Leonardo da Vinci-Project Conductive Glossary

European exchange of quality standards in rehabilitation of motor disabled children, EQUALREHAB

Partners:

  • Move & Walk, Sweden (coordinator)
  • The András Pető Institute of Conductive Education, Hungary
  • Institut Keil, Austria
  • The Phoenix Institution, Germany
  • Bundesverband der in Deutschland tätigen Konduktor/Innen e.V. – National Association of the Conductors in Germany, Germany

Summary of the project:

Leonardo da Vinci Partnership is a project that runs for two years, 2010-2012. The intention of the project is to strengthening tools and frameworks for enhanced cooperation in conductive education around Europe.

The origin of this project is a requirement from the field, on organizational, national, and European levels, regarding the existing gap between theory and practice. The requirement consists of reaching a consensus regarding an improved quality system in purpose to meet the Labour market´s need for skills and also to find tools for quality assurance. Through this project, the involved partners together will find a consensus of the quality standards and compile a manual of quality standards and also develop a quality assurance system. The expected result is the manual, and furthermore integration of the manual and the quality system in the ongoing organizations, on national as well as European level.

Projects objective and strategy

Developmental discussions and evaluations in European Conductive Association show that theory and practice in conductive education do not address the need for knowledge that would aid conductors when they start to work in a school or in a conductive institution. We will describe the need from the employer’s point of view and compare it with the VET (Vocational Educational and Training) and systems within training centers and institutes. We involve the students, the teachers, the management, the employees and employers as well as the persons with special needs. Through a “Structure of Quality” evaluation system we will be able to generate a complex and measurable picture of need. From fieldlevel discussions to European summary we plan to add all the levels into the discussion and evaluate. This structure would make it possible to integrate the results into today’s ongoing systems.

Through the European exchange of quality standards in conductive education, we will compare the quality models between the participating countries. We will find a consensus model that could fit into the practice of the already existing systems. This will be the basis for the manual/guideline with quality standards and will be used, not only by the participating institutions but hopefully also by other institutions and organizations that provide CE in Europe.

European added value

The different organizations today are facing the problem that the knowledge (especially practical knowledge) of the newly graduated conductors does not meet the requirements presented at the workplace or within the labor market. This disassimilation makes it difficult for both the employer to find a staff member who could provide the needs of the organization, and for the job seeker to find a job compatible with the knowledge and the experience he/she has. By summarizing this problem on a European level and by producing a manual /guideline for the organizations we can supply practical learning institutions that meet this need. Thus building a system that would benefit both the future employer and the former students seeking employment. Furthermore, the parent associations and special interest organizations involved will benefit from the increased quality of conductive education provided for children with motor disabilities.

Exchanging quality standards between the organizations and their respective countries and finding a consensus of minimum standards all over Europe will increase the quality of the practical learning institutions and facilities where conductive education is provided.

This system will also secure the certainty of knowledge of the employee, which also would act as a security for the employer. This could also broaden opportunities for future employees to get proper knowledge and experience by finding more suitable working environments abroad as well as in their own country. This system would give the possibilities for job seekers to be better qualified and for the employers to find capable staff members in the European labor market.

Impact

Organizations will specifically benefit through the quality of employees and perhaps through a standardized method of communicating with other institutions, training centers, as well as local health systems. Management and staff will be better equipped to communicate training goals and methods between other staff members have received the same methodized education. Staff will also be able to provide a congruent training program for its trainees. Customers and trainees will benefit from the assurance knowing that every trainer they are training withdraws from a systemized education knowledge base, they will receive the same quality of training regardless of where they train.

Integration into ongoing activities

The necessity of producing a manual of quality standards is a requirement from different organizations and VET institutions. Due to this fact, it will be in all the organization´s interest to adopt the project from start to finish and also to assimilate the new quality system into the daily work. It will be up to each organization to found a group that´s responsible for the integration of the project into the learning activities of the participating trainees. The groups will include persons from all different levels in the organization from trainees to those in a managerial position. The persons involved in these groups are supposed to take part in all the workshops, discussions and questionnaires during the project, and to evaluate it until the meetings on the European level. One part of the project will be to find ways to integrate and implement the result and to enhance the quality by using the manual.

The European Conductive Association will have the comprehensive responsibility to follow up on the work in the national groups to make sure the projects being integrated into the ongoing activities and that the quality of the project is being maintained.

The gap in this field, which is the cause of the requirement of the project, is well known among the organizations. To implement the results of the link between theory and practice is basic for our ongoing and future work of quality in conductive education.

Integration is for that reason, a priority responsibility for each organization that wishes to facilitate the development of innovative practice in the field of VET and reduce the difference of knowledge.

Evaluation

Move & Walk is responsible for preparing questionnaires and to further compile the evaluations on the European level. Each partner is responsible for preparing and compiling their own organization/national meeting questionnaires and evaluations.

We plan to implement follow-up questionnaires and workshops on a yearly basis after completing the project, so the effectiveness of the manual can sufficiently be analyzed.

The continuing use of the manual will be essential for the organizations, and above all, for the quality of Conductive Education and its important mission in re- and habilitation for children with disabilities.

Dissemination and the use of a result

The results will be disseminated within participating organizations from the very beginning through staff member involvement relying on education, awareness, and communication vertically as well as horizontally. The usage of the manual will be a natural part of the daily work of Conductive education and the dissemination of its advantages is a matter of course.

Regarding local communities, the end results will be circulated using means including and not limited to home pages, conferences, and all press mediums. Furthermore, different parent associations and special interest organizations will be reached and involved through the dissemination. We will, during the project, discuss how we can contribute to the diffusion through information to future customers e.g. within parent associations, etc. The dissemination of the result from this specific project as well as the importance and the necessity of quality work in local communities is an essential step towards understanding and involvement from the municipality and the Country councils. The ECA, European Conductive Association, as a European dissemination partner will ensure the spreading of results on a European level.

Lifelong learning communities, according to our opinion, are committed to strengthening educational planning for all ages and stages of life with learning opportunities that enhance the personal, social, and professional goals of Conductive Education (e.g. the European Conductive Association, national Conductive Associations, etc.). Quality work in Conductive Education and the dissemination of its result is one way to achieve Lifelong learning communities that are keen to strengthen the importance of VET.

These communities will be able to experience the impact of the manual and its results through usage in all respective educational institutions, training facilities, as well as not limited to informational congresses, on a European level as well as on international levels.