Access and Understanding in the Classroom: How Deaf Children Learn (or not)

  • Brian Trager, Chris Campbell, Marc Marschark | Rochester Institute of Technology

Marc Marschark, Ph.D.
Center for Education Research Partnerships
National Technical Institute for the Deaf – Rochester Institute of Technology

For more than 100 years, investigators have taken a keen interest in language and cognition of deaf learners. In many ways, their research has played a central role in arriving at our current understanding of how deaf children learn and, indirectly, in prescribing educational methods deemed appropriate for them. Despite hundreds of studies and a new “methode du jour” every few years, however, academic challenges facing deaf learners have been stubbornly resistant to resolution. This presentation will describe work on deaf learners’ access to classroom instruction and related cognitive abilities of deaf and hearing learners that are likely to affect learning in formal and informal settings.

Accessibility Challenges in the Classroom and Beyond for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Individuals

Brian Trager & Chris Campbell
Center on Access Technology
National Technical Institute for the Deaf – Rochester Institute of Technology

Innovation in the realm of accessibility is often inspired by experiencing challenges first-hand. The NTID Center on Access Technology was established to investigate, evaluate, and report on the most effective and efficient use of access technologies available. Despite recent improvements in the ability of deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals to access information through the use or adaptation of technologies – the Internet, text messaging, video calls, etc. – these individuals still do not yet enjoy “full access to information” in postsecondary educational settings and beyond. This presentation will discuss iterative solutions and lessons learned in the pursuit of improving classroom accessibility for deaf and hard-of-hearing students at RIT.

Series: Microsoft Research Talks