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

以代数为基础的统计学入门课程是对追求科学职业感兴趣的学生的门户和看门人课程。研究文献表明，由于各种原因，学生难以理解基本的统计概念，其中一个原因往往是缺乏对统计学中应用的代数方法的理解。对于听力和视力的学习者来说，视觉是获得课堂教学的几种模式之一。对于聋人和重听人来说，视觉是主要的访问渠道。传统的课堂动态教学通常包括同时呈现多种视觉信息来源，由口译员或字幕员进行中介沟通，这对DHH学习者提出了额外的要求。为了应对这一挑战，一个由数学家、学习科学家、口译员和教学设计师组成的团队将设计、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学生在统计学基础课程中的学习成绩。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)在主流的高等教育学习环境中开发一个用于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将允许学生从多种交流选项中进行选择，并控制学习速度，从而体验到更轻松的交流，更高水平的参与，最终更好地掌握统计。这个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结合起来，利用概念清单、测试和家庭作业，以及焦点小组的数据，调查学生对统计概念的理解，了解学生对不同视觉呈现模式对他们学习的有效性的看法。为了测试solt的效果，在实验环境和自然教室环境两种条件下，将一组前/后设计与一组非等效组的后测试设计相结合。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的学习，并有助于撰写关于不同视觉呈现模式对统计学习影响的文献。

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.