Learning innovative for deaf learners

The learning of deaf students has been a challenging phenomenon owing to their diversity in culture, linguistic background, and learning styles. This has resulted in constant failure, dropout, and learning phobia of most deaf learners. The communication barrier and lack of pedagogical knowledge and skills among teachers have led to 84% of Tanzanian deaf learners failing in their national examinations every year. This scenario necessitated Archbishop Mihayo University College of Tabora (AMUCTA) to design an Open Visual Education Resource (OVER) tool that condenses all subjects into visual representations to assist both teachers and deaf students in their teaching and learning process. The tool has proved to be quite effective for enhancing learning and memory retention among deaf learners. However, the challenges in technology and the deficit in funding have impacted the progress of the project. 

The large rate of deaf students' failure in education is a specific problem proposed to be solved. Research has shown that 54% of deaf students drop out of secondary education while 84% of those who manage to reach their grade 12 fail in their examinations. These are most deaf learners from poor families and therefore become a burden to their families and or to their future lives. The main cause of this problem is communication problems between their teachers and hearing colleagues, and this has affected their entire learning and school life. Research has also shown that inclusive education in Tanzania has been of little help to the learning of deaf students as many support systems have not been established. Consequently, the majority of deaf learners fail to attain proper and quality education as compared to their hearing peers. Lack of pedagogical skills among teachers of deaf learners is another problem in the learning of the deaf. The development of an OVER tool intends to simplify the learning of deaf students.

The OVER tool is a pile of different materials of some of the secondary school subjects that are organized in the computer to assist deaf students’ learning in inclusive secondary schools in Tanzania. The organization of the catalog is in visual learning materials that AMUCTA advocates as important in teaching the deaf. It is a simplified tool with all topics and sub-topics prepared following the arrangement of the Tanzanian Syllabi of secondary schools.  It covers 9 subjects namely: English, Kiswahili, Geography, History, Biology, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, and Civics from form one to form four. OVER tool was prepared to simplify the teaching of deaf and hard of hearing students in Tanzania owing to the inadequacy of pedagogical skills among teachers of deaf learners. There is a problem of failure to learn new words that are not in their lexicon. Some of the teachers who teach them do not know sign language and even those who know do not have skills of teaching in an inclusive class while ensuring that all learners’ needs are met. The OVER tool is one of the best solutions to this problem.

Background to the fact that deaf learners are essentially visual, the preparation of the tool was made not only to reduce memory overload but also to stimulate memory and information processing among deaf learners. Pilot results have already indicated that the tool will be helpful to not only deaf learners but also hearing ones. 

Similarly, preparation of the tool focus to promote practice-based learning as it contains question students will need to attempt at the end of each topic. 

Notwithstanding this, the tool contains harmonized signs, pictures, videos, explanations of concepts, synonyms, et Cetra. All these need to capture diverse learning pathways. Below is a sample of a page that was developed in an old technology that makes it complicated to transferred from one device to the other.

One of the main challenges deaf students face in schools is communication. However, teachers' pedagogical skill is another block on the engagement of deaf learners in schools. Research has shown that communication barriers impinge cooperation between and among students. This tool enables not only knowledge among deaf learners but also it contains and will be hyperlinked to the Tanzanian Sign Language online dictionary for the aim of enabling learners to learn sign language hence, on one hand, solve communication problems in schools and on the other, to enable deaf students to learn and cooperate with their school mates.

Our project is at the scale stage because it needs to be adapted to a new technology to make it more effective for deaf learners and teachers. Owing to technological advancement and the unprecedented times of COVID 19 which require us to invest more in virtual learning, there is a great need to adapt our personnel to new knowledge and skills to make the tool run adequately and effectively. 

The solution I am advocating is quite innovative because it is based on an ecological approach of enabling learning for deaf students. It is an ecological tool that links quite a number of techniques through which a learner can benefit. My solution discards the old ways of teaching that "One Size Fits All" and therefore it bares in mind that learners can learn in diverse ways and therefore teachers need to be aware of such. However, the solution stimulates learners' ability to learn alone and perform tasks that are at the end of each lesson. Moreover, the use of technology in teaching elevates the solution to be a more advanced one as it helps students to learn from home where they can even share their learning with parents. This is tool is one and only in the country for now and it has shown to be effective for learners.

Since the tool can be transferrable through an external stick, currently it can help more than 400 deaf students.

Upon successful adaptation to new technology, the tool can serve up to 1000 deaf learners and after 5 years it can help over 10,000 students.

Indicators:

1. An increase in enrolment and retention rate among deaf learners in secondary education.

2. Deaf students are able to achieve upper grades in education and assessments.

3. Schools set resource rooms to enable students to learn independently and in groups.

4. Teachers are able to assist deaf learners in their academics.

5. School communities are able to use Tanzanian Sign Language in all situations when deaf learners are available.

6. Deaf learners can answer questions specific in particular subjects. 

Eleven (11) full-time staff.

The team has been and is currently engaged in several projects that enhance the learning of deaf students at different levels and in different capacities. For example,

1. Teaching Deaf Learners project 2013-2017 (partnered with Kentalis International Foundation - the Netherlands)

2. Enhancing Learning of Deaf Students in Secondary Education 2020-2023 (partnered with Kentalis International Foundation - the Netherlands)

3. Status of Education and Employment of Persons with Disabilities (ZIZI Afrique) 2021-2021 (partnered with HOSIEA - Kenya)

4. eLearning Teachers Training program for Literacy  Learning in Sub-Sharan Africa (e-TALE) 2019-2022 (partnered with Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Finland)

These are a few examples to affirm that my team has expansive skill and knowledge to both lead and organize the learning of deaf students.

Diversity: We believe that every person is unique and has strengths and challenges. Hence, we encourage our team to appreciate and respect every person irrespective of gender, ethnicity, color, and disability.

Equity: By understanding the specific learning needs of learners, we provide support services that respond to such learning needs. This aims to enable every person to access education and other specific services.  

Inclusion: We understand the difference between inclusion and placement. Inclusion means accommodating a person to fit into a community. We encourage our team to welcome and appreciate every person and accord him or her every support so that one feels welcomed, appreciated, and supported. To us, every chance is an opportunity.

I apply to solve because I am confident that I can contribute to the theory change especially when it comes to the inclusion of deaf students in schools, and most specifically, to how deaf students learn. The prevalent learning situation of deaf learners puts them in second place behind hearing ones. Goal 4 of SDGs directs that each child is entitled to quality education. To this end, the tool focuses to put deaf students on a learning avenue that they can as well learn and change their lives to a better one.

As it has been explained from the beginning, the development of the OVER tool has been affected by ever-changing technology hence has impacted its interactive features. We, therefore, seek to adapt the tool to new technology, preferably, mediasite technology - which bears both advanced and interactive features. This new technology will enable the solution to be easily accessible and usable to users.

I would like to continue working with Kentalis International Foundations, the Netherlands for more innovations. However, Mediasite would provide us with the more appropriate technology we prefer.

I am working with the Higher Learning Insititution and, as an institution, we are entitled to researching social problems and design and interventions for such problems. So, I am confident that I am eligible for this prize because it aims at solving a current problem - limited learning spaces for the deaf in Tanzania. 

Upon success, the team will use the prize to help the marginalized communities of the deaf and by so doing, we shall be responding to a global call towards building an inclusive community.

Our innovation aims to enable deaf students to learn and achieve their goals, hence creating an inclusive society that is more interactive. 

So, I am confident that I am eligible for this prize because it aims at solving a current problem - limited learning spaces for the deaf in Tanzania. 

Upon success, the team will use the prize to help the marginalized communities of the deaf and by so doing, we shall be responding to a global call towards building an inclusive community.

I am working with the Higher Learning Institution and, as an institution, we are entitled to researching social problems and design and interventions for such problems. So, I am confident that I am eligible for this prize because it aims at solving a current problem - limited learning spaces for the deaf in Tanzania. 

Our innovation aims to enable deaf students to learn and achieve their goals, hence creating an inclusive society that is more interactive. 

So, I am confident that I am eligible for this prize because it aims at solving a current problem - limited learning spaces for the deaf in Tanzania. 

Upon success, the team will use the prize to help the marginalized communities of the deaf and by so doing, we shall be responding to a global call towards building an inclusive community.

I am working with the Higher Learning Institution and, as an institution, we are entitled to researching social problems and design and interventions for such problems. So, I am confident that I am eligible for this prize because it aims at solving a current problem - limited learning spaces for the deaf in Tanzania. 

Our innovation aims to enable deaf students to learn and achieve their goals, hence creating an inclusive society that is more interactive. Girls at danger of being impacted the most by the education system. Thus, enabling them to learn and do better in their education makes a point.

So, I am confident that I am eligible for this prize because it aims at solving a current problem - limited learning spaces for the deaf in Tanzania. 

Upon success, the team will use the prize to help the marginalized communities of the deaf and by so doing, we shall be responding to a global call towards building an inclusive community.

I am working with the Higher Learning Institution and, as an institution, we are entitled to researching social problems and design and interventions for such problems. So, I am confident that I am eligible for this prize because it aims at solving a current problem - limited learning spaces for the deaf in Tanzania. 

Our innovation aims to enable deaf students to learn and achieve their goals, hence creating an inclusive society that is more interactive. Nothing distinguished persons with disabilities from their humanhood. Hence, they are entitled to equal and quality education as students without disabilities.

So, I am confident that I am eligible for this prize because it aims at solving a current problem - limited learning spaces for the deaf in Tanzania. 

Upon success, the team will use the prize to help the marginalized communities of the deaf and by so doing, we shall be responding to a global call towards building an inclusive community.

I am working with the Higher Learning Institution and, as an institution, we are entitled to researching social problems and design and interventions for such problems. So, I am confident that I am eligible for this prize because it aims at solving a current problem - limited learning spaces for the deaf in Tanzania. 

Our innovation aims to enable deaf students to learn and achieve their goals, hence creating an inclusive society that is more interactive. Nothing distinguished persons with disabilities from their humanhood. Hence, they are entitled to equal and quality education as students without disabilities.

So, I am confident that I am eligible for this prize because it aims at solving a current problem - limited learning spaces for the deaf in Tanzania. 

Upon success, the team will use the prize to help the marginalized communities of the deaf and by so doing, we shall be responding to a global call towards building an inclusive community.