Deaf Children Learning from an Interactive Educational App in American Sign Language

Abstract: In an age of widespread digital access and consumption, it is critical to understand how media, including applications (or apps), can be used to foster Deaf and Hard of Hearing children's development and learning, especially in language and literacy. While research indicates potential benefits of media when they are high quality and educationally oriented, there is limited evidence about educational apps in American Sign Language (ASL) and their impact on young Deaf children. Therefore, utilizing a pre- and posttest design, this exploratory study examined the effects of using an educational app in ASL on sixteen, four- to seven-year-old Deaf and Hard of Hearing children. Participants were asked to play four games from an educational app for fifteen minutes each, preceded by pretesting and followed by immediate and delayed posttesting. Results demonstrated increased learning of targeted skills, indicating the potential for educational apps in ASL to support language and literacy skills in young Deaf children.