The document summarizes services and resources provided by the Regional Support Centre including staff development programs, accessibility tools and resources, and projects funded through partnerships. Some of the key offerings mentioned are TechDis Tuesdays webinars on various topics, the Xerte Fridays demonstrations of interactive content tools, and the Accessible IT Practice Support Programme which provides training mapped to an IT qualification. Projects developed through the BIS partnership include text-to-speech voices and tools as well as apps to help with tasks like document transfer and sign language translation.

1. Regional Support Centre
Summer Fair 2012
TechDis services
old and new,
just what can we
do for you?

2. An introduction to our
services, old and new
o Staff development
o TechDis Tuesdays
o Xerte Friday
o Accessible IT Practice
Support Programme
o TechDis Toolbox
o Aimed at learners
o Working smarter with
technology
o TechDis Voices
o Jack & Jess
o Text-to-speech
o SBRI
o
o
o
o
MyDocStore
Navitext
uKinect
PSLT

3. TechDis Tuesdays
o Fortnightly updates on Tuesdays, 13.00
o Intro dialogue (~10 minutes)
o Detailed discussion with delegates (~20-30
mins)
o Show notes to highlight further reading
o Podcast, transcript, discussion summary and
show notes all posted online
o www.jisctechdis.ac.uk/tdtuesdays

4. TechDis Tuesdays –
varied topics
o Mobile learning for
inclusion
o Free VI tools – are
they worth it?
o Accessible docs –
why and how?

5. Xerte Fridays
o Last Friday of most months at 13.00 hrs
o (Not Jul, Aug and Dec)
o 45-60 minutes
o Demo of techniques and discussion of their value
www.jisctechdis.ac.uk/xertefriday

6. Xerte Fridays
You follow
simultaneously on
‘live’ Xerte object
Use session recording
to practice techniques
in your own time
Aimed at both beginners
and those familiar but
wanting to update

7. Accessible IT Practice
Support programme – why it matters
Technophobes
o Worry about using IT with
learners.
o Annoyed by traditional IT
courses with their focus
on secretarial skills.
o Lack the confidence to be
creative with technology.
Technophiles
o Like playing around with
kit and software.
o Use tools that are
personally interesting to
them.
o Prefers new and shiny
(even if old and dull is
effective!)

8. Accessible IT Practice
Support – What makes it different?
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Teaching and learning focused.
Explicit accessibility/inclusion.
Practical with sample resources.
90 mins online support.
Built in Moodle access for adding custom links / info.
Built in Xerte access for building skills.
Draws together a wide range of other resources.
Can be used for pick and mix “just in time training” but is
also mapped to ITQ standards with advice for internal
assessors.

9. Accessible IT Practice
Support Programme & ITQ
o 12 modules focus on effective and inclusive use of IT.
o Mapped to the ITQ framework with City & Guilds, so
participants can gain qualification.

10. Accessible IT Practice
Support Programme - topics
o User Fundamentals,
o Text-to-Speech software,
o Improving Productivity
using IT,
o Using the Internet,
o Word processing
Software,
o Using Audio Software,
o
o
o
o
o
o
Spreadsheet Software,
Presentation Software,
Website Software,
Xerte Software,
Ebooks,
Web tools.
Find out more at www.jisctechdis.ac.uk/itq

11. BIS Partnership
o Three projects for the
benefit of disabled
and disadvantaged
learners.
o TechDis Voices
o TechDis Toolbox
o Small Business
Research Initiative
(SBRI)

12. TechDis Voices
What is text-to-speech?

13. TechDis Voices
What’s the big issue?
or

14. TechDis Voices
What happened?
Open,
competitive
tender.
Voice
artists
x12
Jess /
Jack
User feedback

15. TechDis Voices
Who will benefit?
o
o
o
o
People who prefer to listen.
People who prefer to multitask.
People with better oral than literacy skills.
People who like making use of dead-time
eg travelling, queuing etc.
o People who don’t carry around files but do
carry around phones.
o People with print impairments.
o Tutors who want to give more options to
learners.
Listen to them.

16. TechDis Voices
How do I get started?
• Make sure you are eligible (post 16
learning provider in England delivering
publicly funded courses).
• Go to www.jisctechdis.ac.uk/voices
• Follow the instructions and links.

17. TechDis Toolbox
www.jisctechdis.ac.uk/tbx

18. TechDis Toolbox
o Aimed directly at end
users – learners.
o a collection of resources
which give useful hints
and tips on technologies
that can help individuals
work quicker, slicker
and smarter.
o.
o

19. TechDis Toolbox
o Developed by
learners for learners
o Bite-sized videos,
short guides, and
animations
o small bits of just-intime information that
can be easily
absorbed

20. Small Business Research
Initiative – text projects
MyDocStore –
iansyst
quick and easy
transfer of files
between devices
whilst converting
them into the user’s
preferred format.
Navitext - System Associates
improved navigation and
accessibility to books and
documents for people who are
visually impaired, identifies key
navigation points in a text and
provides easy ways of moving
through it and finding what is
needed.
Due for completion in January 2013

21. SBRI - Gesture
recognition projects
o uKinect GameLabUK
Using Microsoft
Kinect technology,
to help users learn
and improve their
Makaton sign
language skills in a
fun and engaging
way.
o Portable Sign Language
Translator (PSLT) Technabling
The PSLT translates a range of
sign languages into text. It is
portable, flexible and works with
a wide variety of handheld
camera-enabled devices such
as smartphones.
Due for completion in June 2013

22. This has been just a small sample of what
JISC TechDis has to offer.
Visit our main website for more advice on
technologies for inclusion.
www.jisctechdis.ac.uk