Student-led technology: practical solutions to making technology work.

1. Student-led technology: practical solutions to making technology work. Dr. Geraldine A. Price School of Education University of Southampton Dr. G. A. Price DDIG Conference 2007

2. Issues Changes in HE: Impact of SENDA Human Rights Equal Opportunities Social Inclusion Student Demographics Widening Participation ‘Diverse Learners’ Explosion in numbers Impact on infrastructure DSA Support Role of Assistive Technology Dr. G. A. Price DDIG Conference 2007

3. Pedagogy: The Teaching & Learning Environment Social Constructivist Paradigm Collaborative Dialogues Scaffolded Support Student-led environment Contextualised learning Role of metacognition Cognitive Style Preferences Technological Scaffolds Dr. G. A. Price DDIG Conference 2007

4. Role of Technology Tensions: Educational Knowledge & Practice Student-led Support Contextualised Usage Individual Differences • ‘Means of assisting’ • Tharp & Gallimore, 1991:42 Dr. G. A. Price DDIG Conference 2007

5. Best FitThe Importance of Getting it Right! • Software/hardware MUST: • Lessen difficulties • Enhance learning • Not create even more barriers Dr. G. A. Price DDIG Conference 2007

6. Caveat • Not all software/hardware will helpall dyslexic learners • Some software/hardware will frustrate some dyslexic learners • Do NOT be seduced by technology to the point of forgetting simple but effective solutions! Dr. G. A. Price DDIG Conference 2007

7. What are students’ needs? Dr. G. A. Price DDIG Conference 2007

8. Contextualisation Matching Tools To Needs Dr. G. A. Price DDIG Conference 2007

9. Three Case Studies:Needs and Solutions • Student A (Medicine): • Management & Organgisation • Student B (Mechanical Engineering): • Blank Page Syndrome • Student C (Post-graduate Education): • Fears of Plagiarism Dr. G. A. Price DDIG Conference 2007

10. Supporting Writing:the role of technology Dr. G. A. Price DDIG Conference 2007

11. Aspects of the Writing Process • Collecting information – reading & note-making • Planning – macro & micro levels of operation • Drafting • Editing/revising • Proof-reading & neat copy Dr. G. A. Price DDIG Conference 2007

12. Three Dyslexic Students’ Use of Technology to Assist in the Writing Process Data collected as part of phenomenological study Semi-structured interview data and samples of writing are drawn upon for this paper. Dr. G. A. Price DDIG Conference 2007

13. Severely dyslexic Female Failed first year of Medicine and had to re-sit the whole year Directed to Learning Differences Centre for assessment of difficulties and needs Received support for academic skills from specialist dyslexia-trained tutor Student A Dr. G. A. Price DDIG Conference 2007

14. Student A’s Perceived Difficulties • Never seemed to obtain results which reflected time and effort • Lacked self confidence in academic abilities • Could not process different types of information simultaneously • Essay writing was a source of anxiety Dr. G. A. Price DDIG Conference 2007

15. Student A’s Performance Levels Dr. G. A. Price DDIG Conference 2007

16. ‘I did my first essay, and I did really badly because I didn’t know how they wanted it to be written or I didn’t know the language and things like that.’ Dr. G. A. Price DDIG Conference 2007

17. Student ‘A’ Needs and Preferences Weak working memory Multi-tasking slowed her down Weak visual skills – proof-reading Global Thinker A step-by-step approach to work Strategies Worked on small chunks of text Physical method of planning Technology Use: Inspiration Text to Speech Talking Thesaurus Dr. G. A. Price DDIG Conference 2007

18. Inspiration Text to Speech Talking Thesaurus 1. Flow chart work schedule Content & rhetoric planning Helped to prevent memory overload 2. Editing work Supported weak linguistic skills 3. Editing work Supported weak linguistic skills Matching Technology to Needs Dr. G. A. Price DDIG Conference 2007

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20. Technological Scaffold • Hooks: • Provided a scaffolded structure to her management of organising the process • Compensatory features: • Reduction of memory overload • Ability to work on small chunks at a time • Helped to process and categorise information from notes and research reading Dr. G. A. Price DDIG Conference 2007

21. Student B • Male dyslexic, 24 years’ old • Final year of Mechanical Engineering • Successfully completed apprenticeship and ONC/B.Tech. • Highly motivated to succeed • Searches for practical solutions • Wanted to move his grades from 2:1 to First Dr. G. A. Price DDIG Conference 2007

22. Student B’s Perceived Difficulties • Disappointed with grades • Grades did not represent his depth of knowledge & understanding • Spent longer than his peers on his assignments • Written work lacked structure • Difficulties with simultaneous operations Dr. G. A. Price DDIG Conference 2007

23. Writing Anxiety: Fear of the Blank Page Syndrome “It’s daunting because you’ll sit there looking at a white screen and how do you physically start?” Dr. G. A. Price DDIG Conference 2007

24. Student B:Technology Use • Word processing software • Adobe Acrobat software • Scanner • Mediated Learning Resources – Blackboard • Web information • Text-to-speech software (latterly) • Has high spec laptop Dr. G. A. Price DDIG Conference 2007

25. SOURCES His own electronic notes from lectures On-line course information Web searches Electronic journals Solutions Simple word documents Cut and paste facilities Adobe Acrobat ‘find’ facility to search for key words + cut and paste facilities The Organisation Stage:“Making the technology work for me”Electronic Information. Dr. G. A. Price DDIG Conference 2007

26. Multi-modal assistance • Pen and paper Brainstorm – his working document • Set up separate files for each main heading • Series of random bullet points to be worked on separately Dr. G. A. Price DDIG Conference 2007

27. Electronic Information • The ‘bullet files’ helped to get him started with drafting texts • Could scan in or copy language from electronic sources to get him started on language construction • “It gives me a starting position” Dr. G. A. Price DDIG Conference 2007

28. Technological Scaffold • Hooks: • Provided a scaffolded structure to him management of organising the process • Compensatory features: • Reduction of memory overload • Ability to work on small chunks at a time • Helped to process and categorise information from notes and research reading Dr. G. A. Price DDIG Conference 2007

29. Student C • Severely dyslexic mother of two children • Mature, post graduate student – First degree English • Matter-of-fact approach to her problems • Confident technology user Dr. G. A. Price DDIG Conference 2007

30. “I think less words is harder. I have to go through the process of putting it all in and then taking it out!” “Getting my ideas on paper is really difficult. I get stuck on things and they go round and round and round.” “I have wonderful sentences in my head but to write means that I have to think about the shape of letters and the spelling.” Dr. G. A. Price DDIG Conference 2007

31. Student ‘C’ Needs and Preferences Weak working memory Multi-tasking slowed her down Inappropriate note-making strategies Difficulty with language processing and in particular distilling information in summary format Paranoid about plagiarism Global thinker Strategies Worked on small chunks of text Used colour-coding of language to avoid plagiarism Technology Use: Word Processor Graphical Mapping Kurtzweil Dragon Dictate Dr. G. A. Price DDIG Conference 2007

32. Student C’s Performance Levels Dr. G. A. Price DDIG Conference 2007

33. Word Processor Inspiration Kurtzweil Dragon Dictate 1. Use of colour to support language difficulties in drafting 2. Needed to brain-storm ideas to give her direction in her research 3. ‘Threw’ ideas at page at speed using software during drafting process 4. Used to help her edit her work Matching Technology to Needs Dr. G. A. Price DDIG Conference 2007

34. Plagiarism Solution: Colour coded notes CODE: Green = my notes Black = text lifted from other sources Red = things to check before putting in the essay Blue = my essay text. It is generally accepted that dyslexic children have a number of measurable differences from non-dyslexic. This implies that the dyslexic will require a different system of teaching, which should take into account these differences……… It is reasoned that after all they present like younger pre-readers so the incorrect assumption is that very often that more of the same will solve the problem. This could not be further from the truth (ref). Dyslexia in general is considered, naively, a condition that only affects children (ref) and then only in reading, writing and spelling. However, dyslexia is a constitutional condition that cannot be ‘grown out of’ and persists into adulthood. Add quote about dyslexic adult. Dr. G. A. Price DDIG Conference 2007

35. Technological Scaffolds • Variety • Flexible uses • Dove-tailing combinations of software to meet individual needs and cognitive profile • Colour coded text: • to reduce anxiety about text generation • To use language hooks (from ‘other’ sources) to facilitate language usage Dr. G. A. Price DDIG Conference 2007

36. Multi-modal uses of technology • Individualisation is the key • Combinations to suit differences in profiles • Essential ‘kit bag’ suggests simple word processing facilities with use of a scanner • More sophisticated software used with caution • Learning to use ‘advanced’ facilities in Microsoft Word Dr. G. A. Price DDIG Conference 2007