Chris Davies & Lorna McKnight15 September 2012

USING TECHNOLOGY TO LEVEL THE EDUCATIONAL

PLAYING FIELD

The Centre aims to contribute to the research-based exploration of ways in which technology can be used to help people overcome persistent obstacles to independent learning, whether as children, adolescents, or adults.

physical : restricted mobility, hearing, visioncognitive: dyslexia, dyspraxia, discalculiabehavioural and social: Asperger syndrome, autismsocio-economic: sustained exclusion from mainstream

educationmultiple disabilities: diff erent combinations of above

KELLOGG COLLEGE CENTRE FOR RESEARCH INTO ASSISTIVE LEARNING

TECHNOLOGIES

reviewing and mapping the fieldcarrying out exploratory case studiesbuilding partnerships & collaborationshelping to disseminate new researchgroundwork for future large scale project/s

CURRENT ACTIVITIES

ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGIES

dyslexiadyspraxiaautism

TECHNOLOGIES TO SUPPORT LEARNERS WITH SPECIFIC LEARNING DISABILITIES

WHAT SUPPORT CAN TECHNOLOGY GIVE?

Need to understand the needs of the users.

The focus is on enabling access – not just to information but to learning.

Following few slides will give some examples of how technology can be used to support common SpLDs.

SPECIAL PURPOSE VS MAINSTREAM TECHNOLOGIES

Special purpose technologies can be: Tailored to the individual's specific needs Tailored to the individual's goals and context of

use Mainstream technologies can be:

More affordable (who pays?) Also used by peers

A 'universal design' approach aims to enable all users to use the same products. However: While this is a grand goal for designers, it may

take time to achieve for all learners There are fears this can increase the cost of

very specialist devices.

MOBILE TECHNOLOGIES

choice of apps on smartphones gives access to a wide range of free or aff ordable software

an easily portable device lets people learn in a wide range of contexts, and can be something you are comfortable using and familiar with – causing less anxiety

mobile phone sensors can be used to monitor an environment and provide support when needed

mainstream devices – easily obtained – no stigma of use:

“You know, if someone's using an iPhone, and I’m using an iPhone, that's normal, right? It’s the same thing... like universal design, you build the accessibility directly into the products, then you’re not using some clunky, blindness specifi c product”

relatively low cost

highly intuitivelight and portableattractiveeasily designed

appsBUT not necessarily a universal solution for specific learning needs.

iPADS AND TABLETS

EXAMPLES

SUPPORT FOR DYSLEXIA AND LITERACY DIFFICULTIES

Using audio instead of text can help for some people – to replace text or to aid with phonological awareness

Text-to-speech software can automatically read text aloud, which can help learners to process long texts or to identify errors in their own work

Homophone detection software can aid with proofreading work Speech-to-text software can allow learners to dictate their work

Being able to customise a software environment can help reduce distractions and ease cognitive load

Some schools are exploring the use of audio recording to create revision notes and homework submissions

Text-to-speech: e.g. Read Write Gold, Ivona, MyStudyBar, Windows & Mac OS speech

“can read complicated words if unsure about”

“it makes you hear how a sentence might sound a bit awkward”

“my grammar's not very good, and I just write, and I don't put full stops in, so I use it so that I can tell where I need to put a full stop in”

Speech-to-text (voice recognition): e.g. Dragon, MyStudyBar, Windows Speech Recognition

“if you're used to working very very fast, then it comes as like a shock, but for me I always used to take about an hour to write one paragraph, now it takes ten minutes”

“it’s a good tool, I think it should be more accessible to like lower years as well... and like not just in this kind of school [...] if I use Dragon, it means I have more time to research it, which is like the more important thing, and I spend less time typing it up”

HOW CAN SOFTWARE SUPPORT LITERACY?

AudioNoteTaker, enabling asynchronous communicati on between student and teacher

“I like to dictate my thoughts and send them by email to my teachers ”

“it comes up in a different colour that your teacher’s said something, and then you just click it, and... they’ve recorded it, and it just says it to you; that’s easier than like if you send them work and then they send it back and it ’s a massive long paragraph underneath”

SOFTWARE SUPPORTING PROGRESS TOWARDS AUTONOMY

SUPPORT FOR YOUNG PEOPLE WITH AUTISTIC SPECTRUM

DISORDERS Technology can be used to aid social skills training in

controlled settings

Learners benefit from predictable environments with clearly defined activities and reward structures

Collaboration rules can be enforced by software, which can help the teachers or therapists who are supporting the activity

Communication tools can aid those with severe difficulties

MULTIPLE LEARNING DISABILITIES

http://www.parkroadict.co.uk/1/post/2012/05/dj-decks-as-access-tool.html

http://www.parkroadict.co.uk/1/post/2012/05/dj-decks-as-access-tool.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9T11dl2mkHo&feature=fvwrelf

from 1.03

LINKS

POTENTIAL FUTURE PROJECTS

Naseem is married with a 3 year old daughter, Sania. Her husband sells top-up vouchers and SIM cards for mobile phones. Naseem was unable to complete 10th Standard at school because of parental problems, and she was married soon afterwards. She is really dependent on learning English to give her the skills she needs to fi nd a job. She would like to work in accounting so she can provide fi nancial support to her family.

MOBILE LEARNING IN DHARAVI, MUMBAI

SUPPORTING OLDER LEARNERS

THE LEARNING COMPANION

it’s all leaving me behind a little bit [D, male] I’m very reluctant to try and experiment with a

computer to try and find them out [M, male] I’m an introverted person, I don’t speak to people

face-to-face, really, unless they talk to me. But I wouldn’t have a problem talking to a computer, yeah. [J1, male]

it would be nice to have somebody to – you know to just talk to somebody, to talk to a computer … it’s quite friendly. [MK, male]

I do sometimes like to suddenly think, “Ah, I’d like to learn more about that.” And it could be pretty well anything, actually. [JE, female]

THE LEARNING COMPANION

WHAT IS MISSING?

longitudinal studies showing a lasting eff ect over time, and considering implications for lifelong learning

studies taking the learner's wider context into account – e.g. use at home, and for informal uses as well as in a classroom

studies of independent and informal learning learners need to be empowered to take control of

the technologies and find tools that best support their own needs and goals – this also requires greater awareness of all the options that are available

removing dependency increasing autonomy and agencyproviding support across the lifecourseusing readily accessible and attractive devicesdeveloping long-term solutions

ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGIES FOR INDEPENDENT LEARNING