From your activities this week, the case studies and readings in Block 1 and your own experience, write notes in your blog about the factors that contribute to a student either stopping using assistive technology or becoming a successful user.
Reasons for stopping
- Time consuming.
- Difficult to follow instructions.
- Not meeting learners individual needs.
- Cost.
- Lack of training.
- Unreliable technology.
- Unrealistic expectations of what the technology can do.
- Assumption that all learners are competent/ confident using technology
Reasons for success
- The opposite of what is in the 'Reasons for stopping' list!
5 hours
Read Presentation 1 – An Assistive Technology Overview in JISC TechDis Staff Pack 1, Introduction to Assistive Technology within a Learning Environment (JISC TechDis, undated).
For each of slides 7 to 14, choose the one technology that you are least familiar with and do an Internet search to find out more.
What are its main features?
How expensive is it?
Do suppliers also supply training?
Slide 7
Mind mapping - almost like a spider diagram with a central keyword or theme. Can also be used for conceptual thinking. Works like brainstorming. Not too expensive.....between $7-12. Some suppliers provided free training others were charging in the hundreds.
Slide 8
C-pen - this allows for instant translation to computer screen by simply stroking pen over word or phrase. Also works for annotation when studying so reduces cutting and pasting. Price approx £150 though cheaper in the States. Couldn't find training......manual is probably sufficient.
Slide 9
Trackball - pointing device that uses a ball which is manipulated by thumb or fingers to move a cursor. Looks like an upside down mouse and takes little effort to move. Good tool for mobility problems. Price approx £20 -£40. Again manual is probably enough rather than providing training.
Slide 10
Word Prediction - as text is put onto screen the word predictor will give a list of words as a suggestion to the letters entered. Good for mobility problems as less typing required and for learning difficulties. Number of different software available. Costs around £60. Training is available at an additional cost.
Slide 11
Speech recognition - converts speech to machine readable input. Voice recognition aims to identify the speaker so is different. Can be used fro a number of disabilities including RSI. Price is £50 -£300. Step by Step instruction available from the programme providers.
Slide 12
CCTV - this is an electronic or video magnifier. A CCTV or video magnifier is a simple way of producing large text, images and maps for people with some useful vision. Printed material and objects can be placed under a camera and the magnified image is displayed on a television screen or computer monitor. Prices range from £100 to £3000. Some organisations provide training but not all.
Slide 13
Speech output/screen reader - A standard computer, whether laptop or desktop, can be adapted by adding a screen reader, which enables the computer to ‘talk’. The screen reader will speak the text in its focus and the user navigates through menus, dialog boxes, edit fields and so on. For sight impairment. Prices around £300 - £1500. Training appears to be available but is hard to find.
Slide 14
Minicom - this is a text phone for those with hearing impairment. This is a type of telephone with a small keyboard attached, which transmits text down the telephone line. Someone using a textphone can communicate directly with other textphone users, or with a voice telephone user via a Typetalk operator. Found this really difficult to cost and find if training was available.
Decided to go back and retry Activity 3.2 as I don't feel I was doing what was asked of me. Clicked onto H810's website only to be told that they can't display course content and to try again later.....I don't want to try again later I want to do it now (said whilst aggressively stamping foot!!)....I turn into a mum in an hour so all time is precious!I feel like I'm doing nothing but moan about H810 at the moment....not exactly having a positive learning experience! Thank god its a 30 point course and not a 60. Hate moodle.. love firstclass..have tried to like moodle honest I have but its just not happening for me! End of rant....promise to try and post positively in future!!
Activity 3.1
4 hours
Read the introductory page of Benevolent Bill ,another JISC TechDis Staff Pack (JISC TechDis, undated).
Select Presentation 1 – In-built Accessibility Features of Microsoft Windows.
Some parts of the activity will ask you to write a postcard or similar to practise using an accessibility tool. You should write about how you feel as you are using the tool.
Is it straightforward?
No it isn't
How long is it taking?
There are not enough hours in the day to sit here and try and navigate this!! I must be doing something wrong. Why can't there be a simple click for the link? I struggle if there is more than one key to press as I can't remember the order...control and link may appear easy but believe me its not! Even my laptop was groaning as I opened yet another window!!
Do you have to remember the layout of the screen?
There is so much to remember that layout is the least of my worries. There was so much written info that I lost the will to go on....tried the powerpoint, less to read which helped!
How long do you think it would take you to become an expert user?
Infinity and beyond!
Did you need more help? If so, did you find help and was it useful?
Basically I need to go back and try again as I'm obviously missing something!
Okay I understand this is a new course and there are likely to be one or two gremlins but does the entire course website have to crash the day before TMA01 submission??!!
I'm sure there will be many who will think I should have got my finger out and finished the assignment by now to avoid such things happening......point taken but this is how I work. I leave completing TMA's till near the submission date so I can make use of the adrenaline pumping through the blood. However today the adrenaline is turning on me and I feel a peptic ulcer starting!! When I did H808 the ECA needed to be sent electronically alongside the eportfolio with all my evidence tucked up inside it.......the eportfolio system crashed the week of submission almost resulting in me needing resuscitation!!
So back to the dilemma in hand......I can't access the course materials for the course on accessibility (I joke you not!!) and I also can't access tutor group discussion forums....both of which I could do with in order to finish the TMA. I've managed to access the blogs (yippee!!), I've sent a message to Simon, I've sent out an SOS to the computer team and I've posted a distress message to the MAODE site as these are all I can access. My plan to finish and submit my TMA today has now been abandoned and at 22.38 hours I now give up and will try again in the morning!
After desperately trying to catch up all I seem to have achieved is is a big fat nothing.......I can't catch up to the others who are too far ahead. So I've made the decision to not try! Instead I'm going to start the TMA and work backwards. This is a strategy that one of the other tutors proposed on her site and it seems it may work for me!
For Week 3 I have read Seale re legislation. And I agree with Seale that the legislation for most country's is confusing and open to misinterpretation. Having been on the receiving end of it in the past I am sceptical in its ability to be fair to all concerned but I need to get past this so it doesn't affect how I provide support for students with impairment.
With regard to disability awareness training I have received none both in my last workplace and in he past 21 months that I have worked for the OU. However I intend to ask my line manager if there is any training in the near future that I can participate in.
As for the TMA I have no students with disabilities that I'm aware of and past experiences are limited, so I'm looking at it from the OU's point of view e.g what they provide etc etc. Definitely focusing on online learning. My students don't actually have to be online but they will next year with the implementation of a VLE so I may attempt to address future challenges but as my tutor has stated.. I need to explain quite clearly that I'm projecting to a future situation and that I also manage to demonstrate a grasp of a wide range of the potential issues.....now I just have to fathom out what they are!!! The critical evaluation should be ok if its based on course materials.
So that's the plan for now.....
