purpose of at needs assessments

Purpose and Purpose and Place of Place of Needs Needs

AssessmentsAssessments

E.A. Draffan

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mwichary/2346230057/sizes/o/in/photostream/

Current situation

Action Required

Goal

GAP

OverviewOverview• Background to AT assessment – medical to

educational environment• Review the way decisions are made • Develop a matrix to check choices.• Review, Revise and Rethink!

http://tdevice.net/philips-flud-futuristic-flexible-smartphone-concept/

A Vision of StudentsA Vision of Students Michael Wesch, Kansas State University (2007) Michael Wesch, Kansas State University (2007)

YouTube video – now updated Jan 2011 http://visionsofstudents.org/

Human Activity Human Activity Assistive Technology Assistive Technology

Model (1995)Model (1995)

User perspectiveUser perspectivePsychosocial Impact of Assistive Devices Scale (PIADS) - 26-item self-rating system designed to fill the measurement gap when evaluating the life impact of assistive technology (Jutai, 1999). It is divided into three sub-scales:

EducationEducation• SETT - Student, Environments, Tasks, and Tools. (Joy Zabala,

1995)• Matching Persons to Technologies (Fuhrer et al. 2003; Scherer

and Craddock 2002) • WATI Assistive Technology Assessment Checklist (updated

2009)• TEST - Task, Environment, Skills and Tools (Ira Socol, 2007)

Toolbelt Theory designed to “break the dependence cycle:• Develop lifespan technology skills• Limit limitations• Empower student decision making• Prepare students for life beyond school”

Skills and (dis)AbilitiesInc. Visual, Auditory, Motor, Lang, LearnLearner IssuesResilience FlagTime Man. / Organisation

In a learning situation think about…In a learning situation think about…

Learning Interactions

Learning PreferencesMeta Cognitive SkillsLearning StylesStudy StrategiesAttitude to LearningSelf Advocacy Skills

ICT SkillsAT SkillsOnline / ILT Skills

Educational ExperiencePrior KnowledgeDomain ExperiencePrior Adjustments

Approach Issues

Environmental ContextOnline LearningTraditional Learning

Learner CharacteristicsLearner Characteristics

Choosing TechnologiesChoosing TechnologiesPersonal thoughts! Personal thoughts! (a little dated!)(a little dated!)

Many Facets of ATMany Facets of ATAs

sist

ive

Tech

nolo

gies

When is a technology

NOT assistive?

DSA benefits students by…DSA benefits students by…

DSA Survey 2012

Hardware RequirementsHardware Requirements• Most suitable input/output/communication method –

Personal Preferences• Progression potential• Reliability• Durability• Portability• Speed• Ease of learning and use • Compatibility• Cost

David Shackleford Blog – Microsoft Surface. http://david.shackelford.org/?p=624

Hardware Recommended & Hardware Recommended & Usefulness Usefulness

DSA Survey 2012

Software requirementsSoftware requirements

•Install and navigate with ease •Screen directions consistent •Help options make sense•Program responds to input as per directions •Information/screens can be by-passed •User can control pace and sequence

http://stuffthathappens.com/blog/

Software Recommended & Software Recommended & UsefulnessUsefulness

DSA Survey 2012

What does the user wish to What does the user wish to achieve?achieve?

Take the idea of mind mapping as an example – what tasks do you have in mind?o Demonstrating conceptso Note taking in real-time from books and in class or

meetingso To-do list and other organisational taskso Outlining reports or essayso Outlining presentationso Creating story-boardso Revision and memory-aid

Develop a MatrixDevelop a MatrixUse Case – score your needs to set priorities

Tom is taking Accountancy. He needs to organise his ideas and improve time management skills in order to deliver reports and present to others in his group. Good computer user with visual mode of working

Question, programs marked on a scale of 1 (low) to 5 (high)

Claro

Ideas

Min

d M

anag

er

Insp

iratio

n

Sp

ark Learn

er

Min

d G

en

ius

To

m

To

tal Claro

Ideas

To

tal Min

d

Man

ag

er

To

tal Insp

iration

To

tal Sp

ark

Learn

er

To

tal Min

dG

eniu

s

Preference towards using a mouse? 5 2 4 5 2 10 50 20 40 50 20

Preference towards using a keyboard? 1 5 3 1 5 15 15 75 45 15 75

Like a structure to be imposed? 1 5 3 1 5 18 18 90 54 18 90

Prefer to make the structure? 5 1 4 5 1 8 40 8 32 40 8

Totals to be ordered             450 633 577 393 640

18 more questions later ….

TechMatrix TechMatrix

• The Techmatrix website for some comparisons of software products.

• Notice the comparisons are about software features they are not

about the student’s preferences or skills or the tasks to be undertaken.

Explore options

Functional Response

Personal Changes

Evaluations and

Feedback

Personal Perceptions

Functional Demands

Environment and Context

Home Education or Work Community

External Support

Personal Resources

The The Missing Missing PiecePiece

Drop in Centres to ‘Review, Drop in Centres to ‘Review, Revise and Rethink’! Revise and Rethink’!

F2F and online?F2F and online?

Agile Technology (AT) UserAgile Technology (AT) User

AT User

Research Strategies, Evidence Based choices?

Research Strategies, Evidence Based choices?

Thank You Thank You

“It is only with this assistance that I can remain in University learn to think for myself have an opinion, gain knowledge and broaden my hoizens and future. I cannot thank DSA enough for this help and support and the boost it has given me in hopefulness and courage. Please keep this going to others in my position it is the best value for money I have seen in the public sector for many a year.” ( exact quote SpLD Student – DSA Survey 2012)