Issues Unresolved: New Perspectives on Language and Deaf Education

16. A Retrospective Evaluation of a Distance Education Training Course for Teachers of the Deaf

A Retrospective Evaluation of a Distance Education Training Course for Teachers of the Deaf Stephen Powers 16 I:N RECENT YEARS in the United Kingdom, there has been a move away from full-time training for teachers of the deaf to different forms of part-time training. This trend (see Table 16.1) is largely the result of government changes in funding. This movement away from full-time training is common to all areas of special needs teacher training in the United Kingdom; over the past fifteen years, the University of Birmingham has responded by developing distance education packages in most areas of special needs. These courses were originally developed for those who could not attend full-time or campus-based part-time courses, and in the early stages, they were widely regarded as second best. However, many people now argue that clistance education can offer distinct advantages over conventional forms of teacher training (Best 1989; Mason and Miller 1991; Perraton 1993). Some of the claimed advantages are: • It is a relatively cheap form of training • It is accessible to many more students than conventional courses • It allows access to a limited range of teaching expertise • Students who are already in teaching posts can relate theory to practice immediately • Teaching materials are permanent (unlike lectures) • Materials go into schools and can influence colleagues • Students are able to live at home Some of the claimed disadvantages of distance education are: • It is difficult for students who have to combine training with full-time work • Students are often isolated in their studies, both from other students and from tutors • There are difficulties in teaching practical skills This chapter reports on a retrospective evaluation of the only distance education training course for teachers of the deaf in the United Kingdom. 188 Distance Education Training for Teachers of the Deaf 189 Table 16.1. Training of Qualifying Teachers of the Deaf in the UK, 1989-1995 Year 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 Full-time Courses 130 126 118 68 66 40 33 Part-time Courses 23 20 32 33 58 63 80 Source: Garner and McCracken (1994). Its findings confirm some of the aforementioned advantages and disadvantages of such training. THE COURSE The Birmingham Distance Education Course was launched in 1989, and currently recruits from England, Northern Ireland, and Scotland. It is a twoyear course, open only to those already working with deaf and hard of hearing children. Students learn the curriculum through (1) the reading material; (2) attendance at residential schools for one one-week session per year; and (3) attendance in small groups at regional seminars on Saturdays six times a year. Course Requirements Students must plan and complete a program of visits to such places as schools for the deaf and audiology clinics. They are assessed through written assignments, final examinations, teaching placement files, and two periods of assessed practical teaching (a total of eight weeks). Employers of students release them from 20 percent of their normal duties , and students are required to use this "course day" for visits, observation , and study. Students must also provide written evidence that they have attended classes in signing skills. Program Personnel Students receive support from three key participants in the program-a regional tutor, a mentor, and a teaching placement supervisor. Tutors are qualified and experienced teachers of the deaf, appointed as honorary tutors of the university. They lead regional seminars, mark assignments, and provide telephone contact. Mentors are qualified and experienced teachers of the deaf who have been nominated by employers. They help plan visits and arrange access to equipment, help students put the course's ideas into a local context, 190 STEPHEN POWERS and fulfill a mentor's pastoral role. Teaching placement supervisors are qualified experienced teachers of the deaf, appointed and briefed by the course team. They are responsible for supervising and assessing students on the course's practical teaching element. The course team of four university lecturers (Brian Fraser, Susan Gregor)!, Stephen Powers, and Linda Watson) provicles a final level of support. l~HE STUDY In the retrospective study this researcher sent questionnaires to all past students from the 1990 to 1992 and 1991 to 1993 cohorts with an accompanying questionnaire for current employers. Past students returned forty-one questionnaires (58 percent), and employers returned twenty-two (60 percent). I)ISCUSSION The following discussion reports some of the main findings, looking first at some difficulties and...