LESSONS FROM TEACHING GEOSCIENCE TO AN ALL DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING (DHH) COHORT

In the fall of 2019 a cohort of 36 deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) students enrolled in Natural Disasters, a geology course at Mt. San Antonio College (Mt. SAC). The course was set up exclusively for DHH students. The class was a part of a larger effort at Mt. SAC to get cohorts of DHH students successfully completing their GE requirements. By concentrating and maximizing support resources, the goal is to improve success rates for DHH students.

DHH students have many barriers, besides language, to advancing their education, including lack of resources, domain knowledge, and sense of community. Numerous lessons were learned in both the classroom and in the field addressing these barriers.

While more data is needed, early results show an improved success rate for DHH students in Natural Disasters when those students have exclusive access to a class and receive the needed support.