The C-Note system architecture is described in detail. Advantages of the system for the student with a hearing impairment are discussed. Potential modifications to C-Note are suggested. The need to develop additional learning strategies to help students make effective use of the enhanced quantity and quality of lecture material is identified. Classroom learning is predicated on the aural acquisition of information, generally from lectures, questions, answers, and discussion.
Universities place a premium on aural learning.
Without appropriate resources and support, many people with hearing impairments who want to study within the mainstream university system, find it difficult to pursue their educations. This article describes C-Note, a recently developed system for overcoming some of these problems. C-Note is a communications package that is designed to allow a student with a hearing impairment to benefit from lectures and participate more fully in the educational process. Reception and transcription of lecture material poses a major challenge because one cannot take notes while simultaniously relying on a visual system of information acquisition. Additional information is lost when the teacher turns to write on the board, looks down, or walks beyond the point of optimal viewing for the student who is lip-reading.