Members of the Postsecondary Education Network-International (PEN-International) gathered at Tianjin University of Technology (TUT) in China November 7-12 to conduct instructional technology seminars onsite and through distance technology. Over 25 teachers and administrators of deaf education programs from across China attended this first of its kind gathering in China. Workshops were presented by PEN director James DeCaro and project coordinator E. William Clymer, along with a number of presentations and case studies by TUT faculty. All of the sessions at the seminar were conducted in TUT's high technology multimedia lab established by PEN in 2001.
The second day of the visit included a workshop session, "How to Facilitate Classroom Communication," conducted via videoconference from the USA by NTID professor Sidney Barefoot. This workshop was the first use of the newly installed ISDN capability in the TUT multimedia lab.
A secondary focus of the visit was the initiation of a long-term research project by PEN-International research consultant Patricia M. DeCaro that will focus on the history of postsecondary deaf education in China, its current status, and future projections about its place in the Chinese educational system
The PEN-International team also visited the Beijing Union University Special Education College, Deaf Education Program. After a tour of the campus and laboratories, the PEN-International group met with students and faculty to discuss academic and cultural issues facing deaf college students in both countries.
