The Art of the Agile:

Alistair McNaught

using free and cheap technologies

to promote learner resourcefulness
and independence:

Unlocking Potential
 How does a learner know what they
know?

Learning support staff Teaching staff

Learner

Peers

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 ‘Black holes’ of learning

1 – Reading documents on screens – most

learners don’t know how to use alternative
views of documents.
2 – Alternative formats - 84% FE librarians
sampled have never obtained digital copy for
dyslexic learners.
3 – Mobile devices – most users are unaware
that course PowerPoints could be adapted for
mobile phones.

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 Agile reading
• Word Document map view
• Word web page layout view
• PDF reflow and magnification
• PDF autoscroll
• Free magnifiers – VMG / DeskTopZoom
• Free colour overlay tools - ssOverlay
• Free navigation tools – VuBar / Sprot
• Free text to speech / MP3 – Balabolka / DSpeech

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Agile alternative formats

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 Should I scan the book?

… or why would I bother?

images – 795,000
videos – 209,000
podcasts – 72,200
PDFs – 12,500
PowerPoints - 182
Flash files - 235

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 Agile mobile learning

Portable content – text, audio,

video, PPT
Evidence capture – audio,
image, video
Planning - Calendar based, PPT
export.

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 Portable agility

• Word prediction - LetMeType

• Mindmapping – Xmind or Freemind
• Talking dictionary - Lingoes
• Talking web browser (FireFox with CLCSpeak
or FireVox plugin)
• Create and convert to alternative formats

See www.eduapps.org

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 JISC TechDis support

• Reading documents on screen

www.techdis.ac.uk/accessibilityessentials
www.techdis.ac.uk/getfreesoftware
• Alternative formats
www.techdis.ac.uk/getaltformat
www.techdis.ac.uk/getebooks
• Mobile devices
www.techdis.ac.uk/upwardlymobile
www.techdis.ac.uk/getm-learning

Unlocking Potential