The Regional Support Centre Summer Fair 2012 document provides an overview of the services offered by JISC TechDis, including staff development programs, accessibility tools and resources, and partnerships. Some of the programs highlighted include TechDis Tuesdays webinars on various topics, Xerte Fridays for learning and practicing skills in an online environment, and the Accessible IT Practice Support Programme for gaining an ITQ qualification. JISC TechDis is also involved in projects to develop text-to-speech voices, accessibility tools, and gesture recognition technologies through the TechDis Voices, Toolbox, and SBRI initiatives.

1. Regional Support Centre
Summer Fair 2012
TechDis services
old and new,
just what can we
do for you?

2. An introduction to our
services, old and new
o Staff development o TechDis Voices
o TechDis Tuesdays o Jack & Jess
o Xerte Friday o Text-to-speech
o Accessible IT Practice o SBRI
Support Programme o MyDocStore
o TechDis Toolbox o Navitext
o Aimed at learners o uKinect
o Working smarter with o PSLT
technology

3. TechDis Tuesdays
o Fortnightly updates on Tuesdays, 13.00
o Intro dialogue (~10 minutes)
o Detailed discussion with delegates (~20-30
mins)
o Show notes to highlight further reading
o Podcast, transcript, discussion summary and
show notes all posted online
o www.jisctechdis.ac.uk/tdtuesdays

4. TechDis Tuesdays –
varied topics
o Mobile learning for
inclusion
o Free VI tools – are
they worth it?
o Accessible docs –
why and how?

5. Xerte Fridays
o Last Friday of most months at 13.00 hrs
o (Not Jul, Aug and Dec)
o 45-60 minutes
o Demo of techniques and discussion of their value
www.jisctechdis.ac.uk/xertefriday

6. Xerte Fridays
You follow
simultaneously on
‘live’ Xerte object
Use session recording
to practice techniques
in your own time
Aimed at both beginners
and those familiar but
wanting to update

7. Accessible IT Practice
Support programme – why it matters
Technophobes Technophiles
o Worry about using IT with o Like playing around with
learners. kit and software.
o Annoyed by traditional IT o Use tools that are
courses with their focus personally interesting to
on secretarial skills. them.
o Lack the confidence to be o Prefers new and shiny
creative with technology. (even if old and dull is
effective!)

8. Accessible IT Practice
Support – What makes it different?
o Teaching and learning focused.
o Explicit accessibility/inclusion.
o Practical with sample resources.
o 90 mins online support.
o Built in Moodle access for adding custom links / info.
o Built in Xerte access for building skills.
o Draws together a wide range of other resources.
o Can be used for pick and mix “just in time training” but is
also mapped to ITQ standards with advice for internal
assessors.

9. Accessible IT Practice
Support Programme & ITQ
o 12 modules focus on effective and inclusive use of IT.
o Mapped to the ITQ framework with City & Guilds, so
participants can gain qualification.

10. Accessible IT Practice
Support Programme - topics
o User Fundamentals, o Spreadsheet Software,
o Text-to-Speech software, o Presentation Software,
o Improving Productivity o Website Software,
using IT, o Xerte Software,
o Using the Internet, o Ebooks,
o Word processing o Web tools.
Software,
o Using Audio Software,
Find out more at www.jisctechdis.ac.uk/itq

11. BIS Partnership
o Three projects for the
benefit of disabled
and disadvantaged
learners.
o TechDis Voices
o TechDis Toolbox
o Small Business
Research Initiative
(SBRI)

12. TechDis Voices
What is text-to-speech?

13. TechDis Voices
What’s the big issue?
or

14. TechDis Voices
What happened?
Open,
Voice Jess /
competitive
artists Jack
tender.
x12
User feedback

15. TechDis Voices
Who will benefit?
o People who prefer to listen.
o People who prefer to multitask.
o People with better oral than literacy skills.
o People who like making use of dead-time
eg travelling, queuing etc.
o People who don’t carry around files but do
carry around phones. Listen to them.
o People with print impairments.
o Tutors who want to give more options to
learners.

16. TechDis Voices
How do I get started?
• Make sure you are eligible (post 16
learning provider in England delivering
publicly funded courses).
• Go to www.jisctechdis.ac.uk/voices
• Follow the instructions and links.

17. TechDis Toolbox
www.jisctechdis.ac.uk/tbx

18. TechDis Toolbox
o Aimed directly at end
users – learners.
o a collection of resources
which give useful hints
and tips on technologies
that can help individuals
work quicker, slicker
and smarter.
o.
o

19. TechDis Toolbox
o Developed by
learners for learners
o Bite-sized videos,
short guides, and
animations
o small bits of just-in-
time information that
can be easily
absorbed

20. Small Business Research
Initiative – text projects
MyDocStore – Navitext - System Associates
iansyst improved navigation and
quick and easy accessibility to books and
transfer of files documents for people who are
between devices visually impaired, identifies key
whilst converting navigation points in a text and
them into the user’s provides easy ways of moving
preferred format. through it and finding what is
needed.
Due for completion in January 2013

21. SBRI - Gesture
recognition projects
o uKinect - o Portable Sign Language
GameLabUK Translator (PSLT) -
Using Microsoft Technabling
Kinect technology, The PSLT translates a range of
to help users learn sign languages into text. It is
and improve their portable, flexible and works with
Makaton sign a wide variety of handheld
language skills in a camera-enabled devices such
fun and engaging as smartphones.
way.
Due for completion in June 2013

22. This has been just a small sample of what
JISC TechDis has to offer.
Visit our main website for more advice on
technologies for inclusion.
www.jisctechdis.ac.uk