a. Research on the Technical area,
b. User requirements
c. Subsystems' Specifications

In the current working package, an international experience and bibliography research shall take place, as also an analysis of the current situation in the various participant countries. Thus, a survey of the relevant to the project bibliography and experience shall be performed. Also data for the Sign Language training centres, as they operate in their countries, shall be collected (K.E.N.G. in Greece, RNID in U.K., DAF in Finland).

Our basic goal is to build a Sign Language portal & e-learning environment so that a European Citizen of any age, (specifically from England, Greece, Finland) to be able to get informed. The information that he will be able to retrieve is knowledge for sign language via the e-learning environment and multimedia electronic dictionary, for beginners which will translate the requested word in the corresponding sign.

NCSR Demokritos

• Responsible for the accomplishment of this working package's tasks
• Questionnaires authoring. Assessment of the required sign language knowledge for teaching the beginners. Design of the dictionary's structure.
• Interview the institution representatives from the Internet or by visiting the local participants.
• Portal & e-learning environment's content specification, according to the conclusions drawn from the interviews.

Sign Language Center - KENG (Thessalonica)

• Participation in the interviews and auxiliary participation in the research via participation in the forum.
• Questionnaires distribution to the Sign Language students.

The Royal National Institute for Deaf People - RNID

• Participation in the interviews and auxiliary participation in the research via participation in the forum.
• Questionnaires distribution to the Sign Language students.

FINLAND ASSOCIATION OF DEAF - DAF

• Participation in the interviews and auxiliary participation in the research via participation in the forum.
• Questionnaires distribution to the Sign Language students.

Specifically, the phases of the current working package are:

1. Bibliography and international experience research

Initially, the required bibliography and experience, which shall constitute the basis for thorough examination of the research area of the project, shall be collected. The bibliography should cover the areas of portal, e-learning environment and dictionaries for Sign Language.
Similar international knowledge shall be examined and evaluated, on the grounds of the KENG, FAD, RNID' s experience, who have long involvement in Sign Language training.

2. Analysis of the current situation

The Greek, English and Finnish environment shall be analyzed and the user requirements - demands shall be determined. This process includes personal interviews with participant - user representatives, who are involved in the processes that are to be incorporated into the portal & e-learning environment. These interviews shall be accomplished by the research group participating in the project. The users' opinions shall be registered and properly configured in order for their requirements to be determined.
Specifically, Sign Language questionnaires - evaluation tests shall be composed for beginners. The requirements shall determine the number and the extend of the words in thematic units, which shall constitute the base of the Sign Language dictionary, portal & e-learning environment.

3. Subsystems' specifications assessment

The portal & e-learning environment specifications shall be defined from the research results and their evaluation.
- Sign language portal & e-learning environment specifications