Development of a Technology-Assisted Assessment for Sign Language Learning

Authors

  • Tobias Haug University of Teacher Education in Special Needs Schaffhauserstrasse 239 Postfach 5850 8050 Zurich https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8713-1163
  • Sarah Ebling University of Zurich Institute of Computational Linguistics Andreasstrasse 15 8050 Zurich https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6511-5085
  • Katja Tissi University of Teacher Education in Special Needs Schaffhauserstrasse 239 Postfach 5850 8050 Zurich
  • Sandra Sidler-Miserez University of Teacher Education in Special Needs Schaffhauserstrasse 239 Postfach 5850 8050 Zurich
  • Penny Boyes Braem Center for Sign Language Research Lerchenstrasse 56 4059 Basel https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3874-0023

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3991/ijet.v17i06.26959

Keywords:

sign language assessment, Swiss German Sign Language, linguistic error analysis, sign language recognition, vocabulary production test, L2 learning

Abstract


The goal of a recently concluded project in Switzerland was to pioneer an assessment system for lexical signs of Swiss German Sign Language (Deutschschweizerische Gebärdensprache, DSGS) that relies on automatic sign language recognition. The assessment system gives adult L2 learners of DSGS feedback on the correctness of the manual parameters of signing (handshape, hand position, location, and movement) of isolated signs they produce. In its initial version, the system includes automatic feedback for a subset of a DSGS vocabulary size production test consisting of approximately 100 lexical items at CEFR level A1. The paper at hand reports on the process of selecting the items for the test, compiling training data for the SLR system, and linguistically analyzing errors in the resulting video recordings.

Author Biographies

Tobias Haug, University of Teacher Education in Special Needs Schaffhauserstrasse 239 Postfach 5850 8050 Zurich

Institute of Language and Communication in Special Needs, Professor

Sarah Ebling, University of Zurich Institute of Computational Linguistics Andreasstrasse 15 8050 Zurich

Senior Researcher

Katja Tissi, University of Teacher Education in Special Needs Schaffhauserstrasse 239 Postfach 5850 8050 Zurich

Institute of Language and Communication in Special Needs, Senior Lecturer

Sandra Sidler-Miserez, University of Teacher Education in Special Needs Schaffhauserstrasse 239 Postfach 5850 8050 Zurich

Institute of Language and Communication in Special Needs, Research Assistant

Penny Boyes Braem, Center for Sign Language Research Lerchenstrasse 56 4059 Basel

Director

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Published

2022-03-29

How to Cite

Haug, T., Ebling, S., Tissi, K., Sidler-Miserez, S., & Boyes Braem, P. (2022). Development of a Technology-Assisted Assessment for Sign Language Learning. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning (iJET), 17(06), pp. 39–56. https://doi.org/10.3991/ijet.v17i06.26959

Issue

Section

Papers