Communication, Access, and Persistence Among Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students in Foundational Statistics Courses

基于代数的统计学入门课程是有兴趣从事科学职业的学生的门户和看门人课程。 研究文献表明，学生的斗争与基本的统计概念的各种原因，其中之一往往是缺乏理解的代数方法应用于统计。 对于听力和视力良好的学习者来说，视觉是进入课堂教学的几种模式之一。 对于聋人和听力障碍（DHH）的学习者，视觉是主要的访问渠道。 传统的课堂教学动态，其中往往包括通过口译员或字幕员介导的通信支持的视觉信息的多个来源的同时呈现，对DHH学习者提出了额外的要求。为了应对这一挑战，数学家，学习科学家，口译员和教学设计师团队将设计，实施和调查一套基于视频的补充在线学习工具（SOLT），这些工具有可能提高DHH学生在统计基础课程中的学术成功。 统计概念的视觉/图形和文本表示将伴随着手语、语音和字幕。 这项工作的目标包括：（1）开发一个用于在主流中学后学习环境中学习复杂统计概念的SOLT试点集合;（2）在实验和自然课堂环境中测试这些材料的有效性。 该团队正在研究这样一个命题，即SOLT将允许学生从多种沟通选项中进行选择，并控制学习的节奏，从而体验到更轻松的沟通，更高水平的参与，这一探索性项目将把开发和实施活动与比较混合方法评估研究设计相结合，以调查学生对统计概念的理解使用概念清单，测试和家庭作业，以及焦点小组的数据，了解学生对不同视觉呈现模式对其学习的有效性的看法。 为了测试SOLT的有效性，将在实验环境和自然课堂环境两种条件下，将单组前/后设计与仅后测试设计（非等效组）相结合。该项目有可能增加DHH学生以及主要是视觉学习者的学生对统计数据的学习，并为关于不同视觉呈现模式对统计学习的影响的文献做出贡献。

The algebra-based Introductory Statistics course is both a gateway and gatekeeper course for students interested in pursuing careers in the sciences. The research literature suggests that students struggle with fundamental statistical concepts for a variety of reasons, one of which is often a lack of understanding of the algebraic methods applied in statistics. For hearing and sighted learners, vision is one of several modes for accessing classroom-based instruction. For deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) learners vision is the primary access channel. Traditional in-class instruction dynamics, which often include simultaneous presentation of multiple sources of visual information supported through mediated communication by interpreters or captionists, places additional demands on DHH learners. To address this challenge, a team of mathematicians, learning scientists, interpreters, and instructional designers will design, implement, and investigate a set of video-based supplemental online learning tools (SOLTs) that have the potential to enhance the academic success of DHH students in the foundational course in statistics. Visual/graphic and textual representations of statistical concepts will be accompanied by sign language, voice, and captioning. The objectives of this effort include (1) development of a pilot collection of SOLTs for learning complex statistical concepts in mainstream postsecondary learning environments and (2) testing of the efficacy of these materials in experimental and natural class settings. The team is examining the proposition that SOLTs will allow students to select from multiple communication options and to control the pace of learning, and thus experience increased ease of communication, higher levels of engagement, and eventually greater mastery of statistics.This exploratory project will integrate development and implementation activities with a comparative mixed methods evaluation research design to investigate student understanding of statistical concepts using concept inventories, tests and homework, and data from focus groups on student perceptions of the effectiveness of the different visual presentation modes on their learning. To test the efficacy of the SOLTs a one-group pre/post design will be combined with a post-test only design with nonequivalent groups under two conditions, an experimental setting and a natural classroom setting. The project has the potential to increase the learning of statistics by DHH students as well as students who are predominately visual learners and to contribute to the literature on the influence of different visual presentation modes on the learning of statistics.