VISIOCOM VIDEO SUPPORTED ONLINE COMMUNITIES

VISIOCOM
VIDEO SUPPORTED ONLINE COMMUNITIES

Macro project financed by European Union
in the framework of the programme Phare Access




Abstract Project description Activities and results Seminars Partners Documents Forum		Project description
		Information and telecommunication technology is making its way to every area in society. These modern technologies would also be of use to the people with special needs. They would need to have improved access to education technologies. This would allow them to learn in home environment. Training and qualification of teachers will improve the education process at the institutions for education and integration of the people with special needs. The VISIOCOM project – VIDEO SUPPORTED ONLINE COMMUNITIES, sponsored by the European Commission within the PHARE ACCESS program, is designed for the handicapped pupils and students of Slovenia, Estonia and Hungary, and the institutions for education and integration of the deaf, hard of hearing and people with motoric disabilities. The project will result in new, efficient video supported computer communities, built on development, evaluation and upgrade. The communities will allow the system users the access to information and new communication options. Suitable, handicapped-friendly instructions in printed and multimedia form on CD will be simultaneously provided. The users will acquire tools for localized innovative web multipoint videoconference (web videochat) and web data connection instead of the classical videoconference. The second project outcome will be the training of 12 to 15 teachers, future tutors for multiplication and transmission of the knowledge in the area of use of video supported technologies. The deaf, hard of hearing, pupils with motoric disabilities and their teachers will receive education and information at their individual partner institutions. This will include 60 students from Slovenia, Estonia and Hungary. To facilitate the education, a smaller network will be set up for web communication between the main institution – the University of Maribor with the multipoint communication equipment – and other institutions in Slovenia and partner countries (Tallin in Estonia, Budapest in Hungary). Other institutions will have an opportunity to upgrade their infrastructure (in Maribor case via cable system of KRS Rotovž) and purchase videoconferencing hardware. The participating beneficiary institutions of the VISIOCOM project in Slovenia: Center for Hearing and Speech, Maribor School for the Deaf, Ljubljana Center for Correction of Speech and Hearing, Portorož Institution for Rehabilitation of the disabled, Kamnik The trained tutors and other specialists will define and demonstrate the possibilities of integration of the people with special needs to immediate virtual social environment. This integration will allow the people with special needs new options for gaining information, additional education and interactive communication.


	Center za razvoj študija na daljavo Univerza v Mariboru	Center for Distance Education Development University of Maribor

This document has been produced with the financial assistance of the European Community. The views expressed herein are those of the Center for Distance Education Development at University of Maribor and can therefore in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of the European Community.