Combining Conventional Group And Individualized Instruction: An Instructional Strategy For Deaf and Hard of Hearing Learner-Diverse Groups

Group and individualized instruction as an instructional strategy employs both classroom and individual interactions with deaf and hard of hearing students who have diverse learning and communicative styles. The instructional setting is an applications course which includes a laboratory component. Lectures are replete with personal computer (PC) demonstrations and are followed by laboratory sessions where each student independently replicates the techniques learned in class. Criterion referenced instructional (CRI) methods are used in the evaluation of each student's subject knowledge through direct observation of the student's use of a personal computer in a private setting. The goal of this strategy is to maintain the amenities of the classroom while replacing homework and examinations with individually paced competency-based assignments. The end result is the differentiation of a student's performance evaluations from his or her reading and writing skills.