SLICE Organic Chemistry
Sign Language Incorporation in Chemistry Education
Rochester Institute of Technology is home to the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID). Over the last decade, the organic team at RIT has recognized the inherent difficulties of learning organic chemistry specifically for those who are deaf (D) and hard of hearing (HH) . A complicated vocabulary and a lack of dedicated signs in American Sign Language (ASL) makes organic chemistry a challenge for D/HH students. Profound performance gains were observed after our team worked to develop, adopt and propagate a new sign language lexicon for organic chemistry terminology and, best of all, transition states. Now, the team is investigating if the same learning gains can be achieved if these signs are also taught to hearing students taking the course.
Syn-3
Halogenation
Syn-3
Oxymercuration
Syn-3
Epoxidation
Adopting a Meaningful Set of Organic Chemistry Signs

Many organic chemistry instructors do not have Deaf/Hard of Hearing (D/HH) students in their course and may assume that using signs is not relevant to their teaching toolbox. We believe that if a deliberate set of signs can be adopted by an instructor, it offers another rich modality to suit the learning styles and needs of many students in the classroom. What follows are short training videos for instructors and students who would like to begin the process of adopting signs as they learn/teach organic chemistry. Additionally, a cheat sheet of common signs can be shared with your class for quick reference.
Learning Letters A-D
Learn Steric Hindrance
Learn Resonance
Learn Induction (EWG/EDG)
Learn Tetrahedral (version 1) and extrapolation to trigonal pyramidal, bent, and linear
Learn Tetrahedral (version 2)
More videos in the making!
Videos for learning stereochemistry, hybridization, reaction transition states like Diels Alder and others are on the way. Challenge yourself by incorporating some of these signs in your classroom. Stay tuned for more of these instructional videos.
REActivities for Transition State Sign Training and Practice
SLICE REActivities are organized by transition state motifs and can be done as workshops or as dry labs. It's important to note that we took some liberties in naming a few of the transition state motifs. This has helped students with categorizing the trends for electron pushing and helps when students try communicating what mechanism they are employing for a given reaction. Downloadable pdfs of each SLICE Reactivity and the videos for each motif are available below.
Mechanistic Motif: SN2

Mechanistic Motif: SN1

Mechanistic Motif: E-1

Mechanistic Motif: E-2

Mechanistic Motif: Pi-base

Mechanistic Motif: Syn-3

Mechanistic Motif: Syn-4

Mechanistic Motif: 1,2-Addition
Mechanistic Motif: 1,2-Substitution

Comprehensive Organic Chemistry ASL
If you are deaf or are an ASL interpreter and are interested in learning about the comprehensive vocabulary and narrative expansions for organic chemistry, please visit the ASLcore website.
Meet the ASLcore Organic Chemistry Team
Asma Sheikh BS '19
ASL translator, SLICE team language creator and video signer / Undergraduate student
Kaitlyn Clark BS '20 MS '22
ASL translator, SLICE team language creator and video signer / Undergraduate student
Jonathan Dominguez BS '20 MS '22
ASL translator, SLICE team language creator and video signer / Undergraduate student
Michelle Mailhot BS '20
ASL translator, SLICE team language creator and video signer / Undergraduate student
Ashley Gleeson BS '20
ASL translator, SLICE team language creator and video signer / Undergraduate student
Cody Cummings BS '20
ASL translator, SLICE team language creator and video signer / Undergraduate student
Jennifer Swartzenberg
SLICE coordinator, Co-PI/ Deaf Support Faculty and Senior Lecturer
Tina Goudreau Collison
SLICE content expert, PI / Organic Chemistry Professor
Contact Information:
Professor of Chemistry
Rochester Institute of Technology
585-475-2634
The authors acknowledge our ancestors and their contributions to chemistry.
The REActivities team is grateful for the generous support of the National Science Foundation, Rochester Institute of Technology, the National Institutes of Health, the University of New Mexico, Northern Arizona University, and Southwestern Indian Polytech Institute for their generous support with our design and development of these materials.