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

Sign Cheat Sheet.pdf

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

SN2 REActivities.pdf

Mechanistic Motif: SN1

SN1 REActivities

Mechanistic Motif: E-1

E1 REActivities

Mechanistic Motif: E-2

E2 REActivities

Mechanistic Motif: Pi-base

Pi-base REActivities.pdf

Mechanistic Motif: Syn-3

Syn-3 REActivities

Mechanistic Motif: Syn-4

syn-4 REActivities

Mechanistic Motif: 1,2-Addition

Mechanistic Motif: 1,2-Substitution

1,2-add/sub REActivities

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:

Christina Goudreau Collison

Professor of Chemistry

Rochester Institute of Technology

585-475-2634

cgcsch@rit.edu

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.