The effectiveness of videoconferencing in the delivery of a manual communication lab For deaf educators

Date

2014-08

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Abstract

All states have reported shortages in most areas of special education, but especially in low incidence disabilities (Ludlow, 1998). In order to increase the number of certified educators, colleges and universities have begun to broaden their courses of study to include more online and distance learning classes. As the number of distance learning classes increases, instructors must find new ways of providing instruction from a distance. New technology has emerged that allows instructors to deliver classroom content from great distances, cutting out travel time and expenses. This new and improved technology has also given rise to manual communication classes being taught online. All students deserve a good education. This means that they are entitled to teachers who are proficient speakers of the language used by students (Buisson, 2007). This study began by looking at teacher shortages and then examined the effectiveness of an online manual communication lab that was part of Texas Tech University’s non-traditional Deaf Education Program. The lab was part of a program designed to increase the number of certified teachers of the deaf in Texas, thereby attempting to reduce the shortages in this area. This study examined if videoconferencing in the manual communication lab was an effective method for teaching signing skills to the graduate students who were part of the program.

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Keywords

Videoconferencing, Deaf education

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