Knoxville News
Campus News & Events
Blindly Learning
When students arrived in Instructor Frank Laszlo's Psychology class, little did they know they were to don blindfolds and be led around the parking lot. As part of their "sensation and perception" lesson, students experienced life from another perspective, that of a sightless person. The exercise required half of the class to be blindfolded, while the other half guided them through an unpredictable course. Students were asked to reflect on their sense of direction, and their ability to form mental images of the course. Midway through the exercise, the roles were swapped. The exercise ended with a brief discussion, enabling students to share their experience. Students remarked how fortunate they were to have full use of their senses, and to realize the many challenges sightless people must overcome. Although the activity was fun, it also emphasized developing trust, creating mental images, and learning to be active listeners.
Melanie Maldonado is pictured wearing a blindfold preparing to be led by Brittani Maldonado in the sensation and perception activity.
