Talk given by Dr Chris Davies & Dr Lorna McKnight on 15 September 2012

1. USING TECHNOLOGY TO
LEVEL THE EDUCATIONAL
PLAYING FIELD
Chris Davies &
Lorna
McKnight
15 September
2012

2. KELLOGG COLLEGE CENTRE FOR RESEARCH
INTO ASSISTIVE LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES
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.
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physical : restricted mobility, hearing, vision
cognitive: dyslexia, dyspraxia, discalculia
behavioural and social: Asperger syndrome, autism
socio-economic: sustained exclusion from mainstream
education
 multiple disabilities: different combinations of above

3. CURRENT ACTIVITIES
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reviewing and mapping the field
carrying out exploratory case studies
building partnerships & collaborations
helping to disseminate new research
groundwork for future large scale project/s

4. ASSISTIVE
TECHNOLOGIES

5. TECHNOLOGIES TO SUPPORT LEARNERS
WITH SPECIFIC LEARNING DISABILITIES
 dyslexia
 dyspraxia
 autism

6. WHAT SUPPORT CAN TECHNOLOGY
GIVE?
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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.

7. 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.

8. MOBILE TECHNOLOGIES

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choice of apps on smartphones gives access to a wide range
of free or affordable 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 specific product”

9. iPADS AND TABLETS
relatively low cost
highly intuitive
light and portable
attractive
easily designed apps
BUT not necessarily a
universal solution for
specific learning
needs.

10. EXAMPLES

11. SUPPORT FOR DYSLEXIA AND LITERACY
DIFFICULTIES
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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

12. HOW CAN SOFTWARE SUPPORT
LITERACY?
 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”

13. SOFTWARE SUPPORTING PROGRESS
TOWARDS AUTONOMY
 AudioNoteTaker, enabling asynchronous communication 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”

14. SUPPORT FOR YOUNG PEOPLE WITH
AUTISTIC SPECTRUM DISORDERS
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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

15. MULTIPLE LEARNING DISABILITIES
http://www.parkroadict.co.uk/1/post/2012/05/djdecks-as-access-tool.html

16. LINKS
 http://www.parkroadict.co.uk/1/post/2012/05/dj -decks-asaccess-tool.html
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9T11dl2mkHo&feature= fvwr
elf
from 1.03

17. POTENTIAL FUTURE
PROJECTS

18. MOBILE LEARNING IN DHARAVI, MUMBAI
 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 find a job. She
would like to work in
accounting so she can
provide financial support to
her family.

19. SUPPORTING OLDER LEARNERS

20. THE LEARNING COMPANION

21. 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]

22. WHAT IS MISSING?
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longitudinal studies showing a lasting effect 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

23. ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGIES FOR
INDEPENDENT LEARNING
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removing dependency
increasing autonomy and agency
providing support across the lifecourse
using readily accessible and attractive devices
developing long-term solutions