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e-Learning/ICT Activities

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e-Learning/ICT and enabling strategies

Accessibility
Assistive Technologies

Description of e-Learning and Adult Basic Education

Skills for life are developed and acquired as people encounter the need to use them. Purposeful use of ICT is an essential component of curricula that focus on basic ICT skills. For most learners, their experience and view of ICT is governed by the need to do things that they couldn’t have done easily otherwise. Many learners are motivated by the fact that the use of tools, such as word processing or the digital camera, dramatically enhances their work. If learners lose sight of using computers to do things for a purpose, then there is the danger that enjoyment, motivation and meaning become lost. Judging when and how to use ICT is an essential skill. Learners need to be critical about the ICT tools that they use, to know when to use them and to recognise that there are different ways of doing the same thing.

Skills required for e-Learning:

Observation
Attention
Manipulation
Problem solving

Examples of Learning Activities

Operating a computer
Playing games
IT trouble-shooting
Word processing
Spreadsheets
Databases
IT artwork and images
email
IT security
Making selective use of IT
Internet and intranets
IT presentations

Click here for information about the Skills for Life ICT curriculum

Accessibility

Most people, at some time, will experience some form of accessibility issue when using standard ICT systems:

the standard mouse setting is for right handed people;
the standard screen resolution and text size is often too small for those who wear glasses;
the standard colour scheme is black on white, not suitable for ICT users with dyslexia;
typing on a keyboard or using a mouse can be difficult with arthritis, or for a student with the use of only one hand, or those with co-ordination difficulties.

The learner needs to become aware that computer settings can be changed to suit their preferences. Ideally, this should be done the first time a student accesses the ICT environment, to ensure that they can engage comfortably with the computer from then on. Improved accessibility and personalisation of ICT systems and training helps everyone. One of the attractions of ICT is that it can be an enabling technology; it can remove barriers and allow learners, who might otherwise be excluded, to engage with the courses on offer.

Enabling strategies
The users of e-learning materials should be able to change: font, font style, font colour and font size; cursor size, style and blink rate; size of text and images; screen layout, colours and backgrounds. They should be able to work through learning objects at their own speed, with control over: timing of events; keyboard settings; multimedia elements, including video, and navigation – allowing the user to skip a section or return to a section. Tutors/trainers of adults on basic ICT courses need to remember: Each learner may well have very different needs and interests; Learning has to be planned around these individual needs; Not all learners have the independent study skills required; Not all learners learn best through supported self-study – the mainstay of learning in workshops; There is often very little interaction between learners; Learners are often silent, so there is little language development; Learning methods rely heavily on reading, which presents problems for weak readers; The tutor is often at full stretch – rushing from one learner to another to set work or to help them when they become stuck; The tutor often resorts to telling, as they feel under pressure to resolve problems for the learner and move on. Before the course starts Develop an accessible, user-friendly website. All online materials should be well organised, follow a similar style, and clearly emphasise key points. Reduce visual clutter. Make sure the site is tested for its usability. Ensure that announcements about times, locations and types of communication are posted in good time and reach all students. Make the course syllabus available in alternative, multiple formats (HTML, PDF, RTF). Explain how the syllabus and any assignments are linked.

Enabling strategies

The users of e-learning materials should be able to change:

font, font style, font colour and font size;
cursor size, style and blink rate;
size of text and images;
screen layout, colours and backgrounds.

They should be able to work through learning objects at their own speed, with control over:

timing of events;
keyboard settings;
multimedia elements, including video, and navigation – allowing the user to skip a section or return to a section.

Tutors/trainers of adults on basic ICT courses need to remember:

Each learner may well have very different needs and interests;
Learning has to be planned around these individual needs;
Not all learners have the independent study skills required;
Not all learners learn best through supported self-study – the mainstay of learning in workshops;
There is often very little interaction between learners;
Learners are often silent, so there is little language development;
Learning methods rely heavily on reading, which presents problems for weak readers;
The tutor is often at full stretch – rushing from one learner to another to set work or to help them when they become stuck;
The tutor often resorts to telling, as they feel under pressure to resolve problems for the learner and move on.

Before the course starts

Develop an accessible, user-friendly website. All online materials should be well organised, follow a similar style, and clearly emphasise key points. Reduce visual clutter. Make sure the site is tested for its usability.
Ensure that announcements about times, locations and types of communication are posted in good time and reach all students.
Make the course syllabus available in alternative, multiple formats (HTML, PDF, RTF). Explain how the syllabus and any assignments are linked.

Assistive Technologies

Computer products and software are available to help people with particular disabilities, including specialised keyboards or joysticks, screen readers and software that allows people to control a computer through speech.

Click on Skills for Access for brief descriptions of some of the hardware and software that is available to reduce or remove barriers that may be encountered by disabled people when using computers and engaging with online content.

Click here to view a simulation of difficulties experienced by learners with dyslexia, dyspraxia, autism, visual and/or hearing impairments.

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