Innovation at Boeing: Math and Reading Modules for Deaf Employees

SUE TURNER

Background

Boeing Canada is a leader in workplace education. Not only does Boeing offer its employees English and Mathematics Essential Skills courses that use only workplace documents, but it also specifically tailors these courses to address language and cultural diversity. This results in a population that is able to participate in the intricacies of aerospace manufacturing and meet the standards set by national and international regulatory agencies such as the Department of Transport.

Boeing Canada Technology, Winnipeg Division, specializes in the manufacturing of composite parts, which it markets in competition with other Boeing operations worldwide. As a competitor in this market, the workforce’s skill level and its ability to operate efficiently is a critical issue. Boeing Winnipeg has made a commitment to its 930 employees to ensure that each one is given the opportunity to avail him/herself of Essential Skills courses in Mathematics, Oral Communications, Reading and Writing. Since 1995, Boeing Winnipeg has delivered an estimated 23,000 hours of workplace essential skills and communications training to over 1,000 employees. Boeing has spent approximately $1,000,000 for employee-related essential skills training.

Originality and Innovation

In 2000, two curricula, Essential Skills Reading and Essential Skills Mathematics, were developed. Perhaps the most inspired component of the Essential Skills training is the module designed for the Deaf employee population. Boeing Winnipeg has twenty-four Deaf employees, the largest number of Deaf employees in the private sector in Canada. In order for the training to be effective, it is necessary to understand the fundamental learning style and the language of the Deaf and to develop a strategy for delivering concepts in that style and language.

The Deaf in North America use American Sign Language (ASL) as their first language. ASL is very unlike Standard English in terms of structure, grammar and, especially, its mode. In addition, the Deaf enjoy a world of meaning which is different in custom than that in which hearing Canadians participate. The result is the Deaf straddle two languages and two cultures — in essence, two worlds.

American Sign Language is an entirely visual language. This fact is the inspiration behind creating the set of videos for the Math curriculum, the first to be translated into ASL. Each segment is introduced and closed by a skilled Deaf actor, weaving a thread of colour, humour and Deaf culture throughout the videos. The set of three videos are clearly labelled and the corresponding work pages are found in the Math for Deaf Learners curriculum. The videos are entirely in American Sign Language — there is no voice-over or closed captioning. This is “Deaf for Deaf” learning.