SLC Catalyst: Visual Symbol Systems for Deaf and Hearing Learners of English

Gallaudet University, Washington DC

Investigators

Abstract

The Science of Learning Center in Visual Symbol Systems and English Literacy is built around the themes of visual learning and visual languages and their role in enhancing English literacy. In the catalyst phase, three study strands (1. Neurological and cognitive studies; 2. Linguistic and behavioral studies; and 3. Educational practice studies) will be defined, and projects will be described and reviewed in the context of an interdisciplinary catalyst meeting comprised of leading researchers and educators from each strand. The purpose of the activities will be twofold: first, synthesize findings and methodologies and create an agenda for the proposed Center, and second, to establish and nourish interdisciplinary connections among researchers and educators who work with populations of students for whom the visual modality has a heightened importance in their learning. The proposed SLC will bring together scholars as well as educators who work daily with students who demonstrate the need for visually presented knowledge, especially those who are deaf or hard of hearing. Within each discipline represented, the quality of research will improve through the interaction with scholars and educators who bring different perspectives. The SLC will be housed at Gallaudet University, where for decades, researchers have sought to describe and understand visual languages and their appropriate role in educating deaf and hard of hearing children. In the proposed SLC there will be a particular emphasis on examining aspects of both American Sign Language and Cued Speech that have broader implications for language learning and literacy. Because Gallaudet operates model elementary and secondary schools on campus and has an elaborate network of schools and educational agencies through its National Missions Programs and Research Institute, mechanisms for transferring knowledge gained through research into educational practice will be easily built into the Center structure. Educators, including those who are deaf and those from underrepresented groups throughout the country will participate extensively in the activities designed for the catalyst phase.