2017 Conference Objects

Supporting the success of online students who are deaf

Marquart, Matthea S.; Counselman Carpenter, Elisabeth A.

One social justice victory of online education is the ability to expand access to higher education and serve a diverse student body. This roundtable discussion gave instructors and administrators the chance to share strategies and tools for supporting the success of students who are deaf. Online courses with synchronous components generally include audio elements in the form of live virtual classes; homework assignments that include videos, podcasts, or other media; and student-generated media assignments such as introductory videos or video role plays. To enable students who are deaf to fully participate in these courses, school administrators and instructors need to be ready with tools and strategies, such as live captioners or American Sign Language translators, media captioners, and plans for inclusive lessons.
This roundtable discussion provided a forum for those with experience supporting the success of students who are deaf to share their experiences, and for those without experience to learn and ask questions. The goals for this session included:
1) Sharing concrete tools and resources that can support online students who are deaf
2) Sharing strategies for inclusive lesson planning and instructional design
3) Identifying areas where schools of social work can better prepare to support students who are deaf