Connecting dyslexic learners

Connecting dyslexic learners

Katherine HoweyAdult Dyslexia Support Specialist and Tutor

Founder, Adult Dyslexia Support Group

Presentation focus

Overview of DyslexicBuddies design process

Human/computer interaction considerations

Lessons learned

Demonstration

Way forward

About me

Adult dyslexia support specialist and tutor

Designs and teaches foundation courses for

dyslexic learners entering FE/HEPreviously consultant in human/computer

interaction and disability issues for UK/EU consortiakatherinehowey@o2.co.uk

Adult Dyslexia Support Group

Formed 2010

Voluntary and community group

Supports adult dyslexic learners through

Short courses Reading group Resource site

Self-funding

About DyslexicBuddies

Specialist resource site, tightly focused on

literacy skills acquisition Blog allows learners to provide feedback

on the resources and teaching strategies and share experience

Website developed by subgroup of ADSG

volunteers over 18 month period Over 500 resource hours to date Project costs covered by funding from

ADSHE Liz Ahrends Award 2012

User profile

From pre-literate to HE level

Weak literacy skills

‘spikey’ profile Various learning styles, varying in severity

auditory, visual, kinesthetic

User-Centered Design

Evaluation of products, services and teaching

strategies for dyslexic people rarely asks for

the feedback of dyslexic people DyslexicBuddies recognises that dyslexics

are the experts on their own dyslexia DyslexicBuddies puts dyslexics at the heart

of its design process

Design evolution

Basic blog site Cheap but nasty

Hotmail discussion group Not sufficiently transparent, too many

clicks WordPress

Free Primarily a blogging tool but can support

a website with careful design

Wordpress.com v .org

WordPress.com

Online content management

system, easy to use, limited

functionality

Comes with a branded

WordPress.com domain name

eg dyslexicbuddies.wordpress.com

WordPress.org

Downloaded software installed

locally, paired with a site hosted

elsewhere on the web

More advanced functionality

Offers more options

Both WordPress services are technically free, but the downloaded software is only usable if you pay for a custom domain name and web hosting

Design 1 – Basic Blog

This site was difficult to use, unattractive and needed asubscription

Design 2 – Discussion Group

Set up on Hotmail

Users could send e-mails to each other

and access a resources page Users needed to set up an e-mail account first

Messages were displayed over several pages

It was easy to get lost on the site

High level of user frustration with site design

Design 2 – Discussion Group

Dyslexic Friends Discussion Group

1. Go to www.hotmail.com

2. Log in using your Hotmail email and password

Create a Hotmail account if necessary.

3. Put mouse over “SKY DRIVE”

4. Select “Groups”

5. Select “Dyslexic Friends”

6. Send an email to dyslexicfriends@group.live.com

7. Add a photo or logo for your name.

Design 2 – Discussion Group Resource Page

Design 2 – Discussion Group Spelling Resource Template

Look Say Imagine

Cover Write Check

Dys lex i a Dyslexia

Dyslexia

Dyslexia

Dyslexia

Dyslexia

Design 3 – WordPress.com

Users were invited to submit ideas for

site structure and navigation Users’ key usability requirements

Simple clean designImage friendly Easy to navigateUncluttered text, clear signposting

Design 3 – User concept

Design 3 - WordPress

Design 3 – User feedback

Designed as one long page

Too crowded

Difficult to navigate

Too wordy, not enough visual and audio

alternatives to the written word

Design 4 – Current version

Design 4 – User reactions

More visually based

Emphasis on multimedia options - audio,

video and image resources Much clearer

Simpler drop-down menu structure reduces

clutter on screen and groups topics More elegant design

Less to read on screen, straight to the point

Website widgets

We included a number of plug-ins in the

light of user feedback and continue to monitor

take up and relevancePayPal DonateFacebook

For the future?

Twitter ScanMe

Accessibility

Currently provide topic area on visual stress

which advises on font size and customising colour Considering use of assistive technologies, eg,

to allow users to view website as spoken text

Is there a trade off between use of reading

software and visual presentation of text for those

with visual stress?

Proposed development path

Subject to fundraising, set up

custom domain name and web hosting Seek to incorporate best practice and

website accessibility guidelines more fully

without compromising integrity of the site

Contact information

Contact us at if you want to add resources:

dyslexicbuddies@outlook.com Or view the Website at:

www.dyslexicbuddies.org.uk Or through the ADSHE website at

www.adshe.org.uk

Thank you