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“EXCELLENCE THROUGH KNOWLEDGE” P A G E 80 Software Developed by UTech for Teaching English Language to Deaf Students Wins International Award! Editor’s Note: In Jamaica, the hearing impaired communities learn Jamaican Sign Language (JSL) as their first language, which is different form, but is heavily influenced by American Sign Language (ASL). As a result, most learn English as their second language. Research has indicated that, over time, the average hearing impaired student demonstrates an escalating gap in vocabulary growth, complete sentence comprehension and construction, and in concept formation as compared to students with normal hearing. A contributing factor is that hearing impaired students’ prospects for language exposure and experience through listening is limited by their physical constraint. To address the challenge outlined above, a project was developed by a team of UTech researchers (Dr. Paul Golding [Lead Researcher] and Dr. Vanessa Tennant). The objective of this project is two-fold: (1) To create interactive software, with an emphasis on text and video to teach and prepare hearing impaired at the secondary level (high school) for the English Language CSEC. The software will be piloted with students at the Lister Mair-Gilby School who are preparing for CXC English Language. (2) A research component examining both technological and pedagogical issues involving researchers both from the Faculty of Education and Liberal Studies and the Faculty of Engineering and Computing. The project is jointly funded by UTech’s Research Development Fund and the Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ). Details about the award this innovative software won are provided in the article below. U-Touch-2 Receives International Award The Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ) won an Institutional Award for 2017 for their funding of the U-Touch-2 project from the Association of Development Financing Institutions in Asia and the Pacific (ADFIAP). ADFIAP is the focal point of all development banks and other financial institutions engaged in the financing of development in the Asia-Pacific region. Its mission is to advance sustainable development through its members. Founded in 1976, ADFIAP has currently 131 member- institutions in 45 countries. The Asian Development Bank is a Special Member of the Association. ADFIAP is also a founding member of the World Federation of Development Financing Institutions composed of regional associations in Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the Middle East. ADFIAP is a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) in consultative status with the United Nations’ Economic and Social Council. The ADFIAP “Outstanding Development Project Awards” recognize and honour member-banks which have undertaken and/or assisted projects that have created a development impact in their respective countries. Awards are given to members, which in the judgment of the ADFIAP Awards Board, have implemented or enhanced outstanding and innovative development projects during the immediate past year. There are nine (9) categories all in all. These are: human resource development, environmental development, SME development, infrastructure development, technology development, trade development, local economic development, development finance – led poverty reduction, and corporate governance. U-Touch-2 won in Category 5 Technology Development, for the advancement of the technological base, know-how, and innovation in the country. This ground-breaking project encompasses the development and testing of multimedia software using both Jamaican Sign Language (JSL) and Sign English (SE) to teach deaf students the use of prepositions. Deaf persons are among the most