Student perspectives on assistive technology

Student Perspectives on Assistive Technology. E.A. Draffan

Blurring of Technologies• When does IT become AT?• Future IT Trends a help or a hindrance?• Movement in Traditional AT• Where do we go now?• Mobile phones• eReading• Supporting Students.

Future IT Trends a help or a hindrance? 1 year 2-3 4-5 or less years years Digital Adaptive Learning Cloud Computing, Identity, Gesture- Environments, Mobile Apps, Social Based Augmented Reality, Reading, Tablet Computing, Haptic Game-Based Learning, Computing Interfaces, Internet of Learning Analytics Things(Horizon Report HE shortlist 2012)

Where do we go now?SmartPhone• 79.3% not recommended• 6.1% recommended smartphone of which 3.3% found very useful “None of the organisational• 14.3% did not respond software was recommended on a basis that it will sync with my mobile devices which are theTablet only devices I would ever remember to check. My• 80% not recommended assessor was aware of this”• 5.3% recommended, 2.7% found very useful• 14.3% did not respond(Student DSA Survey – Wilkinson,S., Viney,D., Draffan,EA 2012)

Mobile Phone survey (2011)Accessing their websites 80% of those whoon a mobile device responded had a smart(number of visits in one phone. Of that 80% themonth): breakdown was as follows:• iPhone: 1199 • Android: 42.3%• Android: 502 • Blackberry 34.6%• iPad: 488 • iPhone: 11.5%• iPod: 154 • Windows: 3.8%• Other: 178 • Other: 7.7%(http://www.in-traction.com/mobile-browsing-a-student-survey/)

Comments – Aspirations“An iPad. I have since selffunded for one and it really “a smart phone/helps. I use it to take notes iPad of some kindsketching internet and for which is light andkeynote presentations. I also easy to carry rounduse the reminder facility and with me whichcalendar for short term would help mememory.” organise myself.” “I was not aware that there was an option for a tablet to be provided it would be very useful to have been able to use this during lectures and practicals to take notes and to access notes/research that I have prepared in advance.”

iPad versus Kindle study• Reed College 2011 – Legibility - size, contrast, and resolution – only one had eyestrain and no comment on difference to e-ink of Kindle – Touch screen – speed over joystick and keyboard – Portability, Durability and Battery life – both good compared to laptops – Paper saving – annotations possible on iPad – Referring to texts in class v distraction of emails! http://www.reed.edu/cis/about/ipad_pilot/index.html

eReading storms brewing• Over 150 eReader/eBook applications/software available on varying platforms• Limited outlets for eBooks in UK esp FREE ePublications – Load2Learn Project• Unable to determine if an eBook is accessible until after the product is purchased.• Copyright legislation – text to speech availability.• eReader comparison http://ereaderleader.com/ereader-comparison/

eReading accessibility• Desktop - Adobe Digital Editions 1.8 & Kindle for PC Accessibility Plug-in (USA)• Web based – Kindle Cloud Reader and ePub reader Firefox extension – Bookworm closed.• Apps tied to bookstores such as Read2Go for Bookshare and Blio for Kurzweil – inDaisy reads any Daisy files also Voice of DAISY.• Apps – iBooks with VoiceOver, Stanza, Kobo for large fonts and colour changes etc.

Supporting Students• Training take up remains around 40-50%

Student expectations• Drop in centres• More expertise to cope with the world of IT/AT mobile, cloud as well as desktop. “it wasnt training I wasnt taught anything everything that he taught me I already knew he just downloaded rubbish onto my computer and made it so slow that I can barely use it!”

App Support• Device specific apps – standards, variable accessibility and questionable life in the market place with flexi-updates.• Google apps – Docs better than spread sheets, Presentation better than the Calendar – used in USA education so accessibility improving• Web apps – HTML5 – cross platform - potential for accessibility guidelines good.

Can we help?• http://access.ecs.soton.ac.uk• Research – evidence based – LexDis• Free and open source – ATbar – 2nd version just released, Accessible pen drive menu for portable apps.• Give us your new ideas on www.realisepotential.org• Testing Web 2.0 services – www.web2access.org Thank You

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Student perspectives on assistive technology

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