Rethinking How We Teach Organic Chemistry: Innovations Afforded by Universal Design

Christina Goudreau Collison

Using sign language to convey a concept or describe a transition state is a powerful way for students to think about the electron pushing formalisms we write on paper and recognize mechanistic trends. Using our hands as models transforms the two-dimensional static framework of writing symbolic drawings on our page into 3-D opportunities for students to conceptualize a molecule or even a transition state. The Sign Language Incorporation in Chemistry Education (SLICE) project was initiated by a group of faculty and Deaf/Hard of Hearing (D/HH) students at the Rochester Institute of Technology to address the language vacuum of STEM signs in organic chemistry. The result of our work has had a positive impact on the classroom culture and performance gains of D/HH students taking the organic chemistry courses. Now, efforts have begun to address STEM signs in general chemistry and biochemistry. Our studies are also now exploring the impact of universal design across all students in the organic chemistry curriculum.