Augmented Reality: Accessible Dynamic Informal STEM Learning for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing

本项目探索增强现实（AR）技术，将其作为一种方式，使聋人和听力障碍（DHH）学习者能够在科学中心和博物馆的“现场”演示环境中访问STEM内容。目前向DHH博物馆参观者提供交流和信息的方式要求DHH学习者将注意力分散在体验的视觉焦点和口译员或字幕显示之间。因此，DHH学习者被迫决定在现场演示中错过哪些信息，因此DHH学习者可能无法完全理解演示。此外，这一问题使非正式STEM学习环境始终缺乏包容性和可及性。这项工作的重点是研究开发具有近眼显示的AR平台的方法，该平台将允许DHH参观者在观看并与预期展品互动的同时接收签名或标题说明。新平台将允许实时和自发的教学传播。研究人员将根据从DHH学习者那里收集的数据，评估并推荐有效的方法，使科学中心和博物馆的信息对DHH人群开放。该项目由推进非正式STEM学习计划的试点和可行性研究资助，该研究寻求设计和开发STEM学习的新方法，使所有学习者，包括非正式环境中代表性不足的群体都能使用。研究人员将调查以下研究问题：如何使用增强现实（AR）作为一种支持服务提供的方法，提高聋人和听力障碍（DHH）青少年学习者在半结构化学习环境中的参与度？形成性评估和总结性评估将从两个不同的角度进行：(1)以工程为中心的评估，侧重于技术发展；(2)以教育研究为中心的评估，侧重于用户体验、态度和学习成果的试点研究。将收集关于使用这项技术的定性和定量数据。评估方法包括态度调查（前后）、人种学观察、内容知识的前后测试以及半结构化的团体和个人访谈。该项目将由罗切斯特理工学院的国家聋人技术研究所的访问技术中心的研究人员与罗切斯特博物馆和科学中心合作进行，其中包括罗切斯特挑战者学习中心。这个项目代表了为未来的研究和发展方向设定的第一步，并使卫生保健社区更容易获得教育材料。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project explores augmented reality (AR) technology as a way to make STEM content accessible to Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing (DHH) learners in "live" presentation settings found within science centers and museums. The current ways of providing communication and information access to DHH museum visitors require DHH learners to split their attention between the visual focus of the experience and the interpreter or captioning display. As a result, DHH learners are forced to decide which information to miss during live presentations, thus presentations may not be fully comprehended by the DHH learner. Furthermore, this issue perpetuates a lack of inclusivity and accessibility in informal STEM learning environments. The work focuses on investigating approaches to develop an AR platform with a near-eye display that will allow DHH visitors to receive signed or captioned instruction while still looking at and interacting with the intended exhibits. The new platform will allow for transmission of live and spontaneous instruction. Researchers will evaluate and recommend efficient ways to make information at science centers and museums accessible to the DHH population based on data collected from DHH learners. This project is funded by the Advancing Informal STEM Learning program's Pilot and Feasibility Studies which seek new approaches to design and development of STEM learning to be accessible to all learners including underrepresented groups in informal environments.The researchers will investigate the following research question: how can the use of Augmented Reality (AR) as a method of support service delivery improve the engagement of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing (DHH) adolescent learners in semi-structured learning environments? Both formative and summative evaluations will be conducted from two different angles: (1) an engineering-centric evaluation focused on technical development and (2) an educational-research centric evaluation focused on pilot studies on user experiences, attitudes, and learning outcomes. Both qualitative and quantitative data on the use of this technology will be collected. The evaluation methods include attitudinal surveys (pre/post), ethnographic observations, pre/post tests of content knowledge, and semi-structured group and individual interviews. This project will be conducted by researchers in the Center on Access Technology at National Technical Institute for the Deaf, one of the colleges of Rochester Institute of Technology, in partnership with the Rochester Museum & Science Center, which includes the Rochester Challenger Learning Center. This project represents a first step in setting future directions for research & development and to make educational materials more accessible to the DHH community.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.