The research and an example

So here is my second blog and believe it or not the use of videoconferencing in Deaf Education though it seems like such a natural fit as a distance learning tool , I have not been able to find a lot of research on the topic or examples of it being widely used. 

After some searching I found this article that very informative, it was written by B. Patton, in 2007 titled Distance Education Brings Deaf Students, Instructors and Interpreters Closer Together.   Patton cites a 1999 work by Hubbard which states that “Education of the deaf can benefit from distance learning fully as much, if not more, as education of the hearing ” In this environment there is an integration text captions and signed videotaped lectures the article further states that

. . . most deaf and hard of hearing respondents felt that the on-line learning format provided important communication-related advantages. Compared to a more traditional class, students were less dependent on interpreters to capture the important concepts in class and then present them in sign, in a way that was comprehensible to the student"

Below  is an example of how videoconferencing is used in the Deaf community ...the Z4, which is a software that I often use, and had the opportunity to have one of my students join us from Florida when she had a function. 

You will need to copy and paste in a browser as this video does not seem to work in a hyperlink format.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_D6BAd8lTc 

I really love using videoconferencing for with my students and can see the potential to use this feature for the Deaf in my country and other islands of the Caribbean.