Research

Peikoff Endowed Chair 

The David Peikoff Chair of Deaf Studies is an endowed research chair within the Faculty of Education and the University of Alberta. Endowed chairs are prestigious academic appointments established to recognize and/or bring to the University leading experts whose scholarly activity and accomplishments will enrich research and teaching in their field of expertise. The Peikoff Chair of Deaf Studies was the first endowed research chair within the Faculty of Education, the only one that focuses on deaf studies, and was the first research chair in the world to be named in honour of a Deaf person.(add hyper link here to the current website info who was David Peikoff)

Lynn McQuarrie, PhD took up a dual appointment as the David Peikoff Chair of Deaf Studies and the Director of the Western Canadian Centre for Deaf Studies (WCCDS) November 1, 2014. She served as WCCDS director from 2014 – 2018 and Interim director from July 2021 – June 2023.  Dr. McQuarrie's primary research examines reading acquisition and development in children who grow up in a dual language environment (American Sign Language - English) and explores how these languages interact to support reading.

Canada Research Chair (CRC)

The Canada Research Chairs Program stands at the centre of a national strategy to make Canada one of the world’s top countries in research and development by attracting and retaining some of the world's most accomplished and promising minds. Established by the Government of Canada in 2000, CRCs recognize outstanding researchers who are acknowledge by their peers as current (Tier 1) or emerging (Tier 2) world leaders in their fields.

Joanne Weber, PhD was named as Canada’s first ever Canada Research Chair in Deaf Education (Tier 2) in July, 2020.  (hyperlink to illuminate story or CTV story).   Dr. Weber’s research interests include language and literacy education, arts-based literacy interventions, arts-based research, arts education, posthumanism, applied, sign language studies. Her research program is now supported by the Canada Research Chair Program.

Current Research Projects

Learning to Read with Languages (ASL And English): A Sign Language Phonology and Reading Intervention Study

Intervention studies have been essential in investigating the role that awareness of the sound structure of spoken languages (i.e. phonological awareness) plays in supporting young hearing children in learning how to read. Yet, many deaf individuals with no or limited access to the sound structure of spoken language effortlessly acquire visual languages (signed languages) and are able to learn how to read fluently. How does this occur?

Dual Language Educational Apps: A Co-Design Project with Deaf Children

Hearing children have a multitude of sound-supported educational software products available both at home and at school to enhance learning. In contrast, there are few accessible interactive educational products to support learning for deaf children. Researchers at the Minerva Deaf Research Lab are designing some fun, interactive translational products that use Avatar and robotic technology to embed signed language and print skills practice within a technology enhanced digital games environment.

ASL Assessment Portal: A web-based test administration system for ASL Assessments

In comparison to the availability of spoken language assessments, there are relatively few signed language assessment resources available. The ASL assessment portal (web-based interface) is being developed to support the goal of bringing multiple ASL assessment tools together to assist in more widespread accessibility to ASL assessments used in research and education.

Assessment Tools: American Sign Language Phonological Awareness Test (ASL-PAT)

Although there are many assessments for evaluating the spoken language skills of hearing children, there are few comparable assessments of American Sign Language for educational use. To better support deaf children's language and literacy development, these kinds of assessments are urgently needed. We are developing a computerized ASL phonological awareness test for use with children ages 4 to 10.

The Advancing Adolescent Reading Initiative (AARI)

In this project, we are developing a series of comprehensive, customized, and technology-supported Adolescent Reading professional learning modules for Alberta educators teaching in grades 7 - 12. The modules draw upon the research and teaching expertise of local, national and international adolescent literacy specialists.