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Assistive Technology to Promote Learner Autonomy. A Vision of Students Dr. Michael Wesch at Kansas State University. YouTube video – now updated Jan 2011 http://visionsofstudents.org/. Overview. Think about how we improve: technology evaluations, assessments and training.
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A Vision of StudentsDr. Michael Wesch at Kansas State University YouTube video – now updated Jan 2011 http://visionsofstudents.org/
Overview • Think about how we improve: • technology evaluations, assessments and training. • accessibility and ease of use of online teaching and learning materials. • as well as develop e-learning skills. • Throughout there will be links to the results of the LEXDIS project.
Technology for… • Gathering information • Analysing Information • Being creative • Problem solving • Working with others.
Accessibility issues • Aspects of the e-learning applications do not interact well with assistive technologies or allow for personalisation; • Navigability of resource rich websites e.g. libraries; • Problems opening and manipulating files; • Difficulties scanning and manipulating science based resources for screen reading and text to speech. Nick
Many Facets of AT Assistive Technologies
Digital Decisions • Some students mentioned simplicity, skills, suitability and cost as a deciding factors. • All students talked about their decisions being influenced by time considerations regarding use of assistive technologies, training and social networking applications. “…when I got all my software in Autumn last year, they said: ‘You need to have your training on this’... I felt like I was doing two courses and that was, frankly, too much. I had to stay with my old bad habits because I just didn’t feel I had the time to learn something new to help me. It was a vicious circle, really.”
Keep the tools simple • “I’m just going to knock this nail in.” (using a very complex bit of kit • “So why over complicate things? This would do the job perfectly well.” (holding up a hammer)
Making it work with AT Provide an outline equivalent Provide options – Make it easy on yourself! Create in HTML originally. Do not use “Save as Web” Use a Conversion Utility such as the The Illinois Accessible Web Publishing Wizard http://www.accessiblewizards.uiuc.edu/ For the more adventurous - use accessible flash tools such as Xerte http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/xerte/
It does not take a lot to make a difference • I only used style sheets and added page numbers to the handout – it did not take that long! • Hi I just popped in to say ‘thanks!’ • Thinking - Thanks I feel now that all my hard work has not been taken for granted.
Personalisation • Will this do for all of you? Showing one size t-shirt • No that won’t fit me • We are all unique with individual needs and requirements
Personalisation • Desktop Options • Input options • Output options • Colour changes • Language
What works for me? • Science Issues • Multimedia • Using the Internet • Communication
Altering the Look and Feel to work faster and smarter! • My Web My Way - http://www.bbc.co.uk/accessibility/
Productivity to free, portable and online • Portable apps available from http://access.ecs.soton.ac.uk/projects/accessTools/download • Atbar http://access.devx.co.uk/projects/toolbar/demo
Calendars, Planning and Collaboration • Online task and time management • Google Calendar • Google docs • Issues • Accessibility • Login in - passwords www.web2access.org.uk
Browsing Tactics? • Find some information • Add it to a blog? (WordPress) • Tell a friend?
Expectations • Students have high expectations of technology with respect to access, choice and reliability. • Students expect consistency in use of the VLE across modules. • Most see it as an essential aspect of course admin and communication. • Students have high expectations of their tutors’ use of technology.
Mrs E.A. DraffanElectronics and Computer Science.University of SouthamptonMobile 07976 289103E-mail: ead@ecs.soton.ac.ukhttp://access.ecs.soton.ac.uk Agile Technology users not just Assistive Technology users. With grateful thanks to all those students who took part in the LexDis project. www.lexdis.org