Experts and delegates from around Europe and the USA will attend a conference in Dundee this week on the use of video interaction guidance, a tool that is used in many professional areas. The use of video has recently broken into the mainstream media through parenting programmes such as "Supernanny".

The International Research Conference on Video Interaction Guidance is being hosted by the VEROC Centre (Video Enhanced Reflection on Communication), a joint venture established by the University of Dundee and the Education and Social Work Departments of Dundee City Council.

Around 150 delegates are expected to attend the conference at the West Park Centre on Friday June 30th and Saturday July 1st where they will discuss the latest research in a field which continues to expand into new areas.

"Video has been used as an effective tool to improve communication in areas such as health, social work and education for around 20 years," said David Gavine of VEROC.

"Filming and discussing the interaction between people has entered the media mainstream now through some of these programmes that show parents how they interact with their children. The field of parent-child communication is only one of the many areas where it is being used, and we are continuing to see video interaction expand into new fields".

"Working with families in difficulty continues to be an important theme but we are also seeing more developments in education, both mainstream and with children with disabilities".

"This is the major international conference in the field and we are delighted to be hosting it in Dundee."

VEROC has been established to provide training for professionals in the use of video feedback for self-reflection and to enhance interaction between people. The aim of this new Continuing Professional Development Centre is to combine the expertise from Dundee City Council and the University of Dundee to provide high quality credit-bearing courses at degree or Master's degree level, non-credit bearing courses and Consultancy in 'Video Enhanced Reflection on Communication'.

For more information see http://www.cpdeducation.co.uk/veroc/

For media enquiries contact:

Roddy Isles
Head, Press Office
University of Dundee
Nethergate Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384910
E-MAIL: r.isles@dundee.ac.uk