DART Project
Beaumont College, Lancaster
Rohan Slaughter 17/5/11
About Beaumont College
• Independent Specialist College based in
Lancaster
• 91 learners, 330 FTE staff
• Ofsted “Outstanding”
• LSIS Beacon Status
• Curriculum focussed on personal
development, independence, skills for life
• Creative arts specialism
The DART Project
• DART – ‘Disseminating Assistive Roles and
Technology’
• Working in partnership, Beaumont College
and National Star College
• Funded by the LSIS flexibility and innovation
fund
The DART Project
• The project aims to:
– Improve Assistive Technology practice in the
sector
– Enable the replication of the innovative
Assistive Technologist role
– Disseminate the Beaumont College Technology
service model
– Produce Assistive Technology case studies for
the sector
The DART Project
• The Assistive Technologist
– Sits at the interface of people and technology
– Works as part of a trans-disciplinary team,
which includes OT, SLT, teachers, social care
staff
– A new ‘hybrid’ role that does not replace any
existing role
– The technologist becomes the ‘chief integrator’
of the assistive technology solution provided to
the student
The DART Project
• The Assistive Technologist
– This role was developed during the Wheeltop
Project at Beaumont College
– Funded by BT from 2007-2010
– Integrate off the shelf Tablet PC technology in
place of dedicated communication aids
– Reduced the cost of the hardware and
increased flexibility of solutions
– The technologist role was the most important
development from the Wheeltop Project
The DART Project
• Disseminate the Beaumont College Technology
service model
– Beaumont unifies mainstream IT support and
assistive technology support into a single team
– Team is run from the Senior Management Team
– This arrangement but serves the college well, and
avoids the divide that can exist between technical
staff and teaching staff
– The team includes two technologists, two network
technicians, an IT technician, Media technician
and a technical learning support worker
The DART Project
• Disseminate the Beaumont College Technology
service model
– Beaumont has a robust modern IT system that has
been developed over a number of years
– Assistive Technology and AAC expertise
– We are active in networks such as the JISC RSC
NW, the Technology Exemplar Network, TechDIS,
LSIS, NATSPEC groups
– Have been involved in a number of sector projects
The DART Project
– Molenet3 – MOVE – Mobile Video Evidence (supports the eportfolio initiative)
– Innovation 3 – Supports the Staff VLE development
– Karten 2: The Beaumont Digital Arts Centre
– LSIS ISC e-leadership program – e-safety and e-maturity
– Successor to‘wheeltop project’. Scope and BT are again
working together on the ‘Connect to Control project, focus on
Environmental Control Systems
– Technology Exemplar Network
– TSB: Mobility Bridge
– LSIS Flexibility and Innovation fund – replicate the Technologist
role, our technology service profile and disseminate case
studies of our assistive tech.
– JISC InfoNET: Strategy Work
The DART Project
• Produce assistive technology case studies
– Examples of assistive technology solutions in
place at both National Star College and
Beaumont
– Examples of technology in use at partner
colleges
– Examples of how we have worked with partner
colleges (training, support, technology)
The DART Project
• Produce assistive technology case studies
– For example, using a windows 7 tablet in place
of a communication aid:
Benefits:
• Lower Cost
• Flexible
• Runs The Grid 2 Software
• Easy to mount or use hand held
• Can be supported by anyone with
PC knowledge
The DART Project
• The project
– Convened a project board to oversee the project
– Sought partners in both mainstream and FE
colleges
– We had assistance from both the JISC RSC’s and
TechDIS to publicise the project
– We had a massive response, in all 24 enquiries
were made prior to the deadline, more enquires
since
– It is clear that there is an unmet need
– We have engaged with 8 colleges
The DART Project
• The Partner Colleges
• Beaumont College:
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–
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Runshaw FE College
Dovestones at Tameside
Henshaws ISC
Wirral FE
• National Star College:
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–
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Bournemouth and Pool FE College
Swindon FE College
Oakwood Court ISC
South Bristol Skills Academy (FE)
The DART Project
• The Partner Colleges
• Initial visits have already taken place with many
colleges
• Identify what the college wishes to develop as part of
the project, could include:
– Elements of the Technologist role to be embedded in an
existing role
– Transfer of assistive technology knowledge to specific
staff, work shadowing etc
– Training and development for staff in the partner colleges
– Advice on sourcing equipment, software etc
– Advice on adapting mainstream hardware
The DART Project
• The Partner Colleges
– Beaumont College and National Star will work to develop
a program of activities with each college individually
– At least four days will be spent with each college
– Opportunity to review, adapt and change direction as
emergent needs are identified
– Intended to foster two way learning, we wish to learn from
all partner colleges
– The project is intended to have a legacy of web based
resources that can be used by the sector more widely
The DART Project
• The Project website
– Hosts information about the project
– Will be updated regularly
– Has a number of case studies available now:
• Accessible media centre
• Computer access for visually impaired switch users
• Switch access to digital SLR cameras
– More case studies to be added soon
http://dart.beaumontcollege.ac.uk/
The DART Project
Thank you for listening
Any Questions?