Computer-Assisted Instruction for the Deaf.

A three-year project involving 4,000 students from 15 schools for deaf students supported the development and evaluation of computer-assisted instruction (CAI) for the hearing-impaired. Activities ranged from evaluations of specific curriculums to theoretical studies of language use by the deaf. The project demonstrated that CAI can benefit deaf students, that it can support relevant research in deaf education, and that it is economically feasible. In addition, the outcomes of the project made it clear that CAI can be used for other purposes. These include: 1) the development of symbolic representations of the learner so that specific instructional treatments can be prescribed to maximize educational outcomes; 2) the creation of teaching strategies which respond to wrong answers, allow multiple responses, and permit student control; 3) the identification of the specific cognitive skills of deaf students, and 4) the specification of the economic and technological feasibility of CAI. (LB)