Submitted by CDS, University of Bristol
February 1998

A project funded under HORIZON Ref: 951037UK8

Outline:

Development of the initiative has been considerable despite the problems produced by the delays in final approval. There have been three main activities: transnational meetings (2), delivery of training, planning and preparation of curriculum and content for the proposed training. A revised transnational workplan has been prepared (enclosed) and the management of the transnational components of the programme has been agreed. A system for communications has been agreed with transnational partners and the programme content has been adopted.

Recruitment of trainees and of new staff has not been able to proceed as expected due to internal negotiations on the planning (complications in the Universities’ funding situation has an impact on the financial planning due to the large matched funding element). This area of the application is now delayed by around three months.

Section 1: as shown in the form.

Section 2: there are changes to the financial plan as estimated in the attached paper. The revised cost forms are being prepared and are part of the 1995 final claims process.

Section 3:

International Development Work on the project began with contacts with partners and initial planning during 1994. The first project meeting was held in March of 1995 and the transnational workplan was agreed in principle at that meeting.

During the second transnational meeting in November at which all but one partner were present, the operational principles of the partnership were agreed. Minutes (20 pages +) were circulated and a new transnational plan agreed with a range of distributed responsibilities.

National Development Work began after the first meeting and the plans set out in the application represented a considerable amount of preparatory activity to determine feasibility of the objectives. Both technical investigations of multimedia, video conferencing and distance teaching and assessments of potential demand for places were carried out. Prioritisation of training goals was made and tentative recruitment was carried out for the proposed start in October.

What has been developed is the framework for the project. In addition, publicity was achieved when the second Transnational meeting was filmed by a BBC television crew and the programme on the funding of deaf EU projects was broadcast in January 1996. A World Wide Web page was created - copy attached. This was a test page and it is intended that this form of dissemination will be used increasingly throughout the project.

Curriculum has been established for the on-site trainees and initial plans have been drawn up for the distance format.

Innovation is to be achieved by the means outlined in the transnational plan page 6. There are 8 points to this innovation including positive role creation, sign language teaching and assessment, international sign for joint training, new media applications, video conferencing for distance teaching, European menu for training which recognises academic, professional and occupational achievement, substantive areas to be delivered to deaf people. There have been no adjustments to this plan to date.

Actions to connect FORUM to others include applications (during 1995) to LEONARDO, TSER programme and to ESF (all of which have been turned down). There will be a further application to HELIOS and there have been active discussions on TIDE applications. However, it is essential that this FORUM project is given a firm base before diversifying too widely, the achievements which are planned.

Operational Work

Training has been delivered to 5 trainee interpreters in 1995. A total of 1500 hours has been achieved in the curriculum areas of sign language learning and sign linguistics. Graded work from all 5 indicates considerable levels of success in the 4 modules that have been completed. A second group of five has been added as of January 1996.

This training is not intended to differ from that provided normally to on-site trainees. However, lessons learned in this course delivery and the materials produced - ie video records of all sessions, will be used to support the distance teaching when it begins in summer 1996.

New beneficiaries will be recruited from April 1996 and these will be deaf people taking either 12 modules or 3 modules during 1996 and 1997. They will be a national sample. In addition, hearing interpreters will be recruited for extension training again during 1996 and 1997. The groups differ only in the target areas of specialisation.

Assessment procedures are designed to be standardised and considerable effort goes into making the assessment accountable and objective. Work assessed is graded internally and externally and progress is monitored in fortnightly meetings of trainers.

Transnational Work

To date, transnational work is considerable. It is in two categories - direct face-to-face co-operation and partnership at a distance. There have been two meetings of the partnership: in March and November. There will be two more meetings in March and October 1996. Dates have been fixed and the agenda for the first of these is already set. All partners attend these meetings - that is a condition of membership of FORUM. All meetings are conducted in English but interpreted into Spanish, national sign languages and international sign (by deaf interpreters). Each meeting lasts the equivalent of two working days. The first meeting in March focused on the preparation of project proposals. The progress in the November meeting included:

1. Revised partnership list was approved for all representatives signed the declaration of co-operation.
1. Information boxes containing details of all partners’ organisations were distributed.
1. Membership of FORUM was agreed and the rules for associate membership were set out. An eventual aim to include representatives of all countries was considered.
1. Deadline for training programmes dissemination was agreed
1. The pattern of transnational meetings was approved and the responsibilities for agenda setting, arranging accommodation and other facilities were agreed.
1. A FORUM summary was set out for approval by the March meeting.
1. Principles for participation in other EU programmes were agreed.
1. Record keeping and an outline of the audit procedure were registered.
1. Distribution of transnational responsibilities was confirmed.
1. An undertaking to share information with partners and to disseminate FORUM information widely was made.
1. The European Certificate was discussed and papers are to be presented in March.
1. Procedures for project requests and for indexing communication were approved.
1. Project LOGO to be devised and proposals to be circulated.
1. A sub-group to process standards of training and to advise on acceptability of provision for inclusion in the European framework was approved.

Full details of the meetings can be provided. At other times, partners have been in continuos communication and the proposed start dates of their programmes. Partners in Greece and in Spain often face impossible deadlines for information and re-planning and much time is devoted to supporting their work. Continuing exchange of plans and questions occur and the circulation of project material is evident. All partners except the second Portuguese group have attended the meetings. The attendance list for the November meeting (24th-26th) was:

 The work to date is mainly network building and is consistent with the details provided in the Transnational Workplan page 8-9.

In the first meeting, only those starred attended, but there were other attendees from partners who were not subsequently funded (6 countries).

New partners attended the November meeting and all the discussions mentioned above were held directly with them.

The project has had a very active year in both national and transnational areas. A reduced training programme has been mounted because of funding uncertainties, but at the same time, there has been considerable transnational activity. This has been a successful year given the circumstances.

HORIZON-FORUM

Development Work

Development of the initiative has been considerable despite the problems produced by the delays in funding and in the recruitment of staff. The acting director was appointed in May while a video specialist began in July. The new Director and the Administrator were appointed in September and the computer specialist six weeks later.

Since January 1996, CDS staff have had to carry out the HORIZON-FORUM roles in planning and preparation, recruitment and liaison with other partners. The scale of this work is considerable and their involvement in the planning and production of Unit details and learning materials has been essential. We are now in a position to offer a significant proportion of our training programme by distance teaching in video and in traditional text format. All 6 of the teaching staff have anticipated in this phase and all of the secretarial staff have had roles throughout the year.

There were considerable difficulties with the hardware and software of the leased video conferencing equipment as the firm who supplied it, went into liquidation almost immediately without properly installing the software. There was period of three months before the system was rectified and only now has the pilot work begun.

The adaptations needed for distance modules may take longer than intended in some cases, therefore some are not yet released. The video and computer specialists are currently researching the best technical methods for developing the distance learning materials. This will lead to provision of CD-ROM based training to support the traditional formats of video and text.

The adaptations needed for distance modules may take longer than expected in some cases, and some units are not yet released. The video and computer specialists are currently researching the best technical methods for developing distance learning materials. The Director and lecturers are working on the content of the distance learning packages.

Operational Work

Interpreter trainees joined the programme in October 1995. A second group began in January 1996. Following the recruitment process (see Beneficiary section below), centralised training began for deaf trainees in September. Trainees attended the programme in Bristol.

Continuous Training for Interpreters

Because there was a second cohort who began work in January 1996, there was some additional provision of Units, in order to allow them to catch up. This was done by adding additional weeks of training at Easter and in the summer. Further additional weeks will be completed in 1997, to ensure parity for the two groups.

Table 1: Units completed by the Interpreter trainees
(all units are 75 hours - shaded means work completed):

The average grade for each units the students are shown in Table 2.

The course programme for deaf trainees is more complex involving 5 streams as show in Table 3.

Shading indicates courses offered up to December 31 1996

The first centralised training was offered at the beginning of September and the two core modules were Deaf History and Culture and Sign Linguistics 1. Twenty-five deaf students attended. The modules will be repeated in January 1997 for those students who were unable to attend the first session. A second training week was provided in November with over 40 attendees.

We offered five units, which consisted of:

The training programme is a major one and requires increased staffing to monitor and evaluate the trainees.

Transnational Work

We have had two transnational meetings this year, one at La Coruña from 28 - 30 March and the other one at Graz, Austria from 25 - 27 October 1996. There will be two more meetings of partnerships from 28 February - 1 March 1997 at Thessaloniki, Greece and possibly in Lisbon, Portugal in October 1997. Dates have been fixed and the agenda is set. Local partners act as host and meet all local expenses. All meetings are conducted in English but information in national sign languages and international sign (by deaf interpreters) is also provided. At the next meeting there will be some considerable time devoted to discuss the next phase of HORIZON.

Partners from Denmark, Greece, Galicia, Valencia, Lisbon have visited Bristol in 1996 to discuss plans and to help develop curricula.

Training Work: European partners (Spain and Greece)

A lecturer and a supporting tutor went to Federacion de Sordos de la Communidad, (Fesord) Valencia for two weeks from 16 - 27 September delivering three units for Sign teaching tutors. Trainees are expected to follow the sign teaching stream of 12 units as set out and to work towards obtaining an European Certificate in Deaf Studies. An outline of the programme is being discussed between CDS and Alicante University.

Negotiations are underway with Federacion de Asociacions de Xordos do Pais Galego, La Coruña. They will select a number of modules from the five streams we are currently offering to the British trainees. Materials are provided in International Sign and also on video and in text form (translated to Spanish)

Two staff went to Thessaloniki from 23 - 28 September for a week to teach Sign Linguistics and Consecutive Interpreting One. There have been further visits in early 1997. The interpreting trainees will attend units provided here next year in April. The training in Greece must be completed by May 1997. The units to be taught linked to the training course in Bristol are shown in Table 4.

Beneficiaries and Outcomes

The ten interpreter trainees are graduates who were selected for these places. Their progress has been very good and the outcomes are of high quality. In relation to the deaf trainees, there has been considerable demand for places even though recruitment took place only in the third quarter of 1996. There are sixty-two registered trainees,. There have been seven drop outs due to health problems and new work commitments.

Good Practice and Innovation

This is an application of a positive model for Deaf people’s training as the information needs are visual. Video was the first step in providing access to information for Deaf people. New technology in multi-media offers non-linear access to information (just as hearing people move around easily in textbook or encyclopaedia) using distance packages and remote access to teaching and tutorial contact. This will come on stream in 1997. Students chose Centre for Deaf Studies because they believe the Centre will ensure their learning since the staff have the skills, knowledge or research background to offer Deaf appropriate training.

Publicity

Publicity has gone out to organisations nationally and been distributed at venues to advertise the training for two programmes. At the moment we are promoting the Advanced Sign Teaching training for deaf teachers and advanced training for registered interpreters. These will be held on 19 - 23 May (sign teaching) and 12 - 16 May (Interpreting); a second provision will be 21 - 25 July and 7 - 11 July respectively and the last one from 8 - 12 September for both. They will be delivered by periodic centralised training and by distance interactive modes.

The BBC ‘See Hear’ team came to Bristol to carry out some filming in late 1995 and they transmitted on BBC 1 one on a Sunday in January 1996.

Places have been over-subscribed. Simply by having a stall at the British Deaf Association’s Annual Conference in Glasgow in July 1996, the message reached the deaf community. From that event, we have their names on the mailing list. We also advertised the training through the teletext pages, British Deaf News and distributing leaflets those on the mailing list from the past.

Synergy

The project at present has no specific links within the HORIZON programme as the partnership is large and the extent of joint work is considerable. FORUM seems to be the largest programme on deafness and it has been difficult to trace other similar projects. A recent dissemination conference in Birmingham confirmed this situation.

Summary

Overall this project is going well with total of seventy two trainees up to 31 December 1996. The interpreter trainees have completed fourteen units plus Research in Interpreting, covered over 25,000 hours.

It is an early stage to evaluate the overall aims of the Programme but this project has had a very active year in both national and transnational areas. The crucial part of this programme is the model of transfer of training. This model of joint action is already occurring with partners in Greece and Spain. This allows the award of the University of Bristol Certificate and Diploma of Social sciences which gives us a step to get the European Certificate validated and qualification for deaf people. Transnationality is a meaningful goal for deaf people. The training models which we now use are designed to provide the base for deaf people'’ growth in each country of European Community.

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