This project aims to provide the hearing-impaired with academic and social skills. We also aim to help students with mental disabilities. Our project develops innovative opportunities for special education schools in terms of game-based learning and teaching activities for hearing-impaired students.For the project; special education schools (4 schools and institutions from three different countries), universities (two universities), volunteers and their families, students and social support groups were brought together from different countries. Our project includes intensive learning/teaching activities. In this context, it is a project including the education of special education teachers, the hearing-impaired and their families.With the findings obtained from this study, it is planned that the educational institutions working with hearing impaired individuals and the students, academicians, teachers and rehabilitating institutions from universities will benefit directly or indirectly. Our project includes three short-term joint staff training, project meetings and seminars.Within the scope of a specific program, training was given to hearing-impaired and special education teachers and special education workers.These trainings were first given theoretically and then given as applied. Participating academicians and specialist trainers provided training to the participants in their own brunches. Our academicians and teachers in the project, published the results obtained from the activities three scientific articles. In addition, the surveys and literature reviews project used in the project are available on our website. Project evaluation forms and satisfaction surveys, which we submitted for evaluation of the teachers and parents of our project book, have been made and part of them have been published on our project website. (http://online.fliphtml5.com/sgjzs/rkjs/index.html)A game-based learning and teaching book was prepared for the project idea outputs. There are 113 games in this book. This book is described in English, Turkish, Italian and Spanish with sign language.Game book; Web-based and downloadable, accessible to hearing impaired, interactive and multi-lingual work.In the project, interviews, questionnaires, document analysis and scientific researches were used. Academicians from our project partners examined action-based learning and teaching activities for hearing-impaired students and conducted action research qualitatively and quantitatively. Thus, strong evidence of game-based teaching and learning has been obtained from the results we obtained in the project. These studies can be accessed in detail on our project website (http://konevideafschool.net/oyun_tabanli.html).As a result of the project, innovative ways to improve the learning experience of hearing impaired students and their families, special education teachers have been developed.In addition, game-based activities, emotional and positive psychological outcomes during teacher-student interactions and a more fun educational environment for students and teachers were provided. As another achievement of this project, it is provided that special education schools increase their capacity and success and that it rehabilitates educational environments and makes them more efficient. International cooperation networks have been established with other professionals in the field of the hearing-impaired in order to improve the service capacities of educational institutions with the above-mentioned game book. Some of the games included in the game book we have prepared were videotaped while our students were playing. These videos are published on our website by adding Turkish sign language and international sign language. They can also be accessed by scanning the QR code in the book. As new videos are taken, we will continue to publish on our website. All games can be viewed and downloaded for free as long as they are used for educational purposes. Our website will be kept active for 5 years and new works will continue to be added.

The main objective of the project is to observe, collect, analyse, implement and spread innovative curricular and educational practices (teaching and learning) by mainly concentrating on the use of information and communication technologies (ICT). The project aims to enhance special education teachers’ and students’ with deafness and hearing impairments’ (DHI) knowledge and motivation for language and social studies subjects in kindergarten, primary and secondary levels. The project also aims to educate and equip special education teachers and students with DHI with necessary ICT competences that they can meet the challenges of fast-paced globalization, improve their ICT skills, mobilize their education through cooperative work and conform to demanding high-tech environment of the future. The project proposes a series of activities for schools focusing on curriculum development, teaching and learning materials, academic studies and analyses, and methods (observation, experimentation, colleague partner learning, interviewing, conferencing, surveys and publications) by promoting collaboration between schools and a university. The methodology is based on a case-study approach where the learners will learn by exploring the underlying principals of the studying subjects. “Mobilities” are going to be used to enable partner organizations staff to visit educational settings within the partnership in order to extend their knowledge of the range of strategies available to support special education teachers and students with DHI through the use of ICT as a context for learning. The project desires and proposes long term outcomes as impacting the teachers to encourage ICT-based teaching and learning and build international partnership. Impacts for parents: to value the works of the students with DHI and teachers more highly, increase involvement in the schooling of their children, develop and improve their relations with the school and promotion of European identity. Finally for institutions, the impact is to develop international cooperation and examine of how different societies understand and value the education of student with deafness and hearing impairment.

The primary objectives of this project were to bring together the strengths and knowledge of schools-families-students-universities-social advocacy groups- governments-companies-hospitals-and volunteers in our partner countries in terms of health and care issues related to hearing abilities of students with deafness and hearing impairments in order to increase the lacking practical support and application capabilities of special education schools. In this Project, by working with special education needs children’s teachers (SENTs), we enabled them to learn the best practices and educational methods via guiding them in terms of materials, vocational education, and problems of hearing impaired children and their families. We educated the hearing impaired and their families on auditory health and care. We pursued the objectives of training SENTs, our target group, in primary and secondary schools through intensive training direct programs. Our direct target group also included deaf and hearing impaired (DHI) students with and their families.The educational sessions included ear –hearing examinations as well as lectures given by speech therapists, audiologists, and hearing specialists on exterior, medial, and interior ear structures and functions according to the level of each group. Moreover, information on sanitary hearing devices, requirements of / for cochlear implants and hearing aids, necessary care and maintenance were provided to all participants. The educations provided were recorded and open to access in English, German, Spanish, Slovenian, and Turkish and their corresponding sign languages at our interactive, multilingual and deaf accessible web site.An educational setting was formed by bringing together and enabling mutual cooperation of SENTs and various specialists related to hearing, hearing devices and maintenance . Our weak aspects and issues forming a threat to DHI children were the main points addressed in the project. Our strengths were sharings made with our partners. The conditions in Turkey regarding auditory health were determined to be better. Related services were better and free of charge. However, cooperation among diverse institutions were determined to be poor and in need of further improvement. Cooperation with universities would have significant contributions to enable SENTs to be up to date. A consensus was reached to hand in a proposal to the Ministry of National Education (MoNE) to direct DHI schools for the hearing impaired for vocational education and training. Moreover, physiotherapy halls in DHI schools were considered to be a necessity. Likewise, sSound therapy rooms are also to be established in DHI schools. Thus, MoNE will be handed in a proposal to employ at least two sound therapists in these schools. A handbook for sound therapy in these schools is also to be acquired. Sign language has a significant role in the personal development of especially the totally hearing impaired and ao of those who have advanced hearing impairment. Therefore, MoNE will be handed in another report in order to prevent quite normal children to receive sign language education. Among the major outcomes of the present project are the video shootings, major factor to increase project impact, on diverse topics in which DHI related issues were addressed. The latest score were 16 videos and this number is still increasing. These video shootings will be continued according to emerging new problems and possible solutions.An open access web site based on the data gathered throughout the project will serve as a data bank to be used by all the hearing impaired throughout the world. This web site will be active for at least five years. Moreover, the common project tasks will available at the web sites of all partners. Hence, those in need of the data obtained from the present project are going to be able to obtain and benefit from these for many years. The mobility program, meetings, articles written, brochures and booklets printed have contributed to the efficiencies of the teachers working at DHI schools. The outcomes were shared with other DHI schools and universities in order to provide a larger distribution of the outcomes and prolonged use of the insights gained.A further aim, publication of at least three articles, is currently available on the web site. These have significant importance as they will enable the hearing impaired to determine their strategy and future actions/decisions. Among the tasks to audit the project, a final and a semi-final conference were held and the brochures, articles, and booklets were dispersed to a large community. Overall, considering project activities and outcomes, all aims determined at the beginning of the project were successfully accomplished.