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

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

3. 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

4. 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

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

6. Dr. G. A. Price DDIG Conference 2007 6 Caveat Not all software/hardware will help all 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!

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

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

9. 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

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

11. 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

12. 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.

13. Dr. G. A. Price DDIG Conference 2007 13 Student A 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

14. Dr. G. A. Price DDIG Conference 2007 14 Student As 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

15. Dr. G. A. Price DDIG Conference 2007 15 Student As Performance Levels Spelling14 th Percentile Reading47 th Percentile Words per minute15wpm with 6% error rate

16. Dr. G. A. Price DDIG Conference 2007 16 I did my first essay, and I did really badly because I didnt know how they wanted it to be written or I didnt know the language and things like that.

17. Dr. G. A. Price DDIG Conference 2007 17 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 Student A Strategies Worked on small chunks of text Physical method of planning Technology Use: Inspiration Text to Speech Talking Thesaurus

18. Dr. G. A. Price DDIG Conference 2007 18 Matching Technology to Needs 1.Inspiration 2.Text to Speech 3.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

19. Dr. G. A. Price DDIG Conference 2007 19

20. Dr. G. A. Price DDIG Conference 2007 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

21. 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

22. Dr. G. A. Price DDIG Conference 2007 22 Student Bs 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

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

24. 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

25. Dr. G. A. Price DDIG Conference 2007 25 The Organisation Stage: Making the technology work for me Electronic Information. 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

26. 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

27. 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

28. 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

29. 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

30. 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.

31. Dr. G. A. Price DDIG Conference 2007 31 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 Student C Strategies Worked on small chunks of text Used colour-coding of language to avoid plagiarism Technology Use: Word Processor Graphical Mapping Kurtzweil Dragon Dictate

32. Dr. G. A. Price DDIG Conference 2007 32 Student Cs Performance Levels Spelling10 th Percentile Reading27 th Percentile Written Production28.8wpm with 7.6% error rate

33. Dr. G. A. Price DDIG Conference 2007 33 Matching Technology to Needs 1.Word Processor 2.Inspiration 3.Kurtzweil 4.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

34. 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.

35. 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

36. 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