A free ‘Recording Lectures and Screencasts’ webcast (streamed live on
13 April 2011), can now be accessed in captioned, bite-sized segments.

Presented as a lively panel discussion with experts from JISC Legal,
JISC Digital Media and JISC Techdis, this webcast is a practical,
relevant guide to the legal, technical and accessibility issues involved
in recording lectures and screencasts.

To access the recordings follow the link below:
‘Recording Lectures and Screencasts’ webcast

The new Jisc Techdis website www.jisctechdis.ac.uk was launched earlier this month at a Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS) event aptly named: Embracing technology for success.

Further updates will be incorporated as part of a programme of continuous improvement and to ensure that the site meets stringent accessibility criteria, evidenced by the new built-in accessibility tools.

The aim has been to radically improve the accessibility of advice and resources on the site. These are designed to support both strategy and practice across the education, training and skills sectors.

A key feature of the new website is an enhanced and user-focused search capability. To further improve the site’s usefulness there is a link on the new site to a handy summary of the most popular resources and publications  http://bit.ly/ie9l9Q .

Techdis are keen to receive feedback on the site, via the ‘Contact Us’ button on the home page.

Message from JISC Regional Support Centre Scotland North & East about MyStudyBar

MyStudyBar is a useful  free tool that helps overcome common problems that students (or anyone) can have with studying, reading and writing.

A licencing problem has arisen which necessitates the replacement of versions previous to Version 3.

We strongly recommend that you do one of two things:

• Download the brand new MyStudyBar (Version 3), with significant improvements and upgrades (115 MB) – this can be accessed at www.rsc-ne-scotland.ac.uk/eduapps/mystudybar_v3.php, OR
• Download a patch to upgrade your current copy of MyStudyBar to Version 3. (25 MB)

MSB_XP_Patch_v2-v3b.exe
www.mediafire.com/file/apcfsxtlc6cmcl1/MSB_XP_Patch_v2-v3b.exe

MSB_7-Vista_Patch_v2-v3b.exe
www.mediafire.com/file/og62bfix19ctd7i/MSB_7-Vista_Patch_v2-v3b.exe

(If you already have Version 3 of MyStudyBar, the characters ‘V3’ will be clearly displayed on the top panel of the program itself.  In which case, relax, you don’t need to do anything!)

You will find that several new and useful features have been built into the new release of MyStudyBar. These include:

• a powerful spellchecker (TinySpell) that works in a wide range of settings;
• a screen reader that comes bundled with an accessible browser and RSS news reader (Thunder);
• a significantly improved touch typing tutor (RapidTyping);
• several highly useful curriculum-specific lexicons added to LetMeType, a word prediction program.

There WAS no charge for MyStudyBar, there IS no charge, and we intend that it WILL ALWAYS remain free. No charge, no catch. Every reason to get your software completely up to date.

Any comments, queries or other feedback? We always like to hear from you at www.rsc-ne-scotland.ac.uk/eduapps/contact.php

Create&Convert is designed to help learning providers comply with the Equality Act 2010. The new Act puts the onus on learning providers to take reasonable steps to ensure that their information is accessible.

Create&Convert is a tool that can take documents in common electronic formats (like MS Office, Open Office etc) and turn them into ‘epubs’ or talking books.

It is a tool that learning providers can use to support learners who are print-impaired or experience difficulties with reading and who prefer to access content in a flexible and multi-sensory format.

Create&Convert also allows indexing and synchronising of text so that the learner can always be aware of where they are within a document.

Create&Convert has three easy stages:

• create an accessible document
• export it to talking book format
• check the output by reading or listening to the result

The individual tools within Create&Convert are all outputs of the DAISY consortium, but the download mechanisms, the interface, the support mechanisms and tutorials have been designed by JISC RSC Scotland North & East.

Like the rest of the  EduApps software  family, Create&Convert is free!
For more information and to download Create&Convert go to:
http://www.rsc-ne-scotland.ac.uk/eduapps/createconvert.php

The JISC TechDis OASES Award for Institutional Progress on Equality using Technology aims to recognise the best that is happening here and abroad and spread the word about good practice. The new OASES Award is available open to all universities, colleges and other learning providers in four categories:

1. UK organisations with more than 250 staff (fte)
2. UK organisations with 50-250 staff (fte)
3. UK organisations with less than 50 staff (fte)
4. An international award for any learning organisation outside the UK

More background about the award and how to submit your example of good practice from:

http://www.jisctechdis.ac.uk/techdis/pages/detail/floating_pages/OASES_award

MyStudyBar is a new tool to help overcome problems that some students experience with studying, reading and writing. The tool consists of a suite of portable open source and freeware applications, assembled into one convenient package and completely free to download and use.

MyStudyBar has been produced by Craig Mill and the team at RSC Scotland North & East which created the award-winning AccessApps software suite and, though primarily designed to support learners with literacy-related difficulties such as dyslexia, offers potential benefits to all learners.

MyStudyBar provides  a range of individual and essential tools designed to support the complete study cycle from research, planning and structuring to communicating in writing or speech.

You can use MyStudyBar straight from a USB stick (if, for example, you’re using a machine that’s not your own) or you can install it directly to the desktop (technical staff in colleges or universities also have the choice of installing it on the network for everyone to use).

More information and link to download MyStudyBar from:

http://www.rsc-ne-scotland.ac.uk/eduapps/mystudybar.php

JISC TechDis has launched a new (beta) version of the JISC TechDis Toolbar. This free application can be installed on a website or downloaded onto an individual PC.

JISC TechDis has been working with associates at the University of Southampton’s School of Electronics and Computer Science to create an updated and enhanced browser toolbar to replace the original, highly popular toolbar developed in 2005. The new toolbar is also available to users as a ‘Lite’ version that can be accessed with one simple mouse click.

The new JISC TechDis Toolbar provides a range of productivity and accessibility tools and aids to help users customise they way they view and interact with web pages. Features include a text to speech function, spell checking and dictionary facilities, and a feature for gathering referencing information within a web page. It also provides simple ways to adjust the magnification or font used on web pages.

The JISC TechDis Toolbar is suitable for different operating systems and is designed to work with all browsers, including Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome.

See website for further information, download and installation guide.

http://www.techdis.ac.uk/getToolbar

In 2009 JISC TechDis piloted their Online Accessibility Self Evaluation Service (OASES). The pilot model of delivery involved guided online sessions. The service has now been revised so that evaluations are self guided and can be done at any time.

OASES is based around the JISC TechDis maturity model of inclusive practice and there are evaluations tailored to key role groups in the FE and Skills sector:

• Library specialists
• Marketing specialists
• IT / Network specialists
• Disability Officers and Additional Learning Support specialists
• Staff Developers and Learning Technologists
• Senior Managers

The evaluations are closely tied to the relevant JISC TechDis resources on accessibility and inclusion. Anonymised summary results of evaluations are also available.

OASES is an invaluable tool for anyone wanting to evaluate the accessibility practice of their service.

JISC TechDis Online Accessibility Self Evaluation Service (OASES)

The newly launched ITQ for Accessible IT Practice allows practitioners to be formally recognised for the skills and expertise they demonstrate as they produce accessible and inclusive learning experiences for others.

ITQ – the IT user qualification – now offers you the choice of many exciting Units which recognises that many people use IT in a wide and varied way – for education, entertainment and to support day to day tasks using a computer. (See http://itq.e-skills.com/website for more information about ITQ.)

JISC TechDis has mapped their highly respected resources to ITQ Units and brought Units together to form ITQ for Accessible IT Practice. Accredited by City & Guilds this qualification offers you a chance to show how your skills, expertise and understanding can be recognised, whatever your role.

For more information on the ITQ for Accessible IT Practice use the following link: http://www.techdis.ac.uk/community/course/view.php?id=99 and select Guest Access.

Harrow’s Adult Community and Family Learning Service has adopted a whole organisation approach to accessibility. Tutors and staff follow a development programme that gives them the confidence, knowledge and access to advice to enable them to support all learners. “Accessibility is incredibly important to us as an organisation,” says Harrow’s Adult and Community Learning Programme Development Officer, Karen Bhamra,

“It has helped shape who we are, the type of employer we are and the models of disability that we use to deliver our services.”

An important part of making Harrow’s accessible policy happen is the provision of online resources accessible to both learners and tutors. Read more about Harrow’s approach and look at some of their online resources in the latest RSC London case study for the Excellence Gateway.

http://www.excellencegateway.org.uk/page.aspx?o=207113&c=casestudies