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Welcome to the VL2 website!
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Welcome to the VL2 website. VL2 is a Science of Learning Center (SLC) on Visual Language and Visual Learning, one of six SLCs funded by the National Science Foundation. The purpose of VL2 is to gain a greater understanding of the biological, cognitive, linguistic, sociocultural, and pedagogical conditions that influence the acquisition of language and knowledge through the visual modality. Gallaudet University houses VL2, and brings together deaf and hearing researchers and educators from a variety of disciplines and institutions to study how language and literacy develop in deaf individuals. The knowledge gained will help improve education for deaf students and will contribute to the understanding of how learning occurs through the visual pathway for all individuals, deaf and hearing. Current theories of literacy development have emphasized the role of speech and audition for extracting meaning from printed text. The role of vision in this learning process has been neglected. Yet some individuals who rely primarily on vision (deaf individuals) effortlessly acquire naturally occurring visual languages (signed language) and are able to learn how to read and write fluently. The multiple pathways used to derive meaning from visual symbols and print have yet to be fully understood. Hence, a better understanding of visual language and visual learning is essential for enhancing educational, socio-cultural and vocational outcomes. Our website will include ASL translations of much of its content, and eventually, we will publish scholarly articles in both English and ASL. The VL2 Center is dedicated to the integration of research into classroom practice. These research to practice initiatives ensure that the work of VL2 is brought to life in classrooms and institutions of higher education. The VL2 website contains descriptions of ongoing projects, an overview of our strategic initiatives, center news, biographical sketches of VL2 staff, links to the other NSF-funded SLCs, and other documents and links that might be of interest. Thank you for visiting our website and for your interest in our work.
VL2 Summer Undergraduate Intern Program June 10, 2009 Four Undergraduate students have begun an intensive 10-week paid research internship under the mentorship of Pilar Pinar and Peter Hauser. VL2 is supporting this program through a supplemental NSF grant.