Head of project : Dang Hoai Phuc Chủ

“Establishing the network of distance computer training for visually impaired people” project is one kind of the remote computer training for visually impaired people firstly established in Vietnam by the teachers who are visually impaired directly teach. The project will establish a network of remote computer training between Saomai computer center and four units for visually impaired people from four provinced stated above. In there, Saomai computer center will establish computer courses with the method of remote training. All the material for courses will be reedited by the faculty in Saomai center to be suitable for this training method. The material will be transfer to three kinds :

- Electric version : in this kind, students can use Vietnamese talking software to learn. However, new students will proceed with two following kinds of material.

- Braille books and Tactile Graphics : All the visually impaired students who participate in the courses of this project have the ability to read Braille. Moreover, tactile graphics are to help visually impaired students being able to touch and figure the ojbects ont the screeen in the better way.

- Talking Books : All the lectures for the course will be recorded and saved into tapes and CDs by the teachers from Saomai Computer Center. So students can use tape player or CD player to listen to the lecture from the teacher and repractice on the computer.

Besides, students can send their questions via e-mail or directly ask via telephone to the instructors. However, simple issues will be solved by the assistants (who are the core students trained directly at Saomai computer center at the first phase)

The project is divided into threes phases:

The 1st phase: Training four core students in four provinces within six months at Saomai computer center to become assistants for distance courses of the project. Each student will directly manage classes in their units. In addition to computer skill, these four students are also trained their communicating skills and the basic computing English abilities. These four students will be a part of the connection between the students and the teachers at Saomai center.

The 2nd phase: Setting up four computer rooms for fours unit in four provinces. Write and send material of the course to four units in order to prepare for the next phae. To organize four seminars which topic is about Visually impaired people to be with Informatics Technology in each province in order to appeal the concern and more rightful awareness from the society toward the visually impaired people. To establish a website in order to serve and spread this remote computer training system for visually impaired people. Besides, Saomai Computer Center will co-ordinate with four units in four provinces to recruit thirty two students for the next course.

The 3rd phase: To organize the first 8 months computer course for visually impaired people. Within this 8 month course, students will do tests at the end of each month. In there, four tests at the end of February, April, June and August will be taken place at Saomai Computer Center.

Base on the score-board and remarks of the teachers, at the end of August, Saomai Computer Center will grant four sponsorships for four students that have the highest results. Which mean each unit will have one student that receive this sponsorship. Those four sponsorships are an advanced course within 3 months at Saomai Computer Center. Besides, these four students will be reinforced for the group of assistants in order to maintain and develop the network of distance computer training for visually impaired people after the end of the project.

We do believe in a considerable effect from this project which is the equality in obtaining and sharing information, learning, chance to look for job and to reduce the wide gap in level between the visually impaired people community and the society through the support of the informatics technology. Besides, with this kind of distance training, we are able to organized some courses which is more open with many more students. Instead, students must gather into one computer training center for visually impaired people while this kind of center does not exist yet except Saomai Computer Center at the moment. This also help students, while participating in the distance computer training course, can keep going on their activities in their region such as learning, working. In there, students who is participating in the course will reduce considerably their expenses of accomodation if join in gathering course.

The objects who get benefit from this project is the visually impaired students and pupils in four provinces which are Dong Nai, Tay Ninh, Ben Tre and An Giang, no limitation in differences among races. The objects that get benefit have age from 15 to 30.

The project schedule :

The 1st phase
February 15th 2003 – August 15th 2003 (6 months)
Training four core students in four provinces at Saomai Center.

The 2nd phase
October 1st 2003 – November 30th 2003 (2 months)
- Buying devices, establishing computer rooms and setting up network line in four provinces.
- Writing textbook for the course and distributing to four provinces above.

December 1st 2003 – January 31st 2004 (2 months)
- Organizing four seminars in four provinces, inviting units, organizations, press, …
- Start evaluation the 1st time.
- Co-ordinating with four units above to recruit students for the course.

The 3rd phase
February 15th 2004 – October 15th 2004 (8 months)
- Start organizing remote courses Tiến
- Organizing four periods of test at the end of each month which are February, April, June and August at Center.
- Start the evaluation the 2nd time.