This effort is part of FORWARD, a project supported by the National Science
Foundation to improve achievement of women and underrepresented groups
in science, mathematics, engineering and technology.
These web pages have been developed to improve the sign interpreting
in the science and engineering
classroom. This is a work in progress and reviewers are asked
to use the attached web pages as well as other relevant resources
to contribute to a product that may be helpful to interpreters as well as
their clients. The goal of the project is not to create technical
sign vocabulary but to create materials that will be helpful in
making inclass sign interpreting more intelligible. The goal is not to
teach engineering skills but facilitate correct use of technical
vocabulary. These online materials must be:
- kept short to be manageable for the average busy interpreter,
- correct, and not oversimplified, to transmit facts
- written in a style and vocabulary matched to the average lecturer,
textbook and classroom
The last point above is particularly important and deserves emphasis.
This effort is not
attempting to write an entertaining, accesssible "Engineering for Dummies" text.
To be useful in the real-time classroom environment, these web materials
must accurately convey some of the unusual vocabulary as well as phraseology and syntax
that develops in the classroom. We hope that after conscienciously reviewing
these materials, an interpreter (a well as the interpreter's clients!)
will be better prepared to efficiently, correctly and consistently handle
technical vocabulary that arises and convey a better sense of meaning in the
topics under discussion.
The materials available focus on a few common courses
that are required by most engineering majors: Engineering Statics,
Engineering Dynamics, Properties of Materials. For each type of
course, several textbooks were selected and a short summary was
made of their chapter contents, chapter technical vocabulary and standard mathematical
symbols used in formulas. Note that vocabulary listed for each chapter
focuses on new vocabulary introduced in the chapter. It is assumed that
vocabulary from prior chapters has been studied and is understood.
As was
stated above, this is a work in progress. We make no claim that
these materials are complete but represent a beginning that will help
bring relevant issues into focus.
Reviewers are invited to provide any useful feedback. Here are a few
suggestions:
- Focus on one course
- Develop improved definitions and explanations of concepts
- Create and plan an explanation of vocabulary words that can be
captured in a short movie clip and put on the web
- Develop ways to use the common math symbols given at the end of each
course page to abbreviate, standardize and tie together math symbols
with text.
- Suggest signs or abbreviated fingerspelling that might be appropriate
for some vocabulary words and can be put into a movie clip on the web.
- Provide feedback on the weaknesses of these online materials - their
organization, clarity, completeness, basic assumptions,...
- Seach for other technical sign resources on the WWW
This effort is built on the assumption that a better understanding
of engineering/technical vocabulary - not training in engineering
disciplines - will help (BUT not necessarily resolve all difficulties!)
to make classroom technical
interpreting more effective. At present, we don't know precisely the
level of detail and minutia that needs to be developed in the online
materials. Give us your feedback!
David Snyder
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