Let's Get Physical

After all of our classes, I find that physical environment is one that I find easiest to observe, and focus on.  I’ve also found it difficult to reflect on some of these concepts before understanding more about the deaf experience, which is so expansive; it’s really taking me awhile.  In the past couple of weeks, I’ve started thinking about things that Lindsay might need in a physical environment.  Since Lindsay has a very weak sense of hearing, her sight and other senses are heightened.  Something that Lindsay would be looking for, and is likely pretty dependent on, is lots of visual aids, especially signs and maps of buildings and campus.  Way-finding can be difficult enough in a new environment, but by not being able to communicate readily with other students and faculty in order to ask for directions, it would be essential to Lindsay that she is able to find where she needs to go in a self-sufficient manner.  (Regardless, even hearing students would greatly benefit from well-placed signs helping them find their way around.)

In order for Lindsay to feel satisfied on a campus, it is crucial that she feels included and safe in her environment.  In terms of safety, any safety devices (such as tornado warnings and fire alarms), should be accompanied by visual alerts, such as flashing lights, so that she can be aware of the warnings as well as be prepared for what will likely be the rush and commotion of people that she might not otherwise be prepared for.  It makes me think about the systems that we have in the residence halls here.  We are very dependent on using our public announcement system to get last minute advertisement and information to residents.  Unless we have plenty of signs up ahead of time, Lindsay could completely miss really important information.  We try to avoid this by putting up lots of posters in advance, however this is not always possible.  Luckily, for fire and tornado alarms, we offer bed shakers that vibrate the bed violently when the alarm goes off.  According to Disability Service’s Emergency Evacuation pamphlet, “Most buildings on campus are not yet equipped with visual alarms. Some persons with hearing impairments may not perceive audio emergency alarms and will need to be alerted to the situation by gestures or by turning the light switch off and on. Emergency instructions can be given by verbalizing, mouthing, or by a short, explicit note. Example: ‘Fire alarm -- go out south doors—now!’  It is appropriate to offer assistance to a hearing impaired person as you leave the building.”  It is interesting that they readily accept that there are no visual alarms  in most of our buildings, but it is not well advertised that others are supposed to assist these hard of hearing students in that situation.

Studying...

The last article I read mentioned that study habits and cognitive level and interpretation of material likely played a part in how DHH students learn and succeed academically, so I thought it’d be a good idea to research any differences in studying.  This study found that differences in studying were very slight and that DHH students were just as capable of making meaning of the material learned.  The inventory identified eight scales for studying, and found that DHH students were statistically significant on four of the eight scales.  The study also found (and it was briefly mentioned in the last article as well) that DHH students have a more difficult time making connections between different topics, which was more pronounced in students who explicitly used sign.  However, DHH students are more likely to critically analyze topics taught.

Previous literature focused on how there were different levels of learning, e.g. “surface level”, which is similar to regurgitation.  This is similar to what was mentioned in the previous article of “meaning” versus “reproducing” orientations toward learning.  This study definitely found that DHH students were just as capable, if not more likely, to apply the meaning orientation to their learning and studying.  The researchers believe that this does not have to do with the context of their studies, but because of the difference in their Deaf education that may have pushed them to make those real-world applications while learning to give curriculum context.   However, the study also found that DHH students scored higher than hearing students on scores of reproducing orientations too.  In general, they found that DHH students felt more anxiety about succeeding in academics than hearing students do.  They believe that this anxiety and fear of failure may be tied to the idea that DHH students have a harder time making connections between topics.  This seems to have some implications on cognitive patterns and development of DHH students.

I wonder how much of these cognitive developments or attitudes are affected by their immersion in the Deaf community, or if these are simply the hallmarks of growing up DHH.  Regardless, it seems that Lindsay will feel anxious about succeeding academically, especially since she will need to rely on indirect knowledge transmission (text and interpreters), she will push herself to accurately and truly learn the information, and hopefully do well academically at the institution.

http://jdsde.oxfordjournals.org/content/5/2/156.full.pdf+html

In the Mainstream

The article I found, compared deaf and hard of hearing students in mainstream classes (or classes with hearing students) and separate classes (classes with only deaf and hard of hearing students).  The article found pros for both scenarios.  In the end, in both environments, the students were motivated by assessment and fear of failure, as well as good teaching and genuine acquisition of skills.  Students in the mainstream courses felt positively about developing and utilizing analytic skills (rather than rote memorization) and feeling that their instructors’ took personal interest in them and their success, including flexibility in methods of assessment.  However, classes from separate classes felt more positively about workload expectations, instructor feedback and communication, and the amount of choices offered in coursework.

The article begins by affirming that deaf and hard of hearing (or DHH) students are attending mainstream hearing institutions more and more.  The literature review was very informational to me as well.  It discussed how the previous studies included all kinds of deaf and hard of hearing, including those that were dependent on spoken English, dependent on ASL, and those that code switched between the two.   They found that in academic settings DHH students tended to absorb less content information than their hearing peers and that instruction in ASL and text does not necessarily create significantly better outcomes (but if there are positives differences, it is through text, not ASL), which is not really what my Chronicle article indicated (haha).  It also indicated that teachers who were skilled or experienced with teaching DHH students were better at motivating DHH students to utilize their resources and strengths.  DHH students that attend mainstream institutions also tend to retain more residual hearing (which is really interesting and definitely applicable to Lindsay’s experience).  Previous studies also emphasized the importance of having an interpreter and the frustration felt trying to communicate with the instructor.  How DHH students interpret their communication ability in the classroom seemed to predict grades at the end of the semester as well.  DHH students are also more likely make deep connections with their education than their hearing students.

This study explained some of their findings, such as why DHH students in mainstream classes are more sensitive to pace of teaching because they are often dependent on indirect methods (interpreters or text-captioning) and reluctant to ask questions in class because of the communication barrier.  The study also found that instructors of mainstream classes preferred instructor centered “information-transmission” teaching styles, while those in separate classes focused on “conceptual change”.  This may be part of why those in separate classes appeared to learn more, but the relationship between instruction style and success needs more studying.

http://jdsde.oxfordjournals.org/content/15/4/358.full.pdf+html

Debate over Deaf Education

I found an article in the Chronicle: http://0-chronicle.com.maurice.bgsu.edu/article/The-Debate-Over-Deaf-Education/26019/

This article discussed the history of how deaf children have been educated in predominantly hearing schools in the past, how they are taught now, and the method they are currently considering as most efficient, effective, and educational.  There are two ways that mainstream hearing schools have historically taught deaf children, oral or bilingual.  The oral method is when a teacher teaches with speech and visual cues.  Bilingual incorporates teaching with sign language as well.  People find that the sign language improves the actual amount of knowledge impressed upon children; however, it does not let them to truly develop their reading and writing skills.  There has been much research that shows that bilingual is more effective.  However, with increases in technology, deafness and other hearing impairments can be discovered even earlier than before.  This allows parents to invest in cochlear implants much earlier.  With the advent of cochlear implants, there seems to be an upswing back toward a more oral tradition of education.

This article is interesting in the sense that it does not address at all the turmoil that the Deaf community must feel.  The Deaf community tends to be particularly opposed to cochlear implants, as they believe it is robbing born-deaf children the special experience of being Deaf.  However, as technology improves, I can imagine that hearing parents are increasingly getting cochlear implants for their children.

I imagine that Lindsay has gone to school at an institution that is predominantly hearing.  I believe that she was taught bilingually.  She had a tutor that assisted with interpretation and any subjects that she struggled with.  It was not easy, but I believe she was fortunate enough to get a good education in order to attend a university, nevermind a predominantly hearing institution.  It must be quite difficult for Lindsay to transition into college where these interpreting services are not as readily available.  It must also be difficult with such a large campus, where many everyday things are not designed universally.  It only adds to the overwhelming sensation.