Notes
Slide Show
Outline
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A Closer Look:

Creating Interactive
CD-ROMs for Sign Language
Vocabulary Development

Western Symposium on Rehabilitation and Deafness · April 10, 2003

Sharon Downs, M.S., Coordinator/Specialist in Deafness
Heidi Lefebure, M.S., CRC, Outreach Specialist
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Demonstration of

A Closer Look: Signs for American National Government
and
A Closer Look:  Signs for Idioms
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Rationale
  • Interpreters & deaf students don’t know specific sign vocabulary for college-level courses
  • Interpreters & deaf students invent signs that are not standardized for use in class
  • Substitute interpreters don’t know invented signs
  • Students not connecting ASL signs & English concepts, reflected at test time


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Addressing the Problems
  • Efforts made to avoid regional only signs by working with individuals from various areas of the U.S.
  • ASL and English presented side-by-side
  • Benefits of CD-ROM format over VHS
    • Specific terms are chosen for viewing in sequence or as user chooses
    • Easy replay feature
    • Separate printable dictionary to use as a study guide

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Early Cover Concepts
  • Stipulation:
  • Final version had to  be replicable
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Early Page Design Concept
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Color Samples from Web
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Cover Design
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Screen Design
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Technical Aspects
  • Local experts needed for recommendations:
    • software
    •   digital video camera
    •   digital editing hardware

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Initial Hardware Costs
  • Digital camcorder $1000
  • Digital video editing card $  300
  • (Pinnacle Systems DV200)
    • Software free: Adobe Premiere
  • External Hard drive $  400
  • (18 gb – get bigger!)
  • SCSI card to connect HD $  400
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Hardware Costs Could Be
  • Digital camcorder $1000
  • Digital video editing card $  300
  • (Pinnacle Systems DV200)
  • Internal 120 gig hard drive $  200
  • Firewire enclosure box $    60


  • TOTAL could be under $1600


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Software Needed
  • MS Word or Word Perfect
  • Adobe Premiere
  • Adobe Photoshop
  • Adobe PageMaker
  • Adobe Acrobat (full version) ($89)
  • QuickTime Pro ($39)
  • AutoPlay ($280)
  • Adobe Acrobat Reader (free)
  • QuickTime Viewer (free)
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Research for the CD
  • Identify experts for the research team
  • Develop list of concepts to be covered
  • We furnish the research team with a blank Word document for terms, definitions and context
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Research for the CD
  • Research team demonstrates the signs on a VHS tape in random order
    • Voice what is signed
    • Fingerspell, then show the sign(s)
  • This video is what the models view on the day of filming
  • This expedites filming in the studio


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Digital filming
  • Coordinate schedules of models
  • Goal:  Good mix of deaf and hearing, variety of ages and ethnicities
  • Visual distractions kept to a minimum
    • Exact positioning of models
    • Reduction of glare
    • Consistency of clothing
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Audio
  • Audio track is deleted from studio filming
  • Contract with voice talent for voice-overs
  • Edit VO
  • Carefully align with video for consistent placement
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Audio editing
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Audio editing
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Audio editing
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Premiere – Video Editing
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Premiere – Video Editing
with Background Graphic
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Premiere –
Changing Backgrounds
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Changed Background
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Rendering the video/audio
  • Once all editing is completed
  • Extremely time consuming
  • Do at the end of the day
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QuickTime –
Individual Movie Setup
  • Each video must be copied to a new Quick-Time to setup individual movies for CD
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A Closer Look:
Signs for Idioms
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A Closer Look: Signs for English Composition
  • Next up…
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Other Developments
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Other Developments (cont’d)
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AutoPlay Screen –
Replicable to New Color Scheme
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Idioms in MS Word Table
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Word - Modified Table
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Word – Ready for PageMaker
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Page Setup in PageMaker
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Idioms from PageMaker into  Acrobat
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Initial Review
  • Before multimedia is added to the PDF, content and layout review must be done.
  • Multiple people perform review
  • Every page:
    • Content placement & content
    • Readability
    • Grammar/spelling/punctuation
    • Layout consistent with all other pages?
      • Same fonts?
      • Locations correct?
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Idioms Dictionary
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Multimedia Development
  • Begin only after multiple content/layout reviews have been completed
  • Video links must be established
  • Links established for buttons
  • Bookmarks set up for easy navigation
  • URLs must be made active links
  • Bookmarks added to dictionary
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Final Review
  • Dictionary review
    • Layout
    • Navigation
  • All buttons must be tested
  • Video links must be checked
  • Multiple people perform review
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Authoring
  • FINALLY --  no more errors!!!
  • Check with the publishing company for specific requirements
  • Prepare CD for duplication
    • “virtual CD” folder set up
      •  Contains all files for final CD-ROM product
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Future Events
  • Want To Be Involved?
  • Want To Make Your Own CD-ROM?
  • Contact Us!
  • Sharon Downs, SOTAC Coordinator/Specialist in Deafness
  • sadowns@ualr.edu
  • Heidi Lefebure, Outreach Specialist
  • halefebure@ualr.edu


  • For updated information about “A Closer Look” series, go to www.ualr.edu/sotac
  • For the Instructional Manual go to www.ualr.edu/sotac/manual.pdf