Bede College uses innovative IT to teach sign language :: PublicTechnology.net :: e-Government & public sector IT news + job vacancies:

Bede College in Billingham, Stockton-on-Tees, is pioneering an innovative way of teaching British Sign Language through the use of new technologies.

Students at the college are learning to master sign language, used throughout the UK to communicate with deaf people, through the combination of digital video clips with computer technology.

The college uses this technology to create interactive learning materials that are fun to use as well as effective in teaching sign language. Students can return to the materials as many times as they like to check on things they are unsure of and can access them whenever they like over the Internet. This new approach to teaching sign language has been developed by staff at Bede College with with the help of funding through a national scheme called “Q projects”, which are designed to help teachers get to grips with IT in a way that will benefit learners. The Q projects scheme is run by the Learning and Skills Development Agency (LSDA), a national organisation that supports teachers in post-school education, and is based on national standards for the use of technology by teachers.

Markos Tiris, Development Adviser, specialising in learning technologies at the Learning and Skills Development Agency’s north-west office, says: "It is good to see examples like this; technology can really make a difference in improving access to education opportunities and improving quality of life for students with hearing impairments. I am delighted that this innovative example of the use of technology by teachers arose from an LSDA Q project. The college should be congratulated for its successes in this area."

Staff from Bede College demonstrated their scheme at a conference held at Collingwood College in Durham in June where other projects and learning materials, funded through the Q project initiative, were showcased. .

The Q project initiative was funded by the Learning and Skills Development Agency and managed by LSDA on behalf of the National Learning Network – a scheme that provides training and resources to help build ILT (Information and Learning Technologies) skills amongst teachers in colleges. The Q project funds small-scale development projects that allow time for staff to develop their ILT skills within their colleges and introduce e-learning techniques into classroom delivery and beyond.

Related links to this article:
Learning and Skills Development Agency