Comparison between modes of communication for the deaf and dumb via e-learning through case study (sign language and finger spelling in review)

Communication between student and learning source represents the main media for the teaching/learning process. For Deaf and Dumb (D&D) such communication could be processed via speech visualization media. All the oral/audio instructional material could be translated into the corresponding material via visual mode. Three main modes of communication for the D&D are commonly used. They are alphabets finger spelling (one hand and two hands), sign language and lip movement reading. Our paper covers sign language and finger spelling (one hand) because according to our survey the e-dictionary for lip movement is not available yet. The authors developed an e-learning module (eLM) which displays only sign language clips for selected thirty words from the e-vocabulary of video clips of sign language. Also they developed another e-learning module which displays the same thirty words but in finger spelling from other e-vocabulary of alphabets finger spelling one hand picture files. A selected sample of seven D&D students in real school of Hearing Impaired students have been tested to write the words in the two e-learning modules. Then the statistical analysis of the results of the two experiments could be discussed to write the final conclusion. The sign language is more effective as well as universal for the D&D than alphabets finger spelling.