Participatory Design of an AI Digital Textbook with Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Students

Abstract

Deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) children often encounter substantial hurdles in their language development and literacy due to their limited language exposure, which leads to lower print literacy levels compared to their hearing peers. The advent of Al technology offers a promising way to address these challenges when integrated into reading materials. This study examines the design prototype for a Korean Al digital textbook (AIDT) for DHH students, employing participatory design involving both teachers and DHH students. Through encompassing classroom observations, teacher interviews, and prototype drawing activities with students, the study identifies features essential for enhancing the learning experience of DHH students through AIDT. Teacher interviews revealed several critical needs, including the necessity to restructure existing textbooks for DHH learners, incorporate diverse visual materials, address unique linguistic challenges, provide personalized instruction, and support the comprehension of abstract concepts. Furthermore, the prototype drawings by DHH students revealed additional requirements such as the ability to draw pictures from written text, create and share visual materials with teachers and classmates, simplify complex reading materials, provide immediate feedback, and utilize visual aids. These findings underscore the potential of AIDT to individualized learning experiences and alleviate certain teaching burdens, thereby fostering improved learning outcomes for DHH students.