A Virtual Academic Community for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Students in STEM Lisa B. Elliot & Benjamin Rubin Rochester Institute of Technology 29th Annual International Technology and Persons with Disabilities Conference, San Diego, CA March 19, 2014 Overview -Who we are -Rationale for the project -Review of model components -Academic community activities -Recruiting strategies -Monitoring community usage -Future activities -Q & A -Who We Are Deaf STEM Community Alliance �Only Alliance targeted to a single disability -Supported by the National Science Foundation, HRD #1127955 -3-5 year project (Sept 2011- Aug 2016) �Now in our 3rd year Campus Partners -Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY (lead) -Camden County College, Blackwood, NJ (community college partner) -Cornell University, Ithaca, NY (university partner) Project Rationale -Participation gap in STEM for students who are deaf or hard of hearing (D/HH) �National average graduation rate for D/HH bachelor�s degree: 23% (vs. 73% at RIT/NTID) (all subjects) �Between 1997-2006, 420 out of 265,790 (~.2%) of new STEM PhDs were D/HH �Employment differentials in STEM: -Hearing 17.9% v 15.5% D/HH -Hearing in higher-earning STEM sectors than D/HH Contributing barriers: �Student preparation (STEM basic skills, concepts) �Socialization (peers, role models) �Accessible media Project Rationale -Solution: Deaf STEM Community Alliance -Student preparation Remote tutoring Remote captioning Remote interpreting -Socialization Remote mentoring Peer interaction -Accessible media Curated collection of STEM resources Goal and Objectives Goal: Create a model virtual academic community to increase the graduation rates of postsecondary D/HH STEM majors in the long term � Iterative and incremental (Cockburn, 2008) Iterative � testing what works and revising what doesn�t Incremental � building model in stages instead of all at once Goal and Objectives -Objectives Document and disseminate a description of the process of creating a model VAC for replication Increase the GPAs and retention rates of D/HH students in STEM majors DHHVAC Model Components -Student Preparation Elements: Remote Tutoring (Years 1-5) Remote Captioning (Years 4-5) Remote Interpreting (Years 4-5) Remote Tutoring -Tutoring Models RIT Faculty/RIT Students: (RIT-RIT) Faculty in office, students in nearby learning center (RIT-RIT) Faculty in office or other space on campus, students at home RIT Grad Student/Camden Students �Only remote! RIT Off-Campus Adjunct/RIT Students �Only remote! Cornell Student Tutor/Cornell Student �Tutor in office, student in nearby learning center Remote Tutoring -Framework based on traditional, face-to-face model used at NTID �2011-12, RIT/NTID provided more than 14,000 hours in STEM tutoring to D/HH students registered in courses in 8 STEM-related colleges at RIT (Applied Science & Technology; Computing & Information Science; Engineering; Imaging Arts & Sciences; Science) (~500 students) �Faculty members provide individual and small group sessions to support students outside of class -Appointment-based (not walk-in) �Synchronous vs. asynchronous models Remote (Synchronous) Tutoring Strategies -1:1 or 1:several tutoring sessions -Google+ Hangouts as videoconference/chat platform -15 min-3 hr sessions -Appointment-based scheduling -Homework-oriented (vs. basic skills) -Macs, PCs, desktops, laptops, Chromebooks -Synchronous Tutoring Benefits & Challenges of Synchronous Tutoring -Benefits �Good tool for sharing documents �Easy to search & highlight key phrases with student �Good for observing students� homework and watching for mistakes, providing faster feedback �Good for classes with heavy online component �Better accommodation to student schedules �Meet multiple students at same time -Challenges �Digital whiteboard �Unannounced changes in Google+ interface �Eye contact & turn-taking different online Remote (Asynchronous) Tutoring Strategies -1:1 tutoring sessions -eMail & VP messages, photos, diagrams, handouts, shared documents -Homework-oriented (vs. basic skills) -Macs, PCs, desktops, laptops, Chromebooks Asynchronous Tutoring Benefits & Challenges -Benefits �Provided flexibility for travel when there were time differences between tutor and student or other schedule conflicts �Allows students to process material at their own pace -Challenges �Helping students to problem-solve Remote Tutoring � Lessons Learned So Far -Tutoring strategies �Synchronous v asynchronous -Scheduling �Appointments v �walk-in� -Challenges �Network/browser inconsistencies �Training & technical assistance �Google+ UI changes -Strategies �Ethernet connection/Chrome browser �Ongoing feedback & technical assistance �On-line guides �Google Educational Enterprise account Socialization -Remote mentoring �D/HH STEM professionals -Personalized recruiting -Application including background check -Google+ presence �Mentoring platforms -Google+ private community -Google+ Hangouts -Email -Face-to-face meetings Socialization -Peer-to-peer (community) interaction �Google+ private community -STEM articles of interest -Share student schedules -Announcements (events, internships, scholarships) -Open forum for mentors to provide 1-to many mentoring in forms of �Information sharing (e.g., pictures of work) �Job opportunities �Offers for assistance Socialization � Lessons Learned Thus Far -Someone to facilitate engagement -Encourage through personal contact -Weekly newsletters -Critical mass of participants -Started Google+ Private Community with about 25 participants (January, 2013) -Activity increased with approximately 55 participants (December, 2013) -Current membership 62 participants Accessible Media -Curated STEM Resource library on our public website: www.dhhvac.org �Project publications and presentations �Relevant work by others �STEM ASL dictionaries (e.g., ASL-STEM Forum) �Links to accessible STEM resources (e.g. Khan Academy, Math for College) -STEM-relevant articles and videos in Google + Private community Accessible Media�Lessons Learned Thus Far -Importance of being assertive! �Not all videos are captioned �Sometimes, captioned versions are available, but haven�t been posted Recruiting Strategies -Tutors �Department Chairs �Individual contacts �Professional development training session -Students �Tutors �Individual contacts -Mentors �Recommendations from administration �Alumni association �Individual contacts Monitoring Community Usage -Google+ Private community: Relatively easy, manual caluculation -Hangouts: Somewhat easy-need notification of hangout -Enterprise email account: somewhat easy, but inconsistent use by participants -Chat: Difficult�no way to count Future Activities -Remote Captioning -Remote Interpreting -Manual on Remote Tutoring -Manual on Remote Mentoring Discussion -Questions? -Answers! Contact Information Deaf STEM Community Alliance http://www.dhhvac.org Thank you!