Item #5 Interacting with Deaf and Hard of Hearing — original pdf

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P R O F E S S I O N A L A D V I S O R Y C O M M I T T E E P R O G R A M M A N A G E R R E C O M M E N D A T I O N S Lesson: BPOC: Date: Interacting with Deaf and Hard of Hearing 38 December 30, 2024 Program Manager: Rob McGrath Review Of SME Recommendations After a thorough review of the recommendations provided by the Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) and the Professional Advisory Committee (PAC), I am pleased to note the collaborative spirit demonstrated by all parties. As the first curriculum review under the Academy’s expanded evaluation process, this review sets a precedent for refining our methods of improving course materials and integrating valuable community input. The Academy recognizes the importance of implementing recommendations that enhance the curriculum’s relevance, engagement, and alignment with community and regulatory expectations. Below, I address the specific recommendations and outline actionable next steps. Partnership with Community Stakeholders The Academy’s top priority is collaborating with community stakeholders, like the Texas School for the Deaf, to identify qualified SMEs who can contribute both to the curriculum and the PAC review process. This collaboration directly supports 12 SME and PAC recommendations, emphasizing: • Eliminating repetitive content to allow for more active learning and scenario-based • Retaining simple signs in the curriculum, supported by hands-on practice in small groups exercises. led by certified ASL interpreters. • Incorporating videos and improved roleplay scenarios to enhance cadet understanding of real-life challenges faced by deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals. • Hosting community feedback sessions and gathering qualitative input from directly impacted individuals to inform curriculum updates. • Demonstrating the use of video relay services and emphasizing key distinctions between sign language and English. • Providing resources, such as laminated or digital guides, for use by officers in the field. Including materials on interacting with individuals with multiple disabilities. Introducing gamification and other active learning strategies for improved engagement. • • Community Engagement Feedback from the Professional Advisory Committee (PAC) supported the SME recommendations, particularly regarding the value of collaboration with deaf and hard-of-hearing SMEs. PAC members also emphasized the importance of using certified interpreters to facilitate realistic role-play exercises and incorporating insights from the community into adult learning activities. These collective efforts will ensure the curriculum is culturally appropriate, engaging, and reflective of best practices, ultimately equipping cadets with the skills and knowledge needed to serve the deaf and hard-of-hearing community effectively. Notably, the PAC disagreed with the Subject Matter Experts and agreed with the Academy Instructors of the course, who believed that rather than removing simple signs from the curriculum, breaking the cadets into small groups to work on simple signs with certified ASL interpreters was a far more desirable approach to active learning which would provide the cadets with a meaningful and memorable learning experience. Program Manager Recommendations A partnership with the Texas School for the Deaf aligns with 11 key recommendations, including gathering qualitative input from the deaf and hard-of-hearing community, incorporating real-life scenarios into the curriculum, and involving certified ASL interpreters in the classroom and role- play activities. Additionally, the co-facilitation of the course with a deaf or hard-of-hearing SME will highlight focal points for incorporating cultural understanding, such as emphasizing the differences between sign language and English, exploring challenges faced by individuals with multiple disabilities, and assisting the Academy with exploring gamifying elements of the course to enhance learning engagement with cadets. It is recommended that the Academy Instructors, in collaboration with the Field Training and Community Connect Program and the Curriculum and Instructor Development (CID) teams, initiate conversations with the Texas School for the Deaf to explore collaborative opportunities outlined in this review. This effort should begin with scheduling an on-site visit to the school or hosting a virtual meeting(s) to discuss potential partnerships. These discussions should focus on aligning shared goals, identifying subject matter experts, and exploring the degree of possible involvement in curriculum development, classroom instruction, and role-play exercises. This collaboration will enhance the course by integrating community expertise, ensuring cultural relevance, and implementing effective adult-learning practices to better prepare cadets for interactions with the deaf and hard-of-hearing community. Page 2 If the Texas School for the Deaf agrees to partner with the Academy, the instructors should aim to gain expertise and guidance from their experts on the following 11 recommendations to enhance the curriculum: 1. Explore options for course co-facilitation with SMEs. 2. Explore options to have certified ASL interpreters facilitate breaking the cadets into small groups to work on simple signs. 3. Collaborate with SMEs to add videos and improve roleplay scenarios. Explore options to include ASL interpreters in at least one scenario to provide cadets hands-on opportunities to practice and refine communication skills. 4. Work closely with SMEs to develop curriculum content that reflects the unique cultural and linguistic needs of Austin’s deaf and hard-of-hearing community. 5. Gather qualitative feedback from communities directly impacted by the curriculum to inform revisions. 6. Explore options to include live demonstrations of the video relay service or TTY device in class to familiarize cadets with its functionality and importance during interactions. 7. Add content highlighting the key differences between sign language and English to ensure cadets understand the distinct nature of these communication systems. 8. Add instruction on effectively interacting with individuals who may have multiple disabilities, including being deaf or hard of hearing, to foster greater awareness and sensitivity. 9. Explore options and make recommendations to the PAC of printed or digital resources recommended by the Texas School for the Deaf for patrol officers to support ongoing learning and communication. 10. With the guidance of the school’s SMEs, reduce the level of detail on cochlear implants, focusing on essential information that directly supports law enforcement interactions. 11. Explore options for integrating gamified elements or other interactive learning strategies into the curriculum to enhance cadet engagement and retention of key concepts. Additionally, the following 10 recommendations can be implemented by having the Academy Instructors work with the CID team as they primarily involve removing redundancies within the material, streamlining content to have a better flow of information, bringing consistency within the presentation by improving the visual design of the PowerPoint presentation and improving the presentation of videos and roleplays during the course. Following the guidance provided by the PAC SMEs, the assigned Academy instructors should complete the following: 1. Streamline the organization of the course by consolidating all information on specific topics in one part of the course to remain consistent with TCOLE requirements. Page 3 2. Reduce information related to Gallaudet University and explore options to partner with Texas School of the Deaf SMEs for small group activities for common signs. 3. Changes to the PowerPoint slides for a cleaner and more polished presentation, ensuring the design enhances student understanding and engagement. 4. Maintain the time allotted in the course to allow the instructor to choose or improvise additional scenarios based on class discussions. 5. Remove repetition unless additional emphasis is needed for the TCOLE exam. 6. Include steps to take on-scene if the cadet cannot connect with an ASL interpreter. 7. Revise outdated technology (e.g., typewriters) reflected in the curriculum and ensure it adheres to the City of Austin’s Language Access policy. 8. Reducing the information regarding cochlear implants as it is not reflected within the TCOLE 9. Explore adding SME during the traffic stop with a deaf/HH individual during intermediate 10. Breaking up the Deaf INC video into smaller chunks of material for student understanding IRG. roleplays (#17). and engagement. The final recommendation to clarify roleplaying objectives aligns with the broader mission of the Education and Development Unit (EDU) to enhance the Academy's instructional design and delivery. Defining clear guidelines for roleplaying scenarios is essential for improving individual courses and integral to achieving the Academy's larger goal of creating consistent, impactful, and measurable training experiences across all programs. This effort requires a thoughtful, long-term approach, as it involves establishing a robust framework that ties roleplay scenarios to specific learning outcomes, ensuring that exercises are structured and purposeful. While adding to and improving the current set of roleplay scenarios with the assistance of Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) is an achievable and immediate goal, the broader initiative to review and standardize roleplaying objectives across all courses will require significant research, collaboration and development time. This involve evaluating the effectiveness of existing scenarios, aligning them with evolving training objectives, and incorporating best practices in adult learning methodologies. The EDU can build momentum toward transforming roleplay activities into a cornerstone of cadet education and professional development by starting with incremental improvements, such as enhancing the current scenarios with SME input. long-term project will Considerations for Course Length and Feasibility While the recommendations presented aim to enhance the course significantly, it is important to recognize the parameters within which the course operates, particularly the requirement to remain within the allotted 4-hour time slot. During the November 12, 2024, PAC meeting, it was discussed Page 4 that reducing content related to cochlear implants and streamlining the overall presentation would create opportunities to improve the flow of the class material. These adjustments would allow time for the small group, SME-led practice of simple signs—an addition strongly supported by PAC members for its potential to provide cadets with a hands-on, meaningful learning experience. Balancing these changes with time constraints will require thoughtful planning and prioritization. Phased Implementation and Long-Term Development It is also essential to note that while these recommendations are designed to improve the course, not all may be feasible to implement immediately due to time, resource, or logistical constraints. Some recommendations, such as updating visual displays, are relatively straightforward and can be incorporated in the short term. Others, like introducing gamified elements or SME-led roleplay enhancements, may require more extensive development and resources. Feedback from instructors and teams regarding these recommendations is critical to ensure the PAC process functions as intended and remains responsive to the needs of the course and cadets. Furthermore, while some recommendations may not be included in the initial revision of the curriculum, the Academy is committed to ongoing improvement. As instructors become more adept at delivering the material and identifying areas for enhancement, future revisions can incorporate additional recommendations. Any subsequent updates to the curriculum will be reported back to the PAC to maintain transparency and ensure that the proper feedback loops are updated and amended. This iterative approach ensures that the course evolves to meet the highest standards of training excellence while staying within its operational constraints. APPROVED DATE DISAPPROVED Michael Chancellor, Commander Michael Chancellor, Commander Page 5