Academic Support for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students in Inclusive Engineering Education Programs: Key Decisions

This article discusses key decisions of academic support of hearing impaired students within inclusive programs of engineering education at Technical University of a general type. The key challenge of such students is the limited content accessibility of STEM disciplines. The set of effective accommodations provided for these students is divided into two constituents. The first one includes services and technologies on digital transformation of classrooms to support for both hearing impaired students and their teachers both in face-to-face and in distance learning. In specially organized digital classrooms cognitive technologies of education that ensure mastering educational information, producing knowledge and forming competencies according to requirements of both Federal State Education Standard and Self-Established Education Standard of the University are being used. The most effective ones are cognitive technological supportive disciplines (CTSDs), visualizing educational information and tutoring. These technologies include elements of digital transformation of education materials and teaching ways. When used in digital classrooms, they form an accessible environment, without which it is impossible or difficult to master inclusive programs for this contingent.