The Deaf and Hard of Hearing Virtual Academic Community
Introduction
Welcome to the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Virtual Academic Community (VAC) hosted by the Deaf STEM Community Alliance!
Supported by the National Science Foundation (HRD-1127955), the National Technical Institute for the Deaf at Rochester Institute of Technology, Camden County College, and Cornell University constructed an on-line community to support the learning needs of students who are deaf and hard-of-hearing in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
This site is provided for archival purposes only. It is no longer actively maintained. Content is primarily verbatim from the time period and documentation of the original projects. Some materials or references may no longer be available.
Accessibility
Accessibility is important to our Virtual Academic Community! We hope the site is usable for all visitors. This website follows principles of Universal Design. Our website uses the accessibility standards of W3C. W3C is a leading advocate to make the web fully accessible. For more information, visit their website: https://www.w3.org/standards/webdesign/accessibility
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About Us
The Deaf STEM Community Alliance brought together students, faculty and staff from three diverse campuses: Rochester Institute of Technology/National Technical Institute for the Deaf (RIT/NTID) (Rochester, NY); Camden County College (Blackwell, NJ); and Cornell University (Ithaca, NY). The goal of the Alliance was to create a model Virtual Academic Community (VAC) to support postsecondary students who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) majoring in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) to increase graduation rates of these students in the long term. The project was guided by two objectives: (1) document and disseminate a description of the process of creating the DHHVAC in order to create a scalable model that can be replicated to fit the needs of other students with disabilities in STEM majors; and (2) increase the grade point averages and retention rates of DHH postsecondary student in STEM majors. The project centered around three critical areas: (a) student preparation in STEM through online (synchronous and asynchronous) tutoring; (b) socialization through online mentoring; and (c) increased access to current STEM innovations.
The Deaf STEM Community Alliance leadership team is housed within the RIT/NTID Center on Access Technology (CAT).
Foundation Projects
Initial inspiration for the Deaf STEM Community Alliance arose from the following two projects that were sponsored by the National Science Foundation and administered by the CAT.
1) Summit to Create a Cyber-Community to Advance Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Individuals in STEM (DHH Cyber-Community)(NSF OCI-0749253) was hosted by RIT, June 25-27, 2008.
The primary outcome of this conference was a report on the current state of online remote interpreting and captioning for deaf and hard-of-hearing students. Additionally, the principals prepared a recommendation report specifying the characteristics of a multimedia cyberinfrastructure to provide remote communication support for deaf and hard-of-hearing students in mainstream STEM classrooms.
Learn more about the 2008 Summit
2) Testing the Concept of a Virtual Alliance for Deaf and Hard of Hearing STEM Students at the Postsecondary Level (NSF HRD-0927586), (September 2009-February 2011).
This grant identified how many students are in STEM programs, which colleges they attend, and what resources they need to be successful. Partnering with the national Northeast Regional Center of the Postsecondary Education Programs Network (PEPNet), investigators conducted focus groups with PEPNet leaders to identify key attributes related to academic success of current and recently graduated high school STEM students. Several colleges and universities were selected to partner in development of a proposal for an NSF virtual alliance and components of prototype cyberinfrastructure system were piloted that would support a future virtual alliance.
Learn more about the NSF Enrichment Grant
For more information, see listings under Reference Library for: Prior Grant Documents - 2008 Summit and Prior Grant Documents - NSF Enrichment Grant.
This project was supported in part by the National Science Foundation 1127955 and 1834978, by the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 21 (CRRSA), Public Law 116-260, and the American Rescue Plan (ARP), Public Law 117-2. It was also supported by Rochester Institute of Technology/National Technical Institute for the Deaf, Camden County College, and Cornell University.
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This program is supported by the National Science Foundation under grant #: HRD-1127955. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. |
Reference Library
Our Reference Library shares accessible, STEM-related online resources.
These are the results of our dissemination efforts: conference presentations, published articles, and posters.
Publications
American Behavioral Scientist Publication
(May 2020)
Journal of Special Education Technology
(November 2016)
Gehret, A.U., Elliot, L.B., & MacDonald, J.H.C. (2017). Active collaborative learning through remote tutoring: A case study with students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. Journal of Special Education Technology, 1-11. doi:10.1177/0162643416681162.
Link for those without institutional access (PDF)
Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education
(June 2013)
Elliot, L.B., Rubin, B., DeCaro, J.J., & Clymer, W.E. (2013). Creating a virtual academic community for STEM students. Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, 5(2), 173-188. doi:10.1108/JARHE-11-2012-0051.
Link for those without institutional access (PDF)
Presentations
CSCCE Virtual Monthly Call
(July 2020)
It's All About Access: Planning Meetings for Wider Audiences (Accessible text)
AAAS Annual Meeting
(February 2019)
Culturally Responsive Communities of Practice (Accessible text)
NTID Scholarship Symposium
(December 2018)
Synchronous Online tutoring for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students: An Analysis of Observed Functions (Accessible text)
Ohio PKAL
(May 2018)
Online Solutions for Deaf and Hard of Hearing STEM Learners (Accessible text)
Digital STEM for DHH Students
(April 2018)
It's the 21st century and online resources are everywhere! The Deaf and Hard of Hearing Virtual Academic Community (DHHVAC), sponsored by the National Science Foundation, provides resources for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in an online format to students who are deaf or hard of hearing. Today's exhibit will demonstrate the multiple ways that our project supports student learning STEM fields.
NTID Student Research Fair
(April 2018)
Breaking Grounds: A Qualitative Analysis of Online Tutoring Sessions (Accessible text)
NTID Science & Math Department Tutoring Support Meeting
(March 2018)
Protocol for Filming an Asynchronous Tutorial Using Zoom (Accessible text)
Association of American Colleges & Universities STEM Conference
(November 2017)
Improving STEM Retention with an Online Community of Practice (Accessible text)
Lilly Conference Series on College and University Teaching and Learning
(June 2017)
Online Tutoring: What's Really Happening? (Accessible text)
Effective Access Technology Conference
(April 2017)
Online Tutoring for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students: Creating Resources Across Time & Space Poster (Accessible text)
Online Tutoring for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students: Creating Resources Across Time & Space Paper
NTID Student Research Fair
(April 2017)
Wired to Learn: Qualitative Analysis of Using Google Hangouts for Online Tutoring Poster (Accessible text)
Conference for Academic Research in Education
(January 2017)
"De-Siloing" STEM: Creating an Online Multidisciplinary Community of Practice for Students and Practitioners & Space Poster (Accessible text)
Onondaga Community College Presentation (OCC) 2016
(July 2016)
Presentation by Lisa Elliot & Rebecca Murray & and James McCarthy: The DHHVAC: A Virtual Academic Community for Students Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (Accessible text)
Postsecondary Disability Training Institute (PTI) 2016
(June 2016)
Presentation by Rebecca Murray & Lisa Elliot: Help by Hangouts (Accessible text)
Presentation by James McCarthy & Lisa Elliot: Striking a match (Accessible text)
Association for Institutional Research (AIR) Forum 2016
(June 2016)
3rd Annual Effective Access Technology Conference
(November 2015)
Poster and paper
Paper (plaintext)
New York State Engineering Technology Association Conference
(October 2015)
Presentation (PDF)
Presentation text
University of Wisconsin Distance Learning Conference
(August 2015)
Slides (Part 1, Part 2)
Presentation text
Lilly International Spring Conference, College and University Teaching and Learning
(May 2015)
Slides (Part 1, Part 2)
Presentation text
NTID Science and Mathematics Department Retreat
(May 2015)
NTID Brownbag Session
(April 2015)
Slides (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4)
Presentation text
Emerging Researchers National Conference in STEM
(February 2015)
New York State Disability Services Council 2014
(November 2014)
Slides (Part 1, Part 2)
Presentation text
ASSETS 2014 Poster Session
(October 2014)
Exhibitor questionnaire
Questionnaire text
Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD) 2014 Annual Meeting
(July 2014)
Slides (Part 1, Part 2)
Presentation text
RIT Effective Access Technology Conference
(June 2014)
Imagine RIT Festival
(May 2014)
California State University Northridge (CSUN) International Technology and Persons with Disabilities Conference
(March 2014)
Slides to presentation
Text for presentation
Capacity Building Institute: Promoting the Successful Participation of People with Disabilities in STEM
(February 2014)
Slides (Part 1, Part 2)
Presentation text
Sebastian and Lenore Rosica Research Festival
(September 2013)
Slides to presentation description
Convention of American Instructors for the Deaf (CAID) National Conference
(June 2013)
Slides to presentation
Text for presentation
Sixth Annual Imagine RIT: Innovation and Creativity Festival
Poster: Virtual Academic Community
Poster: Accessible Design
YNN News Report (video clips of project presence with captions)
NSF Research in Disabilities Education (RDE) Community of Practice
(April 2013)
Slides to presentation
Text for presentation
Emerging Researchers National (ERN) Conference
(February 2013)
Slides to presentation
Text for presentation
California State University Northridge (CSUN) International Technology and Persons with Disabiltiies Conference
(February 2013)
Slides to presentation
Text for presentation
Presentation for Higher Education Teaching and Learning (HETL) Conference
(January 2013)
Slides to presentation: Creating a Virtual Academic Community for STEM Students
Text for presentation: Creating a Virtual Academic Community for STEM Students
Presentation for RIT Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium
(August 2012)
2012 Undergraduate Research Syposium
RITUndergradResearch 2012outline.txt
Presentation for National Association of the Deaf (NAD) 2012 Annual Meeting
July 2012)
NAD Presentation-Hangouts, Video, Community
NAD2012Googlepresent.txt
Presentation for NTID Foundation Board
(May 2012)
NTID Foundation CAT presentation DHHVAC
CAT presNTIDFound.txt
Presentation for Educational Support Service Personnel (ESSP) 2012 Annual Meeting (May 2012)
All videos created and uploaded by DHHVAC staff members can be found here.
Visit the DHHVAC video library
Another on-campus group with which we have collaborated; they also have many very useful resources.
Go to the NTID Center on Access Technology website
This is a list of useful STEM-related online resources for deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals and their collaborators.
Gallaudet University Workshop for Emerging Deaf and Hard of Hearing Scientists
All the documents and publications generated as a result of the original 2008 Summit to Create a Cyber-Community to Advance Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Individuals in STEM, as well as supporting material and resources.
Post-Summit Documents
Presentation at the AHEAD 2009 32nd Conference, this PowerPoint summary of recommendations from the Summit was presented at the AHEAD (Association on Higher Education and Disability) conference, Global Access: Opening a World of Opportunity, July 20-25, 2009, Louisville, KY
Presentation at the 24th International Technology & Persons with Disabilities Conference, this PowerPoint summary of recommendations from the Summit was presented at the CSUN (California State University - Northridge) Center on Disabilities conference, March 16-21, 2009, Los Angeles, CA
Summit Report Final (Sept. 1, 2009, 46 pages), includes the original summary report (October 22, 2008) and an addendum that summarizes three focus group discussions conducted post Summit between March and July 2009.
Summary Report, Initial Draft (October 22, 2008, 40 pages), summary of the group discussion and recommendations from the June 2008 Summit at RIT.
White Papers & Group Recommendations (June 28, 2008, 110 pages), the members of each constituency group are listed, along with pre-summit whitepapers and recommendations generated at the Summit.
Participant Evaluation Report (September 15, 2008, 12 pages), an analysis of the feedback and suggestions offered by Summit participants.
Bibliography on Remote Interpreting and Captioning (May 2008, 300 pages), references used to support discussion at the Summit.
Project Background
Guide to Develop a White Paper
Logistic Guidelines for Members of Constituency Groups
Resources Related to Cyberinfrastructure and Remote Captioning and Interpreting
Bibliography on Remote Interpreting
Bibliography on Remote Captioning
Classroom Interpreting and Visual Information Processing in Mainstream Education for Deaf Students: Live or Memorex?, Marc Marschark; Jeff B Pelz; Carol Convertino; Patricia Sapere; et al. American Educational Research Journal; Winter 2005; 42, 4; ABI/INFORM Global pg. 727
Benefits of Sign Language Interpreting and Text Alternatives for Deaf Students' Classroom Learning., Marc Marschark, et al. Journal of Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education 11:4 Fall 2006
Cognitive underpinnings of learning by deaf and hard-of-hearing students: Differences, diversity, directions., Marschark, M. & Hauser, P. (2008). In M. Marschark & P.C. Hauser (Eds.), Deaf cognition: Foundations and outcomes (pp3-23). New York: Oxford University Press. UNCORRECTED PROOF (See the section on "All Learning Is Not Created Equal: STEM Education)
Using Networked Multimedia to Improve Academic Access for Deaf and Hard or Hearing Students, Anna C. Cavender, General Exam Document, University of Washington, 28 January 2008.
Constituency Group Resources
Students
Notes from Student Group "Brainstorming" Session (June 27, 2008)
Draft of Students' White Paper (May 11, 2008)
Student Preliminary Recommendations (June 27, 2008)
STEM Faculty
Draft of STEM Faculty Talking Points (May 22, 2008)
Preliminary STEM Faculty Recommendations (June 27, 2008)
Support Services Coordinators
Draft of Support Services White Paper (May 8, 2008)
Preliminary Coordinators of Support Services Recommendations (June 27, 2008)
Educational Captioners and Interpreters
Interpreters/Captioners Participant Group List
Educational Captioners and Interpreters White Paper (May 22, 2008)
Preliminary Educational Captioners and Interpreters Recommendations (June 27, 2008)
Educational, Linguistic, and Sign Language Researchers/Developers
Researcher/Developer Talking Points (June 16, 2008)
Preliminary Research Directions (June 27, 2008)
Cyberinfrastructure Specialists
Cyberinfrastructure Specialists Group List
Cyberinfrastructure Specialists White Paper
Preliminary Recommendations by Cyberinfrastructure Specialists (June 27, 2008)
General Project Resources
ASL-STEM Forum: A Bottom-Up Approach to Enabling American Sign Language to Grow in STEM Fields, Jeffrey P. Bigham, Anna C. Cavender, Jessica DeWitt, Daniel Otero and Richard E. Ladner
University of Washington Project Web Site, web site for the project as posted by the University of Washington
Key Enrichment Project Documents
The following documents represent the work products, key findings and general recommendations related planning a virtual academic community for post secondary deaf and hard of hearing students in STEM. January 31, 2012
Summit Report Final (Sept. 1, 2009, 46 pages), includes a summary of a focus group of 50 individuals regarding the use of remote technologies for communication access and social networking as it relates to STEM students. This report, (funded by another NSF grant), provided a sufficient statement of need and likely impact of a successful alliance
Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Students in Transition: Demographics with an Emphasis on STEM Education (2010, 49 pages) - This report, by project consultant Gerard G. Walter, provides an overview of the educational and occupational status of students who are deaf or hard of hearing as they move from high school to college and into the world of work. Specific emphasis is given to students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) majors in college and STEM occupations of adult workers.
Focus group surveys were conducted with the PEPNet outreach coordinators on October 6 and October 7, 2009. Questions related to barriers to education in STEM by students who are deaf and hard of hearing, social networking, remote interpreting and captioning and tutoring were among the topics discussed. A full transcript of the two sessions was recorded, and the transcripts were analyzed by two researchers at NTID, Dr. Gerard Walter (a quantitative researcher) and Dr. Susan Foster (a qualitative researcher). Their reports are available by clicking on the following links: Dr. Walter's report, Dr. Foster's report.
Elements of successful support services. In order to design an effective virtual alliance it was necessary to identify elements of successful support services for STEM students. This was accomplished by conducting a review of best practices of and relevant literature reporting on, and successful organizations supporting and enhancing the academic experience of, deaf students in STEM. A report entitled Elements of Successful Support and Access Services for STEM Students Who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing (2011, 11 pages) by NTID Professor Peter Lalley.
Features of successful NSF alliances. In order to design the most effective virtual alliance that could be implemented on a virtual basis for deaf and hard-of-hearing students, it was critical that other alliances be reviewed in order to understand what successful strategies and best practices could be used for the planned alliance. A report entitled Features of Successful NSF Alliances and Models of Virtual Learning Communities: A Framework for Developing a Virtual Academic Social Network for Supporting Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students in STEM Education (2011, 10 pages) by NTID Professor Peter Lalley.
Social Network Parameters Specifications, Planning, & Prototypes. A social network is a central component of the Virtual Academic envisioned in the Enrichment grant and the subsequent Alliance. This report provides a listing of the features that should be included in a social network and screen displays from two working prototypes. The first prototype was constructed using Ning and the second utilizes the Google+ social network structure. The benefits and shortcomings of each approach are described.
Summary Report on Enrichment Project at 2012 CSUN Conference. A paper detailing the major accomplishments and findings of the Enrichment project was accepted for presentation at the 27th Annual International Technology and Persons with Disability Conference, San Diego, CA, February 27 – March 3, 2012. Remote Services to support deaf students will be presented at 3:00PM on February 27, 2012. Handouts
The Deaf and Hard of Hearing Virtual Academic Community (VAC) hosted by the Deaf STEM Community Alliance has been funded by the National Science Foundation (HRD-1127955). The National Technical Institute for the Deaf at Rochester Institute of Technology, Camden County College, and Cornell University are constructing an on-line community to support the learning needs of students who are deaf and hard-of-hearing in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
The following electronic resources contain information that will be of interest to the key stakeholders involved in STEM education for deaf and hard-of-hearing students. We will be adding resources to this list during the course of the project, so please bookmark this page and visit often.
Class Act - Contains a large amount of information intended to improve existing teaching practice regarding "access" to learning for deaf and hard-of-hearing students in postsecondary classrooms.
Deaf and Hard of Hearing Cyber Community in STEM - The goal of this project is to use existing high bandwidth connections and human resources at and between universities to advance deaf and hard of hearing students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Working jointly with RIT/NTID and Gallaudet University, the DHH Cyber-Commuynity at the University of Washington will create a technologically-advanced infrastructure that will allow deaf and hard-of-hearing students to more easily pursue careers in STEM fields.
ClassInFocus - ClassInFocus is a system developed by Anna Cavender, a PhD student at the University of Washington, Seattle. The photos and videos at this site show two tests of ClassInFocus to provide remote interpreting and remote captioning to deaf students studying in the mainstream.
ASL-STEM Forum - The ASL-STEM Forum is a web site for uploading science topic definitions and their signs, and to discuss them. It is open to anyone who wants to participate.
CopyCat - With support from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Department of Education Institute of Education Sciences, That Starner at Georgia Tech began to develop interactive tools, such as "CopyCat," to make sign language easier to learn for both the deaf and the hearing communities.
Project Solve - Designed specifically for deaf and hard-of-hearing students, this website was developed to assist students in solving math word problems. It includes arithmetic- and algebra-based practice problems. (decommissioned)
Deaf Studies Internet Resources - This listing includes links to resources in over 40 categories, including assistive technologies, interpreting, legal issues, captioning and media information, TTY and relay services resources, and much more.
NTID Deaf Index - This index was created to help locate articles, papers, publications, and information on interpreting, interpreting issues, sign language, deaf studies, deaf history and other related materials. It contains over 18,000 entries.
ASL Video Dictionary and Inflection Guide - This innovative dictionary shows 2,700 signs and how to use most of them in sentences.
Signing Math & Science - TERC and Vcom3D are using the SigningAvatar(R) assistive technology to develop illustrated, interactive 3D standards-based sign language dictionaries that offer students in grades K-8 and 9-12 who are deaf or hard of hearing increased access to the same learning opportunities that hearing students enjoy.
Best Practices in Mathematics - Enhanced Literature Review by Harry G. Lang and Ronald R. Kelly, researchers at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf at Rochester Institute of Technology. In this review, the authors examined research studies, book chapters, and general articles that have implications for teaching mathematics to deaf learners. The paper is dated March 15, 2005.
Best Practices - Science Education for Deaf Students by Harry G. Lang, Department of Research, National Technical Institute for the Deaf at Rochester Institute of Technology. Some of the research studies in this review have specifically addressed instructional strategies, while others originally set out to examine such topics as multimedia and the use of adjunct questions in instructional prose. The research findings show strong support for the argument that the most efficacious instructional strategies are those that cognitively engage deaf students. The report is undated.
MSSE (Master of Science in Secondary Education) Methods and Materials for Teaching Science to Deaf Students - This decommissioned site included teaching strategies, information on developing literacy, curriculum development, Deaf scientists, classroom technology, classroom communication and a science signs lexicon.
C-Print Speech-to-Text System - C-Print is a speech-to-text system developed at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf as a communication access service option for some deaf and hard-of-hearing students in educational environments. It was developed by researchers to improve the classroom experience for students at both the secondary and college levels.
NTID Department of Research and Teacher Education department - The mission of the Department of Research and Teacher Education at NTID is to improve the lives of deaf and hard-of-hearing people through research that can be applied in the classroom, workplace and society. The site includes information about the research program at NTID as well as the MSSE program. NTID's Strategic Research Agenda is available through this site.
PEPNet Resources - PEPNet, a national network of four regional centers that provides resources, information, in-service training, and expertise to enhance educational opportunities for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing and their families, is a partner on this project. Check out their resource section for tip sheets, newsletters, and other materials.
The PEPNet Test Equity website offers video clips and printed documents exploring the problems, challenges, and issues that academic and psychoeducational tests pose for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. The website is an outcome of PEPNet's August 2008 Test Equity Summit. Participants in the summit included specialists on deafness and educational testing; individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing; test and test accommodation developers; language and communication researchers; academicians; K-12 educators and administrators; health professionals; and clinicians with extensive experience in psychoeducational evaluation.
Stanford University - Stanford Captioning, examples of captioned web media.
Project Manual
The project manual linked below is a comprehensive summary of the procedures involved in creating, establishing, and maintaining the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Virtual Academic Community. This manual is intended to be a living document, and will continue to change as online platforms--and the Community itself--evolve over time. Comments, questions, and other feedback are welcomed at admin@dhhvac.org.
Contact Us
RIT/NTID:
 Lisa B. Elliot |
 Austin Gehret |