About
Project Overview
The “Accessible Oceans” AISL Pilots and Feasibility study aims to inclusively design auditory displays that support perception and understanding of ocean data in informal learning environments (ILEs). In this two-year project, we will leverage existing curated ocean datasets, known as “Data Nuggets”, from the NSF-funded Ocean Observatories Initiative to produce and evaluate the feasibility of using integrated auditory displays to communicate tiered learning objectives of oceanographic principles. Displays will be comprised of data sonification and contextual audio supports. Their development will be informed through a user centered design process that will include ocean science experts, visually impaired students and adults (and their teachers), and design-oriented undergraduate and graduate students.
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Project Citation
Bower, A., J. Bellona, J. Roberts, and L.M. Smith. 2021. Accessible Oceans: Exploring Ocean Data through Sound. National Science Foundation Grant #2115751. https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2115751&HistoricalAwards=false
Website Citation
Bower, A., J. Bellona, J. Roberts, and L.M. Smith. 2021. Accessible Oceans: Exploring Ocean Data through Sound, Project Website. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and National Science Foundation Grant #2115751. https://accessibleoceans.whoi.edu/
Partners/Collaborators
This is a joint project with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, University of Oregon, Georgia Tech, and Your Ocean Consulting, LLC.
Publications
Articles
Smith, L.M., A. Bower, J. Roberts, J. Bellona, and H. Li. 2023. Expanding access to ocean science through inclusively designed data sonifications. Oceanography 36(4), https://doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2024.124
Conference Proceedings
Roberts, J., Lowy, R., Li, H., Bellona, J., Smith, L., & Bower, A. (2023). Breaking down the visual barrier: Designing data interactions for the visually impaired in informal learning settings. In Damșa, C., Borge, M., Koh, E., & Worsley, M. (Eds.), Proceedings of the 16th International Conference on Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning - CSCL 2023 (pp. 253-256). International Society of the Learning Sciences. https://doi.org/10.22318/cscl2023.104721
Huaigu Li, Jon Bellona, Leslie Smith, Amy Bower, and Jessica Roberts. 2023. “Let the Volcano Erupt!”: Designing Sonification to Make Oceanography Accessible for Blind and Low Vision Students in Museum Environment. In Proceedings of the 25th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '23). Association for Computing Machinery, New York, NY, USA, Article 79, 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1145/3597638.3614482
Conference Presentations
Amy Bower, Leslie Smith, Jon Bellona, Jessica Roberts, Huaigu Li. (2023). Un-visualizing Complex Systems: Making Ocean Data Accessible through Auditory Displays. Gordon Research Conference on Visualization in Science and Education, Bates College, Lewiston, ME.
Amy Bower, Jon Bellona, Jessica Roberts, Leslie Smith (2022). Accessible Oceans: Exploring Ocean Data Through Sound. American Geophysical Union. Chicago, IL.
Project's auditory displays (files for use or citation)
Net flux of CO2 between Ocean and Atmosphere
Bellona J., A. Bower, L.M. Smith, J. Roberts, & H. Li. 2023. Accessible Oceans: Auditory Display. Net flux of CO2 between Ocean and Atmosphere (2.0). Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8162769
Zooplankton Daily Vertical Migration Gets Eclipsed!
Jon Bellona, Amy Bower, Leslie Smith, Jessica Roberts, & Huaigu Li. (2023, July 21). Accessible Oceans: Auditory Display. Zooplankton Daily Vertical Migration Gets Eclipsed! (2.0). Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8173914
Ocean Response to Extratropical Storm Hermine
Jon Bellona, Amy Bower, Leslie Smith, Jessica Roberts, & Huaigu Li. (2023, July 21). Accessible Oceans: Auditory Display. Ocean Response to Extratropical Storm Hermine (2.0). Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8173880
Longterm Axial Seamount Inflation Record
Jon Bellona, Amy Bower, Leslie Smith, Jessica Roberts, & Huaigu Li. (2023, July 21). Accessible Oceans: Auditory Display. Longterm Axial Seamount Inflation Record (2.0). Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8173859
2015 Axial Seamount Eruption
Jon Bellona, Amy Bower, Leslie Smith, Jessica Roberts, & Huaigu Li. (2023, July 21). Accessible Oceans: Auditory Display. 2015 Axial Seamount Eruption (2.0). Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8173836
Data Sonification Wrapper Earcons
Jon Bellona, Amy Bower, Leslie Smith, Jessica Roberts, & Huaigu Li. (2022, February 3). Accessible Oceans: Data Sonification Wrapper Earcons (1.0). Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8176581