The Assistive Technology Landscape in 2012 and Beyond

Abi James

What is Assistive Technology?

An umbrella term used to describe products that give someone with a disability a level of independence and enable them to carry out day to day tasks

World Health organisationAny product or service designed to enable independence for disabled and older people.

www.fastuk.org

When Is Technology “Assistive” to a student?

• Technology “scaffolding” to enable independent learning

• Overcomes barriers to learning• Provides tools to compensate for task that are

more difficult and time consuming• A recognisable adjustment to reduce the

impact on their studies

But assistive technology solutions must...

• Lesson difficulties• Enhance learning

‘a mismatch can hamper the students ability to use coping strategies to manage their dyslexia’ Stacy (1998)

Current “assistive” technology landscapeWilkinson, Viney & Draffan 2012

• 85% of DSA students in a recent survey had not used AT before entering HE

• 49% not identified until FE or later.• 67.5% used it daily• 70% said that their kit “helps them keep

up”

Current “assistive” technology landscape

Price (2010) quotes a students whose dyslexia “affects the ability to multi-task and whose low-level skill operation does not work on automatic pilot”:

I have wonderful sentences in my head but to write means that I have to think about the shape of letters and the spelling. This slows me down considerably.

Strategy: Student used Dragon to get her ideas down quickly

Assistive Technology & Training: Student Feedback

• Students needs change through their course• Integrating assistive technology into a student’s life

often requires them to learn additional skills on top of new academic skills.

• Wilkinson, Viney & Draffan 2012:– 80%+ found AT training helpful or very helpful– 30% would have liked access to reminder sessions

• Better approaches?– Study strategies using technology– Drop in sessions– Online resources

Technology Expectations Vs. Technology

Enhancements

What makes up the technology landscape for DSA students?

Technology expectations are led by technology already in use at..

School Home and daily life College Their peers

What does it mean to be a 21st century learner?

2006: Facebook,Wikipedia Google Apps,

2007-8Netbooks, iPhones Internet access via mobiles > computersCloud computing

2009 TwittereBooks go consumerAndroidWindows 7 releasedCloud-based API’s emerge

2010

The iPad!

The Kindle

Proliferation of App stores

2011:

TabletsSocial Media meets collaborative learningGoogle Chrome book

Computing developments since 2006 in homes & schools

HE Trends in Technology beyond 2012, NMC Horizon Report

The Here and Now… 2012

• The Informal Learning Revolution promised by learning platforms & m-learning is being achieved through – social networking, – cloud-based tools & mobile apps

• Rise of the Social Reading concept• The Flipped Classroom

The Here and Now… 2012

• Universities are moving on to the cloud– 25,000 students and staff at the University of

Westminster now use Google Apps Education Edition

• Mobile apps are being used in learning & to support students

• App-ification — many tools each for a small, discrete task

Trends in Technology beyond 2012: New means of controlling tech

• Gesture based interface can inhibit or enable accesse.g. using web-cams, Kinect devices to recognise sign languages

• Speech control becoming prevalent

Trends in Technology beyond 2012: Digital identity for all

• Being able to transfer accessibility requirements between web-enabled devices

• Cloud4All, GPII• Bringing personalisation to the cloud

Trends in Technology beyond 2012: Mobile Devices

• Accessibility on mobile devices will only improve– Demand led– Legislation (508 review in US)

• Expectation that mobile devices will be used in learning- One to one tablet provision- Bring your own device

Upcoming Technology Shifts

Beware the App-ification of software

• Average shelf-life of an iPhone app is 90 days (2009). Developers keen to re-release and amend apps

• OS updates on mobile devices (and Mac) are frequent and often out of user control

• How can we support apps (including Mac app store purchase) over the length of a degree course?

Migration to web apps

• Now seeing a movement to develop HTML5 apps – browser , widget or mobile based

• Platform independent & more opportunity to be accessible.

• A.T. is already moving this way… Texthelp Web apps

Windows 8 expected late 2012

• Windows 7 but with a tablet interface• For desktop users, maybe no change?• Still not known what the full impact of

accessibility will be but VI support for touch interface will be built-in.

• Windows store will mark apps as accessible

Windows 8

References & More information:

21st Century Learning Quiz: www.setuk.co.uk

DSA Student survey: Wilkinson, Viney & Draffan 2012: DSA Student survey: “Can we find the missing piece?”

Technology Strategies for studying: http://www.lexdis.org.uk/

James and Trott (2008): Support maths and engineering students with dyslexia and mathematical difficulties with Tablet PCs. Presented to NADP conference 2008

NMC Horizon Report > 2012 Higher Education Edition http://www.nmc.org/news/and-eli-release-horizon-report-2012-hied-edition

Price (2012): Creative solutions to making technology work: three case studies of dyslexic writers in higher education http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/20356/

Thanks to E.A. Draffan and Kevin Brunton for providing student and assessor insights.

Further information

Iansyst LtdFen HouseFen RoadCambridge CB4 1UNTel: 01223 420101

Abi James abi@iansyst.co.uk