Videotelephones and Norwegian Sign Language. Evaluation of a video telephone system by means of sign language communication

A presentation of some findings from an evaluation of a prototype video telephone system developed by Tandberg Telecom and the Norwegian Telecom Research Department. In this particular study, conversations by deaf adults at a distance in Norwegian Sign Language was used as a means of evaluting the functionality of the system. Eight deaf informants were asked to use the the video telephone to communicate in Norwegian Sign Language between Oslo and Trondheim. Videotape recordings of these conversations were analysed using conversational and turn-taking analysis to investigate to what extent the reduced temporal and spatial resoluton of the video telephone system influenced various aspects of sign language use. A more detailed description of the study in question is given in a report published by the Norwegian Center for Sign Language Research for the Norwegian Telecom Research Center.