Deaf And Hard-of-hearing Learners Research Articles

Online Learning Challenges and Strategies: Visual Fatigue and Split Visual Attention.

Online learning environments are challenging for deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) individuals. A major concern is split attention, which occurs when one simultaneously attends to multiple stimuli, a situation that characterizes most multimedia presentations and instruction that combines sound, text, images, graphs or charts, and video. Needing to take notes adds another stimulus. DHH learners face this issue when auditory content is accommodated visually, in combination with visually presented content. No one can view multiple visual signals simultaneously. Learners must choose to view one signal and miss others; view signals sequentially, which requires additional time and hinders class participation; or switch between visual signals, losing elements of each. This process increases auditory and visual fatigue and cognitive load, ultimately compromising learning. Several ways are suggested to achieve more equitable access to instructional content for learners challenged by the problem of split attention.

Beyond Words/Signs: DHH Learners' Spatial Reasoning in Mathematics as Embodied Cognition.

Spatial reasoning is critical across the STEM disciplines. Examining deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) children's spatial reasoning in mathematics, particularly geometry, as an embodied phenomenon opens new possibilities for deaf education. The authors inquire into the embodied processes and forms of DHH learners' spatial reasoning, considering how such knowledge can expand access and conceptual opportunities for both DHH and hearing learners. The article focuses on the spatial reasoning of two grade 1 hard of hearing children as they complete a geometric task with a hearing peer in a mainstream classroom. Informed by research in cognitive science, mathematics, and the fields of deaf and general education, the authors explicate key spatial subcomponent processes of deconstructing and constructing as the children produce 2D and 3D figures. The findings of this qualitative study provide considerations for future research and pedagogy in both deaf and general education.

A New Stepping-Stone on the Path to Mathematics Success for DHH Learners.

Coeditors of a special issue of the American Annals of the Deaf on mathematics instruction in deaf education, the authors provide a context for the five featured articles. First, the authors establish the importance of mathematics. They then give a historical account of previously related "stepping-stones." Beginning at 1990, the authors follow key events in the field that have led to the special issue. They summarize each article, highlighting three common themes: deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) persons as distinct and capable mathematics learners, the significance of conceptual understanding of mathematics concepts, and the role of language as a key component of mathematics instruction and learning. The authors conclude with a call for further research that recognizes the heterogeneity of DHH learners.

Chinese Pinyin: Overview, History and Use in Language Learning for Young Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students in China.

The authors discuss Pinyin, a phonetic system based on the Latin alphabet, as an auxiliary pedagogical tool in literacy instruction in China. They provide a brief history of Pinyin and its educational purposes, then describe how it is used in its spoken/auditory, written, and signed forms by teachers with students who are deaf and hard of hearing (DHH). Classroom transcripts demonstrate how Pinyin is taught via visual and tactile/kinesthetic tools such as pictures, sign language, and the Chinese Manual Alphabet for purposes of making the phonological information visible to DHH learners. The authors further discuss the different functions of Pinyin for students who are hearing versus students who are DHH and present new insights that may lead to future empirical studies on Pinyin use in early literacy interventions.

Sign Language in Light of Mathematics Education: An Exploration Within Semiotic and Embodiment Theories of Learning Mathematics.

Research rarely focuses on how deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) students address mathematical ideas. Complexities involved in using sign language (SL) in mathematics classrooms include not just challenges, but opportunities that accompany mathematics learning in this gestural-somatic medium. The authors consider DHH students primarily as learners of mathematics, and their SL use as a special case of language in the mathematics classroom. More specifically, using SL in teaching and learning mathematics is explored within semiotic and embodiment perspectives to gain a better understanding of how using SL affects the development, conceptualization, and representation of mathematical meaning. The theoretical discussion employs examples from the authors' work and research on geometry, arithmetic, and fraction concepts with Deaf German and Austrian learners and experts. The examples inform the context of mathematics teaching and learning more generally by illuminating SL features that distinguish mathematics learning for DHH learners.

Are French Fries a Vegetable? Lexical Typicality Judgement Differences in Deaf and Hearing Learners

Deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) learners are known to have vocabulary knowledge and language outcomes more heterogeneous than their hearing peers, with a greater incidence of difficulties presumably related (both as cause and effect) to documented challenges in academic domains. In particular, there is increasing evidence that differences may exist in the ways that semantic networks are structured and accessed in DHH and hearing learners. Individuals' judgments of word typicality offers a window into their semantic networks, revealing internal relationships in the mental lexicon. In the present study, 90 DHH and hearing college-aged learners provided typicality ratings at two points in time for 120 words common words considered to be central, borderline, or non-members of six categories. DHH and hearing participants differed in terms of their word knowledge, rating consistency, and rating magnitudes. Relative to hearing peers, DHH participants reported not knowing more of the words, but rated all words as being more typical than did hearing participants and rated the typicality of items more consistently over time. Implications of these findings for understanding mental lexicon structure for DHH and hearing learners, interpreting previous research, and constructing stimuli for future research are discussed.

Science in Silence: How Educators of the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Teach Science

Science learning is inextricably tied to two aspects of students’ lives: literacy and culture. While English Learners (ELs) who speak a non-English native language are typically the focus in this line of scholarly inquiry, deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) students occupy a distinct space in this conversation. For DHH learners, literacy levels can be hindered by an early dependence on a more survival-based language learning model that postpones basic scientific inquiry. The vocabulary for curiosity is limited, which in turn affects the educational culture. DHH learners have a unique culture that demands an appropriate science curriculum, which thus far has not been explored or attempted for either DHH learners or their educators. Data collected consisted of interviews with teachers of DHH students, as well as observational data collected from a high-minority urban K-8 school for DHH students. The analysis revealed that, first, many of the teachers had limited preparation to teach science content. Second, DHH teachers used inconsistent instructional strategies ranging from drawing pictures to building models. Third, the modifications provided to DHH science learners were mostly limited to visual support and repetition. Implications for teacher education programs include instruction focused on specific supports for DHH students and co-teaching methods, and deeper investigation of inquiry-based science practices. Implications for classroom practices include providing hands-on, inquiry-based instruction, working closely with parents, and developing students’ and teachers’ understanding of scientific inquiry.

The Changing Role of Teachers of Students Who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing: Consultation as an Increasing Part of the Job

ABSTRACTThe majority of deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) students are educated at least part of the day in general education classrooms taught by teachers who may not have any experience working with this population. DHH students make up a unique, heterogeneous group with a wide range of communication modalities, technology utilization, early intervention experiences, and educational placements. In addition to providing direct service to support these students, teachers of students who are deaf or hard of hearing (ToDHH) collaborate and consult with classroom teachers and school staff on classroom accommodations and modifications. However, recent research shows that ToDHH often feel unprepared to engage in the consultative aspect of their role. Since the Education for All Handicapped Children Act was passed 43 years ago, the field of deaf education has increasingly called for research on consultation models to apply to their unique population and to teach in their teacher preparation programs. This article identifies the characteristics of DHH learners and synthesizes current research on consultation in the field of deaf education. Three consultation models are examined to determine their level of fit within the field of deaf education. The author ends with a call for future research that can best be met through an interdisciplinary research approach between the field of deaf education and the fields of educational and psychological consultation.

The Effect of Using of TBLT on Vocabulary Learning by Deaf or Hard of Hearing Learners

<em>The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) on the learning of new lexical items by Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) learners. For this purpose, 30 beginner learners, studying English in the first grade of high school in two exceptional learners’ education centers in Yazd, Iran were selected. They were divided into two groups: experimental and control groups. The experimental group received Task Based Language Teaching (TBLT) treatment within which new lexical items were taught through different techniques based on form-focused task design. In the control group, the learners were learning the vocabulary items through the traditional method of Grammar Translation Method (GTM). Firstly a pre-test based on pictures was given to DHH learners. After 9 sessions of treatment, each lasted 30 minutes, a post-test was given to learners. T-test was used to analyze the data collected. The results showed that there was a significant difference between experimental and control groups. From different perspectives, the implication of this study can be discussed. This study can open an opportunity for teachers of DHH learners to experience some teaching methods not usually used in exceptional educational curriculum. Furthermore, these methods may be of high potentials for exceptional learners.</em>

The design and testing of multimedia for teaching arithmetic to deaf learners

The purpose of the study reported on in this paper was to design and test multimedia for deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) learners. The study focused on counting, addition and subtraction with grade one (age 7) DHH learners in Thailand. The multimedia created for the study was informed by design considerations for DHH learners of arithmetic and aimed to minimize cognitive load. Testing took place over a period of 16 weeks during which learners alternated between 2 and 3 week sessions of one hour per day with multimedia (numbers 1---10) versus 2---3 week sessions of one hour per day with the teacher (numbers 11---20). Results of the design included features such as non-essential use of text, reliance on non-symbolic objects, user control, and signals to relevant content. Results of testing showed that learning with multimedia resulted in higher scores than learning with the teacher (Z = 4.545, p = 0.000). Post-intervention interviews highlighted the role of motivation, ease of comprehension and independent learner control of the multimedia. The conclusion highlighted the need for multimedia design principles that reflect a more inclusionary focus on children with special needs such as those featured in this study.

Reading among diverse DHH learners: what, how, and for whom?

Students whO are deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) face challenges in learning to read. Much has been written about the relative importance of the different factors associated with success in reading, but these factors are disputed within the literature on DHH readers. The Center on Literacy and Deafness, funded by the Institute of Education Sciences, is engaged in a nationwide project to identify child-by-instruction interactions related to instructional factors that are malleable within the classroom context. In the present article, the authors describe the project, present the conceptual model on which it is based, explain the processes and procedures used to choose assessment tools, and discuss their theoretical view of how reading and instruction might differ based on an individual student's language and level of functional hearing.

Further Education as a Post-Secondary Destination for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Young People: A Review of the Literature and Analysis of Official Statistics in England

This article concerns further education (FE) as a post-16 destination for deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) young people. It addresses: (1) the size and characteristics of the DHH population within the FE sector; (2) the perceived functions of FE for DHH young people; (3) the trends, progress, and achievements of DHH learners within FE provision. A narrative literature review drawing on international sources is combined with a specific analysis of two official government data sets in England, the National Pupil Database and the Individualized Learner Record, in order to establish some baseline data on the DHH, FE population in England. The analysis includes data on 6758 DHH students aged 16 to 19. Results demonstrate that DHH learners are far more likely than their hearing peers to leave school at 16 and to progress to FE colleges. FE is regarded as a suitable destination for DHH young people both to enable social maturity and to improve educational attainment. Within FE in England, DHH young people are more likely to be on part-time courses and more than double the number drop out of FE provision in comparison with the wider population. DHH learners with no additional needs significantly underperform in comparison with hearing learners with no additional needs within the FE setting. Nearly one-quarter (23.2 per cent) of young people recorded in the data sets analysed showed no recognized qualification on leaving FE.

Implementing Instruction in the Alphabetic Principle Within a Sign Bilingual Setting

The purpose of the present study was to examine the results of implementing remedial instruction in the alphabetic principle with deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) students educated in a sign bilingual setting. Data were analyzed in 2 phases, with the first using paired-sample t tests and Pearson correlations and the second phase employing structural equation modeling. Results indicate that study participants (N = 127) from a range of grade placements, with various degrees of hearing loss, and including those with additional disabilities, can acquire an understanding of the alphabetic principle, apply this knowledge to the reading of words, and demonstrate generalization of skills through a pseudo word decoding task. Given the ongoing debates regarding the relevance of phonologically based instruction for DHH learners, the findings of this investigation will also serve to address some of the misconceptions regarding the instructional methods and strategies employed in interventions of this type.