Expanding the Scope of Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences: Student Perceptions of Projects Exploring the Creation of Activities for Students with Visual Impairment

This paper describes the implementation of a course-based undergraduate research experience focused on the design and evaluation of laboratory activities for students with visual impairment. In the project, students have demonstrated considerable initiative and creativity, designing a range of experiments and resources including olfactory and auditory titrations, use of nonstandard color indicators, tactile markings on standard laboratory equipment, and tactile models to explain chemistry concepts. Student perceptions of completing this CURE were gathered using interviews (N = 10) and analyzed using thematic analysis. Students perceived the project to enhance their transferable skills to a greater extent than other types of CUREs they had completed, particularly communication, teamwork, and problem-solving skills, likely due to a feeling that the projects were more autonomous. A significant proportion of students reported that the project had impacted decisions about future education or career directions. The projects were transformative in terms of shifting students’ perspective on inclusivity and increasing empathy for those whose experience of chemistry laboratories is very different from their own.