What is IC Clear?

apply for EU-funding to set up a 1-year-course

on plain communication (language and design)

out of the Lifelong Learning Program

from the European Commission

We had the idea to

IC Clear is an EU-funded project to develop an international clear communication course

What is IC Clear?

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Funding sources

• European Commission’s Lifelong Learning Program

Budget and approved grant

• Budget: 462.532 euro

• Approved EU grant: 325.000 euro

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Funding

IC Clear course in clear communication

The project partners will develop and pilot the modules of a postgraduate course in clear communication

to close the current educational gap

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Our working definition of clear communication

In a clear document, whether online or in print, people for whom the information is intended can:

• quickly and easily find what they need

• understand what they find

• act appropriately on that understanding

Whether communication is ‘clear’ or not depends on the audience.

What is clear for one person may not be clear for another.

Project partners

Partners

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Katholieke Hogeschool Kempen

University college - Belgium

• plain language (for special audiences)

• project coordination

• curriculum and course development

• entrepreneurship

• (online) teaching

Partners

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Sigmund Freud University

University - Austria

• visual communication and empirical research methods

• interdisciplinary cooperation

• cultural and media sensitive research

• usability and document testing

Partners

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Institute for the Estonian Language

Language institute - Estonia

• language planning

• compiling and editing dictionaries

• language-technological support

• EU terminology development

• translator education

Partners

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Instituto Superior de Educação e Ciências

University - Portugal

• plain language

• information design

• entrepreneurship

• curriculum and course development

• clear writing in EU-institutes

• clear legal writing

Partners

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Simon Fraser University

SFU – Canada

• (online) plain language teaching

• cooperation with Plain Language Association International (PLAIN)

• curriculum development

• distant and lifelong learning

• international cooperation

Associated partners

Associated partners

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Stockholm University

Swedish Language Consultancy Program

Association for Swedish certified language consultants

Université Paris Diderot Tallinn University

Plain Language Association International

International Plain Language Working Group

International Institute of Information Design

IPLWG

Advisory group

Members of our advisory group

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Christopher Balmford

Deborah Bosley

Frances Gordon

Joe Kimble

Robert Linsky

Karen Schriver

Ginny Redish

Karel Van der Waarde

you!

Survey

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We want the course to cater for the current and future training needs in clear communication

That’s why we will survey you to help us define the course learning

outcomes and design its modules

Clear communication today should be an interdisciplinary field that covers everything: writing and designing a document and testing it on typical readers.

The course will be a mix of:

• plain language

• information design

• usability techniques

Clear communication is interdisciplinary

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Course modules

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Depending on what we will learn from the survey optional modules might be:

• legal plain language

• communicating with special audiences

• government communication

• document testing

• clear communication in European institutes

• clear communication in English

• project management

• teaching clear communication

• introducing clear communication to your organization

• installing a clear communication policy

Recent research proves clear documents save time and money, but more research is needed.

Our students will:

• learn how to test their texts and documents on readability and ease of use

• work on expanding the scientific expertise on clear communication

Research

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For whom?

For whom is the course intended?

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Entry requirements:

• bachelor’s or master’s degree

• proven experience in communication

Aimed at people:

• working in communication

• who feel the need to produce clear documents as part of their job

All candidates will need to pass an admissions test.

How will it be taught?

How the course is taught

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• face-to-face classroom learning

• distance e-learning

• self-paced instruction

• learning by doing

The course is based to a large extent on blended learning:

Blended learning

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• allows students flexible study schedules

• appealing to people who have full-time work or family responsibilities

• students can apply their new knowledge and practice in their jobs.

International certificate

IC Clear certificate

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• 750 to 900 hours of study and work

• 30 credits in the European system ECTS

• IC Clear certificate recognized in all partner countries

More on the project

www.icclear.net

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www.icclear.net

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Important milestones

Milestones

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2012

• Survey to select mandatory and optional course modules

2013

• Enroll students for pilots

2014

• Appoint teachers

• Enroll students for the course

• Final project conference

• Inauguration International Clear Communication Institute

Meet me tomorrow

here!

Help us outTake our surveyParticipate!

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author,

and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

K.H.KempenBelgium

Karine Nicolaykarine.nicolay@icclear.net+32 14 80 22 10