Determining American Sign Language Joint Trajectory Similarity Using Dynamic Time Warping (DTW)

As American Sign Language (ASL), the language used by Deaf/Hard of Hearing (D/HH) Americans has grown in popularity in recent years, an unprecedented number of schools and organizations now offer ASL classes. Many hold misconceptions about ASL, assuming it is easily learned; however due to its rich, complex grammatical construction, it’s not mastered easily beyond a basic level. Therefore, it becomes ever more important to improve upon existing techniques to teach ASL. The Dartmouth Applied Learning Initiative (DALI) at Dartmouth college in coordination with the Robotics and Reality Lab developed an application on the Oculus Quest that helps D/HH individuals improve their ASL literacy. Though the app accurately predicts whether a user is signing letters correctly, it cannot verify signed words effectively due to the complexity involved in tracking motion and rotations. As a result this paper analyzes the effectiveness of using Dynamic Time Warping (DTW), a popular motion similarity comparison technique, to compare user-signed joint trajectories. I compute an 84% accuracy rate as a low bound for my algorithm due to factors involved in this calculation. This is primarily driven by one of the signs being imperfectly signed, and when we exclude that sign from analysis, our accuracy rate jumps to 92%. Therefore, I’ve identified a successful metric for validating the correctness of a signed word

Sign Language and Virtual Learning Environments:: Systematic Literature Mapping

A Língua de Sinais (LS) constitui os sujeitos surdos (SS) com identidade e cultura específica. As LS fazem parte da sociedade, e, além da comunidade surda, os ouvintes têm se interessado em aprendê-la. Acredita-se que as Tecnologias Digitais da Informação e Comunicação são instrumentos mediadores que podem otimizar o ensino e o aprendizado de uma LS e promover a interação do surdo na sociedade. Assim, a presente investigação objetivou mapear ambientes virtuais de aprendizagem existentes voltados para o ensino e aprendizado de uma Língua de Sinais, a fim de verificar se esses apresentam as seguintes características: ser acessível e bilíngue; sobre Libras; ser destinado a SS, aprendizes ouvintes (AO) e tradutores e intérpretes de LS (TILS), tratar de variações linguísticas e buscar constituir comunidades de prática. Cinco ambientes foram encontrados, todos acessíveis e bilíngues, e os resultados colaboram com futuras pesquisas e implementações que venham fortalecer e promover o aprendizado e valorização dessa língua.Sign Language (SL) constitutes deaf people (DP) with specific identity and culture. SL are part of society and beyond the deaf community, hearing people have been interested in learning it. It is believed that Digital Information and Communication Technologies are mediative instruments that can optimize SL teaching and learning and  promote the deaf interaction in society. Thus, the present investigation aimed to map the existing Virtual Learning Environment focused on teaching and learning a Sign Language, in order to verify if they present the following features: being accessible and bilingual; being about Libras; being destined to DP, hearing students (HS) and SL Interpreters (SLI); dealing with linguistic variations and seeking to constitute communities of practice. Five environments were found, and the results collaborate with future research and implementations that come to strengthen and promote this language learning and its appreciation

Integrated adaptive skills program model (IASP)

Integrated Adaptive Skills Program Model (IASP) is designed to offer supportive services to disabled students seeking to integrate into a local after-school program. IASP Model focuses on teaching adaptive skills to disabled students that would prepare them to be fully included into an after-school program with their same age peers. The program offers support, training, and consultation to the students and staff involved in the program. A variety of research-methods and assessment screening tools are used to determine eligibility and program implementation. The IASP Model was piloted during the 2011-2012 school year, in California, United States, but due to limited local and state funds the program could not continue. Students with disabilities deserve to be involved in the community and should not be excluded based on funds. Teaching and educating others on how to integrate students with disabilities into programs will minimize and/or eliminate exclusion of participating in recreation programs within residing communities.https://scholar.dominican.edu/books/1179/thumbnail.jp

Proceedings of Braga 2014 Embracing Inclusive Approaches for Children and Youth with Special Education Needs Conference

This e-book, which is published under the title Braga 2014: Embracing Inclusive Approaches for Children and Youth with Special Education Needs contains a set of papers submitted by the authors in an international conference during July 2014 with the same name. Practitioners, researchers, policy makers, and NGOs from around the world joined their international colleagues to engage in lively and informed discussions about the current state of the art in meeting the needs of children and youth with special educational needs. Topic areas included research, practice, policy, advocacy, and the arts in special education. The conference was co–hosted by The Division of International Special Education and Services (DISES) and the University of Minho in cooperation with the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). As more and more countries around the world strive towards the goals of the Education for All initiative, education systems are turning to increasingly inclusive approaches in order to meet the needs of children and youth who have traditionally been excluded from mainstream education. Research and practice have shown abundant benefits, both academic and social, to all children and youth involved in inclusive education programs. However, simply placing children with special educational needs in mainstream classrooms without appropriate planning, commitment, and support does not guarantee positive outcomes. In this exciting and prestigious international event, participants will share and learn about evidenced–based practices with an emphasis on access, quality, and equity; creative, comprehensive inclusive education approaches; innovations in creating inclusive schools; and integrating research into practice to create stronger links with stakeholders. A special strand focusing on the Arts in Special Education provides a rich forum for special education professionals to build upon innovative practices that encourage creative thinking, draw upon diverse abilities expressed through the arts and develops the individual in ways that traditional academic instruction fails to do so. Finally, the organizers want to emphasize the commitment and systematic work of Paula Frapiccini Ferreira in preparing this e-book.This edition is funded by National Funds through FCT - Foundation for Science and Technology for the Research Center on Education- PEst-OE/CED/UI1661/2014, CIE

Letrar : um modelo de ambiente virtual de apoio ao ensino da língia portuguesa escrita como segunda língua para crianças surdas mediado pela Libras

Orientadora: Profª. Drª. Laura Sánchez GarcíaCoorientadora: Profª. Drª. Tanya Amara FelipeTese (doutorado) - Universidade Federal do Paraná, Setor de Ciências Exatas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Informática. Defesa : Curitiba, 19/11/2021Inclui referênciasÁrea de concentração: Ciência da ComputaçãoResumo: A proposta desta tese foi desenvolver um ambiente virtual com um método de letramento para crianças surdas do 1º e 2º ano do ensino fundamental. A tese está inserida na Arquitetura de Interação Humano-Computador em Língua de Sinais (HCI-SL). A hipótese da pesquisa consistiu em: propor um ambiente adequado para crianças surdas, com recursos tecnológicos e ferramentas acessíveis, capaz de auxiliar o processo de letramento/alfabetização e que privilegie as diferenças linguísticas destas. Desenvolveu-se um protótipo navegável não funcional para um Ambiente Virtual, o Letrar, de apoio ao Letramento de crianças surdas, mediado pela LIBRAS. No ambiente, utilizou-se o Método de Letramento pela Via Direta (MLVD) da Associação Francesa de Leitura - AFL. A pesquisa-Ação anterior a esta tese comprovou a eficiência do método. Para esta tese, foram realizadas revisões de literatura de teses e dissertações da arquitetura HCI-SL, Revisões Sistemáticas de Literatura-RSL para coleta dos requisitos do Avatar - requisitos necessários de Ambiente Virtual de Aprendizagem e ferramentas comuns nos modelos de AVA-Moodle, um curso EAD de qualificação profissional em Formação Continuada de Tutores à Distância com a duração de 120 horas, a fim de utilizar um ambiente de aprendizagem na plataforma Moodle, e revisões de literatura sobre o contexto dos sujeitos surdos e letramento. Especialistas em IHC inclusiva aos Surdos avaliaram o protótipo. Desenvolveu-se a primeira versão do protótipo, e, posteriormente, o protótipo navegável que totalizou 49 (quarenta e nove) frames. Utilizaram-se, na avaliação, o Método de Inspeção Semiótica - MIS e o Método de Avaliação de Comunicabilidade - MAC, bem como Identificaram-se problemas para reajustes e melhorias futuras. Avaliaram-se as ferramentas AVA, incluídas no ambiente, por uma docente especialista que atua com o mesmo público desta tese há mais de 9 (nove) anos. Acredita-se que o ambiente desenvolvido atende às necessidades levantadas no início desta tese. O recurso de acessibilidade é oferecido com a tradução da Língua de Sinais e outros recursos que atendem a WCAG. Além disso, oferece um guia/diretriz para a elaboração das atividades e sugestões de como explorar no contexto do público Surdo. Realizou-se a análise da proposta curricular - PSLS/ 2021 para o ensino de Português como L2 para Surdos, comparando-a às atividades propostas no ambiente. Assim, revelou-se que as atividades já constantes do Ambiente se coadunam com a maioria das atividades dos cadernos da Educação Infantil, do 1º e do 2º ano. Também analisou-se a Lei n.º 14.191/2021 e suas diferenças em relação à Lei n.º 13.146/2015. Espera-se que, uma vez testado por professores e estudantes Surdos, atualizado e implementado, o ambiente Letrar possa contribuir, inicialmente, como uma ferramenta de apoio ao docente e discente em relação à aprendizagem da Língua Portuguesa escrita.Abstract: The proposal of this Thesis is inserted in the Sign Language Human-Computer Interaction Architecture (HCI-SL). The research hypothesis consisted of: proposing a suitable environment for deaf children, with technological resources and accessible tools, capable of assisting the literacy/literacy process and that favors the linguistic differences of these children. A nonfunctional navigable prototype was developed for a Virtual Environment the Letrar to support Literacy for deaf children mediated by LIBRAS. In the environment, the Direct Way Literacy Method (DWLM) of the French Reading Association - AFL was used. The Action Research prior to this thesis, proved the efficiency of the method. For this thesis, literature reviews of thesis and dissertations of the HCI-SL architecture were carried out, Systematic Literature Reviews-RSL to collect the Avatar requirements - necessary Virtual Learning Environment requirements and common tools in the AVA-Moodle models, an EAD course of professional qualification in Continuing Education of Distance Tutors lasting 120 hours, in order to use a learning environment on the Moodle platform, and literature reviews on the context of deaf subjects and literacy. The prototype was evaluated by specialists in IHC inclusive of the Deaf. The first paper version of the prototype was developed, and later the navigable prototype which totaled 49 (forty-nine) frames. The Semiotic Inspection Method - MIS and the Communicability Assessment Method - MAC, were used in the evaluation, identifying problems for readjustments and future improvements. The VLE tools included in the environment were evaluated by an expert teacher who has worked with the same audience as this thesis for more than 9 (nine) years. It is believed that the developed environment meets the needs raised at the beginning of this thesis. The accessibility feature is provided with Sign Language translation and other features that support WCAG. And, it offers a guide/guideline for the elaboration of the activities, and suggestions on how to explore the activities. The analysis of the curricular proposal - PSLS/ 2021 for the teaching of Portuguese as L2 for the Deaf was carried out and compared with the activities proposed in the environment, revealing that the activities already included in the Environment are consistent with most activities in the Early Childhood Education notebooks, 1st and 2nd year. The thesis analyzed Law nº. 14.191/2021, and their differences in relation to Law no. 13.146/2015. It is expected that, once tested by Deaf teachers and students, updated and implemented, the Letrar environment can contribute, initially, as a support tool for teachers and students for the effective literacy of deaf children, as it can serve, also, to listeners in teaching and learning the written Portuguese language

Proceedings of the 5th international conference on disability, virtual reality and associated technologies (ICDVRAT 2004)

The proceedings of the conferenc

Proceedings of the 9th international conference on disability, virtual reality and associated technologies (ICDVRAT 2012)

The proceedings of the conferenc

Proceedings of the VIIth GSCP International Conference

The 7th International Conference of the Gruppo di Studi sulla Comunicazione Parlata, dedicated to the memory of Claire Blanche-Benveniste, chose as its main theme Speech and Corpora. The wide international origin of the 235 authors from 21 countries and 95 institutions led to papers on many different languages. The 89 papers of this volume reflect the themes of the conference: spoken corpora compilation and annotation, with the technological connected fields; the relation between prosody and pragmatics; speech pathologies; and different papers on phonetics, speech and linguistic analysis, pragmatics and sociolinguistics. Many papers are also dedicated to speech and second language studies. The online publication with FUP allows direct access to sound and video linked to papers (when downloaded)