The Career Exploration Lab
We started thinking and testing ideas in 2012, experimented with many approaches, consulted with numerous experts, and established our testbed in 2014. At STScI, we started a project called 3D Astro @ STSCI and began printing Hubble Space Telescope data, tested many methods, tested numerous kinds of textures and software and as a result created a "standard" set of textures based on previous work and testing with many audiences. We created a custom software package that allowed us to produce textured 3D prints of star clusters and galaxies using our science data. Then, Dr. Carol Christian (lead on the 3D printing project @STScI) joined forces with Dr. Thomas Madura (San Jose State University) and began our pilot program called the Career Exploration Lab. The 3D Astronomy Team is an integral part of these camp activities. The camps are documented in our 2017 publication in Adelaide. We conduct science summer camps for high school/transition/college students in science, focussing on astronomy. We also introduce possibilities for careers and enable some hands on experience with 3D printing. Organizations in both South Carolina and Michigan have enabled us to conduct week-long astronomy camps and fun activities for the students. The students who are blind or visually impaired learn about astronomy and 3D printing and provide us much feedback on the camp.
Since then. over 6 years, we have improved intensities, changed textures and reprinted HST data many times.. SSU provides numerous materials, some 3D printed such as H-R Diagrams, Tuning Fork Diagrams, models of the Sun, Eta Carina, the Cosmic Microwave Background, and other data. We have other partners who provide Braille charts, instructions and other materials. 3D Astronomy expanded beyond star clusters and galaxies, to Solar System objects, exoplanets, spacecraft, and multi-wavelength data as well as multi-wavelength data (such as JWST and Chandra. Additional funding from NASA through STScI, NSF, and various state agencies have allowed us to expand the CEL to other locations - the students and their educators are now part of an exended research innovation in education program which includes extensive evaluation and assessment which are documented in our publications and conference presentations.
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Publications and news articles and on our projectAstronomy for Students with Visual Impairments: Development of the Career Exploration Lab, Madura, T. I. ; Christian, C. ; Wild, T. ; Hurd, D. ; Harris, J. ; Bartolone, L. ; Silberman, K. ; McVoy, S. ; Walker, K. 2022,
2nd Workshop on Astronomy Beyond the Common Senses for Accessibility and Inclusion, https://doi.org/10.22201/ia.14052059p.2022.54.15 Revista Mexicana de Astronom de Astronomcıa y Astrofısica Serie de Conferencias (RMxAC), 54, 71- 74.
Touchable Astronomy: Exploring STEM
Careers For The Visually Impaired, C.
Christian, T. Madura , D. Hurd , W. Diaz-Merced , and K. Silberman, 2017, 68th
International Astronautical Congress (IAC), Adelaide Australia, https://dl.iafastro.directory/event/IAC-2017/paper/40583/
You Can Touch These! Creating 3d Tactile Representations Of Hubble Space Telescope Images, Christian, C.A, Nota, A., Greenfield, P., Grice, N., Shaheen, N. 2015, Journal and Review of Astronomy Education and Outreach, 3, https://www.toteachthestars.net/jraeo/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/sites/27/2022/08/JRAEO003.pdf B-33
3D Printing Technology: A Unique Way of Making Hubble Space Telescope Images Accessible to Non-Visual Learners, Grice, N.A., Christian, C.A., Nota, A., Greenfield, P. 2015, Journ. Blindness Innov. Research, v15, no 1. https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/jbir/jbir15/jbir050101abs.html
Touch This! Bringing HST Images to Life as 3D Models, Christian, C., Nota, A., Greenfield, P., Grice, N., Shaheen, N. 2014, 65th Int. Astronaut. Congress 2014, E1.7.9. https://dl.iafastro.directory/event/IAC-2014/paper/26432/
3D printing for teaching and exploration in astronomy for individuals with blindness/visual impairment: textured representations of imagery, Christian, C., Nota, A., Grice, N., Madura, T., & Hurd, D. 2024, International Journal of Science Education, Part B, DOI: 10.1080/21548455.2024.2394906
A 3D Printer Build for Students with Visual ImpairmentsMadura, T., Christian, C., O'Beollain, S., Wild, T., & Silberman, K. 2025, The Journal on Technology and Persons with Disabilities, in press.
Tactile and Textured Astronomy: 3D Printing Technology and Materials for STEM, C. Christian, T. Madura, N. Grice, D. Hurd, L. Bartolone, E. Hoke 2024, ASP2024 Conference Series Volume TBD, in press.
Astronomy and 3D Printing for Students with Visual Impairments: The STEM Career Exploration Lab, T. Madura, C. Christian, T. Wild, D. Hurd, N. Grice 2024, ASP2024 Conference Series Volume TBD, in press.
Press, Articles
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American Astronomical Society in Washington DC, January 7-11 2024. The Textured Universe:
Astronomical 3D Printing Technology and Materials To Stimulate
Interest in Careers in Science, C. Christian (STScI), A. Nota (ISSI/STScI), T. Madura (SJSU),
L. Bartolone (AWB), N. Grice (YCDA), D. Hurd (EUPE), T. Wild (OSU), Our paper is available for download here. |
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AAS_PR2013v5.pdf
