Visual Communication Tools Inside of Distance Learning

2010 Technology and Deaf Education Symposium

Use of Visual Communication Tools Inside of Distance Learning (T9B)

Aaron Kelstone,  Simon Ting, and Cathy Clark, RIT/NTID


Available Symposium Resources: Verbatim captions, photos.

Take Aways 

Combining two of my favorite topics, distance learning and deaf education, the presenters discussed implementation of a single, visual tool-enhanced distance learning course for students on two campuses:  RIT and Gallaudet. Kelstone addressed barriers to online instruction: time-intensive, expensive, complex, demanding technical expertise, isolating, and lacking face-to-face contact. RIT developed IdeaTools which helps course designers and instructors to address those barriers.

Kelstone proposed that by using an inexpensive Webcam and IdeaTools software, distance classrooms become highly interactive, collaborative, active learning spaces that are highly accessible to deaf students. IdeaTools is a platform, similar to BlackBoard, that was developed at NTID. It allows for sharing of all sorts of media: PowerPoint, PDFs, and, most importantly, video communication and white board use. Additionally, IdeaTools archives class sessions so that students may review them. Very nice.

The project reported here involved “classroom within a classroom” design. That is, two, face-to-face classrooms met on two campuses, but used Webcams and IdeaTools to collaborate synchronously. With that course format, students at Gallaudet used laptops during class to view the shared activities, but more sophisticated (and expensive) presentation screens were available at RIT, which demonstrates the flexibility of the system.

Kelstone observed that the students collaborated outside of class using iChat instead of similar capabilities within the courseware (IdeaTools). When asked why, they responded that iChat allowed for asynchronous video chat, but that IdeaTools required synchronous viewing.

Access more blog postings.of more symposium sessions (scroll to bottom of linked blog posting).