Before the inaugural conference (January/February of 2004) a web site will be established that will support and enhance the exchange of information between people and institutions taking part in the project. The web site will also serve dissemination of projects' results. Including in particular the participating universities this web site is – among other things - supposed to become a forum for the exchange of scientific findings in the field of learning in mixed-ability groups.

Additionally partners will inquire on the present state of individualised learning in mixed ability groups in their countries in order to share the results and set the starting point during the inaugural conference. Moreover these results will be disseminated in order to "prepare" the target group and the project environment.

Target groups: 
Participating institutions, teachers, teacher trainers, in-service trainers plus project environment.

On the basis of the observations of national teams of experts (2 of each country = total of 8 per visit) in all participating countries and on the basis of a comparison of modules used in the different countries for teacher training in the field of mixed-ability learning the most promising elements and modules will be identified and collected.

For this purpose research instruments for the observation of classroom teaching and for questioning will be designed on scientific basis before and during the inaugural conference. The research teams will do observation of classroom teaching and teachers training as well as interview teachers, pupils (and possibly parents), head teachers and teachers trainers and in-service trainers. Since the understanding of verbal communication during observation is indispensible, for each national team (of two) a simultaneous translater for one day per visit is planned in the budget. Research will take ca. three days of the visit. Afterwards the 4 research teams will evaluate the results and prepare them for the following concepting phase and for immediate dissemination in all partner countries and via internet. For this work two days of the visit are planned.

Research will include the organization of teaching and the basic conditions for successful individualised learning, principles and methods of teaching and reliable forms of assessment in mixed-ability groups.

After each visit in one of the participating countries the group of experts will compile a documentation to be published on the project‘s web-site and via conferences and medias.

Following the research visits and on the basis of their results the Fernuniversität Hagen will produce a film (video/DVD) on the conditions for successful individualised learning in mixed-ability groups in each partner country. The five documentations (25 minutes each) will be translated in the language of each partner country (DE, EN, FI, SE, NO) and distributed on DVD. Production will take place in close accordance with all partners.

Target group:
Participating partners, teachers, teacher trainers and in-service trainers plus project environment

Period of realisation:
February 2004 – January 2005 (film production will take longer).
All partners will contribute to research visits and dissemination of results.

Special task:
Film production by Fernuniversität Hagen.

Based on the results of the research the participating institutions will develop courses/modules for initial teacher training, and in-service training in each partner country according to the specific conditions of each country.

For each partner country are intended:

• one module for initial teacher training (2 to 5 days) and/or
• one module for in-service training of teachers (2 to 5 days) plus a course for headmasters (2 days) if appropriate.

On European level a course will be developed for teachers and headmasters in English (EN) with a prospected duration of five days.

Within the framework of these modules the most promising and successful teaching methods, the documentation of individual learning progress and self-directed learning (portfolio) and, among other things, observation sheets for the self-evaluation of teachers will be presented. The video documentation produced by the Fernuniversität Hagen will be part of the course materials.

Target group: 
Teachers (possibly including headmasters) and trainee teachers.
Teacher training institutions in the participating countries will equally contribute to the development and preparation of these modules, course materials etc. For the transnational module a special task force will be formed from a representative of each partner country.

All modules will be tested and evaluated on national plus international level (transnational course) and shall be integrated in the training programs of the participating institutions. The international module could be offered repeatedly over the course of the year 2006 and can be offered to the mentioned target groups in all the EU-countries (maybe within COMENIUS 2.2).

Target group:
Teachers (possibly including headmasters) and trainee teachers, for the international module additionally teachers trainers, in-service trainers and members of school authority.

National conferences and the international symposium at the end of the project are supposed to evaluate the project as a whole and to disseminate the results in the national framework of the project. The general public of the participating countries is addressed as a target group.

The University of Boras (Sweden) in co-operation with the coordinating institution and other partners will compile a documentation of the project results (including final evaluation). The documentation will be published in all partner languages (DE, EN, FI, SE, NO).

Date of publication will be August of 2006.

The international final conference will serve the exchange of evaluation results of the modules‘ testing, the planning of further dissemination of project results and of possible continuation of co-operation after the project’s end plus the final evaluation of the whole project. The conference results will be covered by the final documentation.

Immediately afterwards final conferences will be held on national level in all partner countries, which are directed towards the target group and the project’s environment in order to serve further dissemination.