Kaplan, Harriet; Mahshie, James; Moseley, Mary June; Singer, Beth; Winston, Elizabeth (1993) Design of Effective Media, Materials and Technology for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Students
This article is a research synthesis of research from 1981-1993 put out by the National Center to Improve the Quality of Technology, Media and Materials. It is divided into six sections with an accompanying bibliography for each section. It begins with a summary of the entire article. After that it looks at Assistive Technology for Education, Receptive Skill Development (communication), English Language Development and Refinement, MMT for the Development of ASL and Speech Teaching. Each section looks at media, materials and technology available for use by deaf students and their teachers in the different subject areas.
Research shows that deaf students continue to score and achieve academically below their hearing peers of equal intelligence. It is generally felt this is due to the later acquisition of the English language. Research shows that deaf children of deaf parents score higher than deaf children of hearing parents because of the earlier accessibility to language.
In each section the authors look at the topic that needs to be taught and the available MMT. Through out the article the authors evaluate the available curricula and make suggestions as to what is still needed to help put deaf students on an equal footing with their hearing peers.
Computers are used in deaf education both in state schools and public schools. The question is raised as to whether CAI is beneficial because of the decreased interaction between children and between children and adults. On the plus side of computers is the fact that it is primarily a visual medium. Software that is most interesting to students tends to use a game-like format with high-resolution graphic displays. Reinforcement is visual as opposed to auditory or written words. Icons that encourage students to try again as opposed to saying "Wrong" are preferred. Written text should be kept to a minimum and auditory components need to be modified with graphics or sign language display. Programs that provide visual displays of computer activity i.e. "Loading Program" are preferred.
These concepts are consistent throughout the article for developing materials for use. The authors also feel it is preferable to create materials specifically for deaf and hard of hearing students instead of adapting technology for hearing children. MMT should also be affordable to schools since their budgets are strained. They suggest that menu driven programs that will decrease the need for adult involvement would be the most useful. There are two other suggestions also pertinent to Instructional Design. First, the authors identify flexibility in a program so that it may be used for a variety of subjects and levels. Secondly programs should be modifiable allowing teachers to add specific vocabulary etc.
Cheryl Briggs
December 5, 2001