Creating open videos for ASL

^{Photo credit: Christopher Pinto}

My two American Sign Language OERs (i.e. ASL 101 and ASL 102) contain over 80 different instructional videos. These videos were designed using multiple platforms, and took numerous hours to record, edit, publish, store and share.

When I began designing my first OER for ASL 101, I used a platform called VSDC Video Editing Software. Comparative to iMovie for PCs, VSDC enabled me to add open captions to my work, include images, add an end-screen video and more. From here, I made sure to attribute all borrowed images on a separate Google Doc. This ASL 101 OER spans across five learning units.

Unlike my first OER project, the ASL 102 OER contained various features unique to its design. Many of the videos contain less images and more text-based captions. I intentionally made this decision because Level 2 students are more likely to respect the differences between the two languages. With a solid ASL 101 education serving as a foundation, Level 2 students are bound to have a clearer distinction between English and ASL, as well as their respective grammatical structures. Thus, I chose to offer more text-based support, with parenthetical explanations when necessary. Secondly, this OER incorporated a light source positioned behind my camera, which helped to reduce any unwanted glare or contrast in the recording. Lastly, this project experimented with size reduction of the original video to incorporate open captions from the bottom of the screen. These various features set apart my second OER project from the first. Like the ASL 101 OER, the Level 2 OER contains five learning units.

All of my finished videos have been produced by me, and peer reviewed by educators in the field. I am thankful to have worked alongside my librarian (Sarah Bosler) for matters pertaining to attribution, sharing, video storing and more. Those interested in viewing my work can search OER Commons, Canvas Commons, MERLOT and YouTube under the account name Professor Pinto. Unless otherwise stated, my work is licensed under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International License.

My OER creation process has been showcased at the Cal OER 2021 conference under the title, “RedeSIGNING OER: A closer look at digital media in OER development.” There, I shared relevant resources intended to bolster confidence and spark innovation among OER content creators.

It is my hope these resources which I have created and shared will go on to support ASL instruction at various grade levels across the nation. Moreover, I hope it encourages students to enroll in ASL courses, as well as support their development as signers.

For more information:

• View Dr. Pinto’s OER for ASL 101 and ASL 102
• Browse other language faculty who have created OER on COERLL’s Language OER Network

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Christopher Pinto is an American Sign Language instructor in Southern California. Since early 2020, he has been producing OER material for the academic community. He previously presented at CAL OER 2021, offering image and video editing tools and tips to help educators produce original works at little to no cost. Christopher hopes to produce more ASL-related OERs in the near future.