A central assumption underlying educational programming for deaf and hard-of-hearing students in STEM areas is that we can provide them with access to communication in the classroom comparable to that received by hearing peers. Such access typically is supported either through sign language interpreting or real-time text, but little is known about the effectiveness of such services.  Primary goals of this project include:

• eliminating potential barriers to classroom learning that is mediated by sign language interpreting or real-time text,
• understanding how deaf students deal with concurrently-presented visual information (e.g., an instructor, and interpreter, and a computer screen),
• mapping differences between deaf students' and hearing students' knowledge of scientific concepts in order to enhance teaching and learning,
• developing strategies to help deaf students' who lack prior content knowledge needed for high school and college-level courses,
• determining how best to encourage deaf students' integrative learning strategies and metacognition (e.g., adapting learning strategies to different contents and contexts).