Integration of experiential learning to develop problem solving skills in deaf and hard of hearing STEM students

A pervasive assumption about educating students who are deaf or hard-of-hearing (DHH) is that overcoming the communication barrier between instructor and student is sufficient to effectively educate these students. However, a critical challenge that DHH students face in pursuing STEM degrees is developing problem-solving skills and by extension, understanding the interaction among concepts or variables that are interrelated. To address these challenges, an approach was developed that combines interactive, experiential learning activities with the A3-based approach to problem-solving commonly used in industry. Utilizing a state-of-the-art production systems laboratory, DHH students act as workers in manufacturing and warehousing scenarios and work in teams to solve problems they encounter first-hand. By being part of the system, students quickly develop the content knowledge needed to address problems introduced as part of the lab activity. This paper presents the preliminary results of a three-year study on the effectiveness of this approach. Preliminary results indicate that the first group of students who experienced the intervention realized significant improvement in problem-solving skills and maintained this performance at a six-and twelve-month follow-up. Data collection and analysis are still ongoing for the second intervention group.