California Baptist University’s Coding Camp Empowers Deaf Students through Video Game Development
At California Baptist University, a unique camp is empowering deaf students by teaching them to code by creating video games. The program, led by College of Engineering Dean Gordon and Jill Bourns, leverages American Sign Language interpreters, including some who are students, to bridge the communication gap. This innovative approach allows students to engage deeply with computer science concepts, despite the challenge of translating complex jargon into sign language. The camp’s hands-on learning experience, highlighted by a project in which students program a growing snake in a game, showcases students’ adaptability and enthusiasm in understanding coding principles, even as they navigate the learning curve necessary to bring your digital creations to life. .
This type of targeted coding camp could be highly replicable in other communities that have deaf schools or significant deaf populations. Universities with computer science/engineering programs could partner with local deaf schools or deaf community organizations to host similar multi-day coding camps during summer, winter, or weekend breaks. Having ASL interpreters who are fluent in technical jargon is key, as is designing coding projects with a visual component that deaf students can effectively understand. The camps expose deaf students to coding in an accessible way and open their eyes to potential studies and career paths that they may have thought were out of reach. With the right collaboration between university and community, the model could be widely implemented
Fountain: ABC7
chatGPT, a potential tool for greater accessibility, was used as a research and writing aid for this blog post. Do you think this is an appropriate use of chatGPT? Why or why not? Let me know!
