Assistive Technology and Inclusion

Go to View > Header & Footer to edit April 12, 2023 | slide 1

Assistive Technology and InclusionFree Assistive Software - EduAppsJulia Taylor – RSC SW e-Advisor

www.rsc-south-west.ac.uk RSCs – Stimulating and supporting innovation in learning


Aims of the session

•To be aware of EduApps - Open Source Software

•To understand how you might use EduApps

•To understand its role in inclusive practice

E-learning Investment in Inclusion

E-learning has the potential to support more inclusive teaching and learning practice

It can be flexibly delivered and widely available, the materials are highly portable, easy to store and lend themselves to adaptation and personalisation

This flexibility should help meet the needs of the widest range of learners and support success

Difficult to ask for help

2056 Dyslexic students - disclosed No budget for equipment – personal devices Maintaining technical equipment Availability of software – USB sticks Mind-mapping software PDF Use Alternative formats production


Resources for librarians

Guidance for librarians

http://library.bcu.ac.uk?conferencepapers.htm

Electronic Formats from publisher

http://www.publisherlookup.org.uk

Open Rose Group – process for Alt Formats

AltFormat Repository

TechDis Accessibility Essentials


Inclusive

"In lectures, I have a note taker. I’m not that quick. I rely on my note-taker mostly.

“I find black on white hard to read but changing the settings every time is a pain and sometimes isn’t allowed ”

April 12, 2023 | slide 6

Inclusive

"In lectures, I have a note taker. I’m not that quick. I rely on my note-taker mostly.

Use text to speech to Make MP3

Download Lectures from the VLE“I find black on white hard to read but changing the settings every time is a pain and sometimes isn’t allowed ”

Provide user end preferences

Any learner can make changes April 12, 2023 | slide 7

Inclusive

“I can’t type that well, it’s hard to keep up”

Word Prediction speeds up typing

“I need help to recognise words and meanings”

Dictionaries and thesaurus built-in


Inclusive

“I can’t type that well, it’s hard to keep up”

Word Prediction speeds up typing

Spoken word s are easier to recognise“I need help to recognise words and meanings”

Dictionaries and thesaurus built-in

Text to speech and themed lexicons


Inclusive

“I have a problem remembering what order to do things in”

Reminders and planners.

Screen capture and videos“Managing large amounts of text is difficult- moving and renaming chapters takes so long”

Automatic re-numbering

Visual Storyboard view - yWriter



EduApps

EduApps – Assistive Software

Excellence Gateway


Assistive Software - EduApps

Free Assistive Software Open Source- No licences Portable – on a memory stick

– Any computer in the library/ LC– Use anywhere you study

Resources to support


EduApps Links

Promotion- materials

Case Studies – including Somerset College

Video - Tutors perspective Learners Experience

NING Groups and forum RSC SW NING

Guides


Create and convert – Docs to ePubs

SpeedCrunch – keyboard access, colour calculator

Simulation and Modelling

Speaking Dictionary – Sage

DropBox File managment


Simulation and modelling


RSC MyStudyBar resources

Overview Blog NING

MyStudyBar Tutorials: Screen cast

Introduction 2.06

Mindmapping 4.01Tools 4.07

Screen Masking 1.56 (t bar multiple lines)

Word Prediction Windows speech recognition


Planning and organisation– Mind Mapping, reminders and prompts

Reading & Writing– Background, overlay and text Colour Preferences– Reading masks and guides– Word Prediction– Talking Dictionary, Text-to-Speech, MP3– Magnification and visual support


Planning & Organising



Reminders & Prompts


Reading

T-Bar – Screen Masking

RapidSet – Change Colours

Vu-Bar – Screen Ruler

SS Overlay – Screen Tint



Reading






Vision/Reading








From Reading Menu1.Click on T-Bar2.R-Click on Mask3.Click Controls4.Choose a colour5.Click Done6.R-Click Exit



From Vision Menu1.Click on Magnifier2.Move around the screen3.Click to Exit

MyStudyBar

Reading on screen, Background colour and font

Word Prediction LetMeType

•Create customised lexicons•Predict on first letter•Adjust background colour and font size

Lingoes





From Writing Menu1.Click on Balbolka2.Copy or type your name into the box3.Click Play Icon4.X Exit

MyStudyBar and EduApps

Julia Taylor e-Learning Advisor

01392 205472

[email protected]