Audio Universe: A Toolkit of Accessible Resources for Planetaria and Astronomy Communicators
Lead Research Organisation:
NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY
Abstract
Astronomy, and science in general, can be challenging and inaccessible to those with Special Educational Needs (SEN). One contributing factor is a tendency to rely on visual representations of information. These are inaccessible to the blind and vision impaired (BVI), and those with other needs who benefit from alternatives to visual communication. This can contribute to lower science attainment. For all English state-funded Key Stage 2 pupils, 81% reached expected science attainment levels in 2023; however, for BVI pupils, and across all SEN pupils, this is only 60% and 43%, respectively (2023; UK Statistics Authority). With over 1.5 million pupils identified as SEN in England alone (UK Government Statistics, 2022-2023), this is a significant part of the pupil population.
Audio Universe is our project that uses sound, and other multi-sensory approaches, to communicate astronomical data and concepts. We create more inclusive educational resources for those who find visual-only communications challenging or completely inaccessible. Our long-term goal is to help raise science engagement and attainment levels of those with special educational needs (SEN).
With modest funding, we have already created novel educational movie clips about the Solar System, where information is communicated through both sound and with traditional visuals. This includes a feature-length planetarium show called Audio Universe: Tour of the Solar System. This was co-created with the BVI community, BVI pupils and SEN specialist teachers. It is available in four languages and has been used across the UK, and internationally. We have further created complementary, multi-sensory educational workshops. Our evaluation studies with planetarium audiences, school pupils, and teachers have demonstrated that these resources have increased the science engagement with SEN audiences. Furthermore, they have been thoroughly enjoyed by the wider general public and school pupils, demonstrating that these resources can be used as part of truly inclusive experiences.
We now aim for such SEN accessible experiences to be available and adaptable to the unique needs of individual planetaria and wider science centres or communicators, and to be updatable with cutting-edge research. This is crucial to ensure a long-term legacy and sustainability of our previous work. In collaboration with Project Partners of UK-based planetarium leaders and other communicators, we propose:
To build a freely available Toolkit to enable the production of customisable and bespoke audio representations of astronomical data and concepts. These will be made for use in the planetarium, for online viewing, and for Virtual Reality headsets. We will also work directly with an international planetarium software provider, with the longer-term goal of embedding audio representations directly into the software itself.
Support the astronomy communication community to develop complementary, multi-sensory educational activities.
Provide good practice guidance for the use of these resources with SEN audiences.
Throughout the design and development stages we will work with focus groups of astronomy communicators, SEN pupils, specialist teachers, and the wider general public. These groups will enable regular cycles of evaluation and development to ensure that our Toolkit, and the related guidance documentation, is appropriate and well designed for both the communicators and for the target audiences. The Toolkit and documentation will then be shared widely online, and disseminated through networks of planetaria, science centres, and science communicators.
This work is underpinned by our STFC-funded research in both astrophysics and in turning data into sound (sonification).
Audio Universe is our project that uses sound, and other multi-sensory approaches, to communicate astronomical data and concepts. We create more inclusive educational resources for those who find visual-only communications challenging or completely inaccessible. Our long-term goal is to help raise science engagement and attainment levels of those with special educational needs (SEN).
With modest funding, we have already created novel educational movie clips about the Solar System, where information is communicated through both sound and with traditional visuals. This includes a feature-length planetarium show called Audio Universe: Tour of the Solar System. This was co-created with the BVI community, BVI pupils and SEN specialist teachers. It is available in four languages and has been used across the UK, and internationally. We have further created complementary, multi-sensory educational workshops. Our evaluation studies with planetarium audiences, school pupils, and teachers have demonstrated that these resources have increased the science engagement with SEN audiences. Furthermore, they have been thoroughly enjoyed by the wider general public and school pupils, demonstrating that these resources can be used as part of truly inclusive experiences.
We now aim for such SEN accessible experiences to be available and adaptable to the unique needs of individual planetaria and wider science centres or communicators, and to be updatable with cutting-edge research. This is crucial to ensure a long-term legacy and sustainability of our previous work. In collaboration with Project Partners of UK-based planetarium leaders and other communicators, we propose:
To build a freely available Toolkit to enable the production of customisable and bespoke audio representations of astronomical data and concepts. These will be made for use in the planetarium, for online viewing, and for Virtual Reality headsets. We will also work directly with an international planetarium software provider, with the longer-term goal of embedding audio representations directly into the software itself.
Support the astronomy communication community to develop complementary, multi-sensory educational activities.
Provide good practice guidance for the use of these resources with SEN audiences.
Throughout the design and development stages we will work with focus groups of astronomy communicators, SEN pupils, specialist teachers, and the wider general public. These groups will enable regular cycles of evaluation and development to ensure that our Toolkit, and the related guidance documentation, is appropriate and well designed for both the communicators and for the target audiences. The Toolkit and documentation will then be shared widely online, and disseminated through networks of planetaria, science centres, and science communicators.
This work is underpinned by our STFC-funded research in both astrophysics and in turning data into sound (sonification).