NSF Award
0435679
RDE-DEI: MoCap ASL for the Sciences addresses the issue of access to high-quality science materials for deaf students as well as their teachers, interpreters, and family members. The project will impact society and the educational system by reducing current language comprehension barriers experienced by deaf individuals that prevent them from learning and being taught scientific concepts effectively. Motion capture, American Sign Language (ASL) materials will allow deaf students equal access to science concepts and the same opportunity as hearing students to develop the interests and skills needed to pursue a career in science. Motion capture, or mocap, will also remove technology-related barriers, especially the limited capacity<br/>of low-speed internet connections and the sacrifices of hand-coded animations. The intellectual merit of the project is demonstrated by the unique application of motion capture (currently used for developing games and movies and studying kinematics in medical and physics research) to the development of a library of science vocabulary and lessons through the animation of three-dimensional avatars. Project objectives are as follows:<br/>1. Reproduce, using motion capture, Classroom of the Sea and Succeed-HI science lessons (5) and vocabulary currently available only in video format. <br/>2. Determine optimal conditions for comprehension of motion-captured ASL animations (background color, contrast, frame rates).<br/>3. Compare learning which deaf middle school and high school students acquire through motion-capture-generated ASL animations versus QuickTime videos of live signers.<br/>4. Compare the ability of beginning ASL college students to reproduce signs accurately after watching videos produced from live signers versus motion capture animations.<br/>5. Compare comprehensibility of QuickTime videos of live signers with motion capture-generated animations by measuring deaf students' delays and accuracy in identifying the English word that corresponds to the sign.<br/>6. Disseminate results.
