SBIR PHASE II: Illustrated, Interactive, American Sign Language/Science Videodisk Dictionary

这个小企业创新研究的第二阶段项目是由弗吉尼亚技术国际公司（位于洛杉矶拉普拉斯）开展的，重点是研究一套完整的、基于计算机的、有插图的、互动式的美国手语/科学（ASL）词典的功能和应用规范，用于聋哑和听障儿童。由于聋哑和听力受损的儿童在流利地使用英语方面面临更大的挑战，传统的词典作为获取知识的手段往往价值有限。本研究项目的目标是提供一种用美国手语和英语表达、教学和学习技术术语和科学概念的方法，使用一种使失聪儿童更容易理解学术内容并促进自学的格式。第二阶段研究的结果将是确定词典的内容、用户界面和呈现模式，以及以一种现有的为聋儿设计的教育材料中无法获得的方式整合美国手语特征。美国手语，书面英语，动画和图形的结合将加强英语术语和基础科学概念的学习。词典的软件架构将允许在ibm兼容和Macintosh平台上实现，并允许通过万维网访问。多媒体美国手语科学词典作为一种资源，在特殊教育领域有多种应用，因为它可以加强聋哑儿童对手语和科学概念的学习。这个概念可以应用于面向广泛人群的各种教育材料，例如针对成人的插图词典、游戏、娱乐和培训产品。特别是，这种词典概念的效用扩展到英语作为第二语言（ESL）学习者的材料。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase II project from Technology International Incorporated of Virginia (located in LaPlace, LA) focuses on research leading to a complete set of specifications of features and applications of a computer-based, illustrated, interactive American Sign Language/Science (ASL) Dictionary for deaf and hearing impaired children. Since deaf and hearing impaired children have a greater challenge in gaining fluency in English, traditional dictionaries are often of limited value as a means to acquiring knowledge. The goal of this research project is to provide a means of expressing, teaching, and learning technical terms and science concepts in ASL as well as in English, using a format that makes academic content more accessible to children who are deaf and which promotes self-study. The outcome of the Phase II research will be identification of the content, user-interface, and mode of presentation of the dictionary as well as incorporation of ASL features in a way that is unavailable in the extant educational material designed for deaf children. The combination of ASL, written English, animation and graphics will enhance the learning of the English terms and the underlying science concepts. The software architecture of the dictionary will allow for implementation on IBM-compatible and Macintosh platforms, as well as allowing accessibility over the World Wide Web. As a resource, the Multimedia ASL Science Dictionary has various applications in the special education arena, inasmuch as it would reinforce both the learning of sign language as well as science concepts among children who are deaf. The concept can be applied to a diverse body of education materials for a wide range of population, such as illustrated dictionaries for adults, games, entertainment, and training products. In particular, the utility of the concept of such a dictionary extends to materials for English-as-a-Second Language (ESL) learners.