generally, remember that sighted people usually rely on diagrams and
charts much more than we do, so sighted professors tend to make a
bigger deal about the value of their diagrams than is usually
warranted.

Best,
Arielle

On 9/24/14, Suzanne Germano via nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> I know at my school they will make diagrams tactile. I took a digital logic
> design course with wiring diagrams based on color and they offered to make
> them tactile for me.
>
> On Wed, Sep 24, 2014 at 10:44 PM, Miso Kwak via nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
> wrote:
>
>> Hello,
>> For those of you who attend a large university and have taken stem
>> classes
>> in a large lecture hall setting, I am asking for your help.
>> This quarter I am taking a introductory life science class and an
>> introductory statistics class. Both classes will be taking place in a
>> lecture hall with about 200 people.
>> The professors have told me that their ppt presentations and such will
>> have graphs and diagrams.
>> Although I have asked them to be as verbal as possible and I trust them
>> that they will do their best I am sure there will be a good amount of
>> information that may not easily transfer to me due to its visual nature
>> and
>> pace the professors have to maintain for the class.
>> In addition to going over such materials with the professors and/or TAs
>> outside of lecture time, what kind of assistance can I get?
>> What kinds of accomodations/assistance can I ask from my university's
>> office for students with disabilities in this situation?
>> Thank you in advance.
>> Miso Kwak
>>
>>
>>
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