Tools for Inclusive Play: Developing "Auslan for Kinder"

This paper investigates the development and user testing of multimedia designed to teach four and five year old kindergarten children Australian Sign Language (Auslan). The software "Auslan for Kinder\´\´ includes vocabulary instruction, a story, song and game. The research identified three types of users: active participants; watchers and continuous clickers. The initial investigations reflect the need to change the research instrument to compensate for emerging computer skills; to provide a context for learning sign language for children who have not had exposure to hearing impaired individuals; and to provide a model of learning that is appropriate for users whose mental model of a computer is that there are embedded elements for clicking on to activate rewards