Mobile Aid for Deaf People Learning Computer Literacy Skills

Ng'ethe, George G., Edwin H. Blake and Meryl Glaser (2014) Mobile Aid for Deaf People Learning Computer Literacy Skills. In Proceedings Southern African Telecommunication Networks and Applications (SATNAC), Port Elizabeth.

Abstract

This paper discusses a prototype of a learning aid on a mobile phone to support Deaf people learning computer literacy skills. The aim is to allow Deaf people to learn at their own pace which in turn reduces the dependence on a teacher to allow the teacher to assist weaker learners. We studied the classroom dynamics and teaching methods to extract how lesson content is delivered. This helped us develop an authoring tool to structure lesson content for the prototype. A prototype has been developed using South African Sign Language videos arranged according to the structure of pre-existing lessons. The technical goal was to implement the prototype on a mobile device and tie the resulting exported lesson content from the authoring tool to a series of signed language videos and images so that a Deaf person can teach him/herself computer literacy skills. Qualitative preliminary results from user testing found the prototype successful in allowing Deaf users to learn at their own pace thereby reducing the dependence on the teacher.