Implementing an American Sign Language Avatar for Enhancing Learning
of Computer Science Concepts for Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing Students
and Implementing an American Sign Language Avatar for Enhancing
Learning of Computer Science Concepts for Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing
Students and Deaf Interpreters
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ABSTRACT
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The current learning process of Deaf or Hard of Hearing (D/HH)
students taking Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
(STEM) courses needs, in general, a sign interpreter for the
translation of English text into American Sign Language (ASL)
signs. This method is at best impractical due to the lack of
availability of a specialized sign interpreter and at worst nearly
valueless as complex STEM concepts do not yet have an associated
meaningful ASL sign. This paper describes a practical software
signing avatar, called Lamar University's Signing Avatar (LUSA).This
paper includes an evaluation of how the D/HH students and sign
interpreters will acquire knowledge of complex Computer Science
concepts using LUSA. Similar projects that use signing avatars
for learning process focus on K-8 grade concepts. LUSA will establish
a new form of direct instruction that can be extended to other
courses at universities with D/HH students and interpreters.
          
SPEAKER(S)
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Associate Professor Stefan ANDREI, PhD
Computer Science Department, Lamar University
Beaumont, TX, 77710
S.U.A.
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Stefan graduated B.Sc. and M.Sc. from Cuza University of Iasi
in 1994 and 1995, respectively. He got his PhD from Hamburg
University in 2000 using a World Bank Scholarship Japan 
Graduate Program. He got a post doctoral fellowship from 
Singapore-MIT Alliance between 2002 and 2005. He is currently 
an Associate Professor with Computer Science Department of 
Lamar University.
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