Don't%20disable%20the%20learner:%20all%20technology%20is%20assistive

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Don't disable the learner all technology is
assistive

• Ellen Lessner
• Abingdon and Witney College
• Eta De Cicco
• Niace

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What you will have an opportunity to do in this
session
Contribute to a wiki which will gather
information about the many ways people
customise their computer.
Download free, open source software for text read
back, PowerPoint read back and concept mapping
Contribute to the discussion that asserts that
all technology is assistive
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Lets start from the beginning
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The beginning of disabling the learner

• Do we teach children or new-to-IT adults how to
  customise their settings on a computer as the
  first step to using IT?
• Do we systematically teach keyboarding skills?
• Is sound enabled on all computers in an
  educational setting?
• How do we universally teach our teachers about
  assistive technology? Or train current teachers
  and lecturers?

• Where do we start when we design blended
  learning?
• Caught or taught?

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The beginning of disabling the learner

• In the last 10 years, have we disabled a group of
  learners by not keeping pace with the
  developments in technology to support them?
• Are we too punitive and wedded to an old skills
  set? (I hope you will log into Prof Stephen
  Heppells presentation on 30 March in the
  Innovating e-Learning Practice theme of this
  conference)

• What are the repercussions long term/short term?

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The law of unintended consequences

• Before moving onto the activities, a few more
  points for consideration

• Text messaging? Phone technologies?
• Tools within word processing programmes like
  PowerPoint, comment boxes, drop down menus, drag
  and drop?
• Voice recognition software
• Wikis, blogs and podcasting?
• Videos

Are we recognising and utilising current
technologies as assistive for teaching and
learning or will education always be running to
catch up?
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All technology is assistive to someone
Its the skill, not the level, thats important
Enable the learner by being clear about
expectations
Individuals can work to their age and ability
level to summarise and proofread
Provide the right tools across the system
Knowing how to customise existing technology is
step one
Keep up with the technology
If an individual listens and understands but
cannot read well and understand, do they need to
be kept down/out?
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Activity 1 Wiki How do you customise your
technology?

• Add to the wiki How I customise my
  technology/computer. To access the wiki, go to
  the S5 area and click on How do you customise
  your computer. Tell us what you do, please, and
  well summarise and share what you tell us at the
  end of the week.

The JISC Learners Experience Project should be a
valuable source of information about how people
customise their computers and use technology.
Their presentation is on 28/29 March in the
Learner Experience of e-Learning theme.
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Ideas might include
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Activity 2 Try out text read back

• Download Sayz Me. http//www.datafurnace.net.au/
  sayzme/ (make sure that you download the
  voices in the order it says)

• You can also try several other free versions of
  text read back which are on the table included in
  the TechDis case study on free software mentioned
  earlier. Click here http//www.techdis.ac.uk/inde
  x.php?p3_7_20050311041158
• Customise the voice, speed and pitch to suit you
  and listen to one of the papers from this
  conference.
• Alternatively, download a students assignment,
  listen and reflect on what you might do to
  encourage a student to use the software.

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Activity 3 Concept mapping

• Download CMAP (http//cmap.ihmc.us/ ) or
  FreeMind, and spend a few minutes familiarising
  yourself with the tool (http//freemind.sourceforg
  e.net/wiki/index.php/Main_Page ). For other
  concept mapping software, go to the table on the
  TechDis site.
• Use a map to summarise this session and to note
  any key points you would like to discuss.

• Try to map the key points in a students
  assignment! Are they linked in a logical fashion
  or have you had to trawl through to see whether
  they understand concepts?
• Map your next teaching session.
• Develop a template that would save you time when
  lesson planning
• Decide whether you like branching maps (FreeMind)
  or concept maps with shapes (CMAP)

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Please join in the discussion

• Whether you have successfully tried out all the
  software or added to the wiki, we hope you will
  join us and contribute to the discussion.