The DART Projects
Rohan Slaughter & Trevor Mobbs
15/9/14
The DART Project
Disseminating Assistive Roles and Technology
Rohan Slaughter – Assistant Principal and Head of
Technology
Trevor Mobbs – Lead Assistive Technologist
Employed at Scope’s Beaumont College
Introduction to Beaumont College
• Scope run Independent Specialist College (ISC)
based in Lancaster
• 96 learners in Lancaster, two satellite provisions
with ~20 learners
• 330 FTE staff
• Ofsted “Outstanding”
• LSIS Beacon Status
• Curriculum focussed on personal development,
independence, skills for life
• Creative arts specialism
The Technology Team at Beaumont
Definition of the Assistive
Technologist
The title ‘assistive technologist’ (AT) has a number of different
interpretations:
• One is Clinical, and refers to ‘clinical rehab engineers’
• This is common in the NHS
• Beaumont College and the DART project uses a somewhat different
definition:
• If anyone wants the sample job description, person spec and role
profile please contact me
• This job is more education focussed, and as such the post holders:
• Ideally should have a teaching qualification, minimum
7307/7407/PTTLS or equivalent, and preferably a PGCE/cert ed
• Be educated to degree level in an IT related subject or have
equivalent skills and knowledge gained from a suitable setting
• We want ‘people’ people who are technically literate
Definition of the Assistive
Technologist
• 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
Definition of the Assistive
Technologist
How the Assistive
Technologist works at BC
• Caseload allocation, all students have a named technologist
• Each technologist is allocated a number of teachers/sessions
to support
• Preparation of resources for SLT / Teachers, that could be
student specific or subject specific
• Implementation of bespoke or customised hardware and
software solutions
• Research and development in line with all of the above
• Project work
The AAC Community Of
Practice (AAC COP)
Is made up of:
• Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists,
Physiotherapists, Teachers, Technologists
Meets every two weeks for:
• Case discussions, problem solving etc.
• New technology discussions
• Other matters arising
History of the DART project(s)
• 2010/12 DART1, an LSIS funded project
• Beaumont College and National Star College worked with 8
colleges, in a ‘deep support’ capacity
• Beaumont and Star are ISC’s : Independent Specialist Colleges
• One of those DART1 colleges was Henshaws
• 2012/13 - DART2, a JISC Advance funded project:
• Beaumont College, National Star College, Henshaws College,
Colleges Scotland, NATSPEC, JISC all working together
• 10 deep support colleges, 2 in Scotland
• 3 workshops, delivered twice, once in Birmingham, once in
Stirling
DART / DART2
The DART project sought to:
• Improve AT practice in the sector
• Enable the replication of the innovative Assistive Technologist role
• Produce AT case studies for the sector
The project achieved this through:
• ‘Deep Support’ for ten providers
• A Workshop series
• A Natspec sponsored research project
Deep Support
• Following an application and shortlisting process that was overseen
by JISC TechDis 10 Colleges were selected
• Applications for the ‘deep support’ element were heavily
oversubscribed, with approximately three times more applications
than places available
• This indicates that there is a large unmet need in the sector.
• Unsuccessful applicants received priority booking for the workshop
series. After the priority booking period, places will are allocated on
a first come, first served basis
• We plan to move to a paid consultancy basis for this support going
forward, but fear that contracting budgets will limit the appeal of this
Deep Support
Beaumont College, Henshaws College and National Star worked to
develop a program of activities with each college individually
Sought to identify what the college wishes to develop as part of the
project, this included:
• 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. and on adapting
mainstream hardware
• Opportunity to review, adapt and change direction as emergent
needs are identified
• Fostered two way learning - we learnt from all partner colleges
• The project created a legacy of web based resources that can be
used by the sector more widely
• Assistance with recuitment
DART 2.1
We are running an expanded Dart project thanks to the ‘Jisc FE and
Skills Development and Resources Programme - Embedding Benefits’
funding. This new project will provide the following support:
•
‘Deep Support’ for an additional 10 providers (7 GFE, 3 ISC)
•
A second research project, managed by Natspec that has goals
aligned to the original work, including similar questions in order to
gain a ‘longitudinal view’ of AT development in the sector. This is
based on a survey that aims to understand the development needs
of the sector in order to inform the design and delivery of the
workshops, and indeed future Jisc programmes
•
The design and delivery of three AT workshop days -open access
to all, not just the providers who will receive ‘deep-support’. All three
workshops will run twice, once in central England and once in
central Scotland.
DART 2.1 – Deep Support
Beaumont College to Support:
• Borders College (GFE)
• City of Glasgow College (GFE)
• Burnley College (GFE)
• Preston College (GFE)
National Star College to Support:
• Gloucestershire College (GFE)
• Canterbury College (GFE)
• ROC College (ISC)
Henshaw’s College to support:
• Landmarks College (ISC)
• Nash College (ISC)
• Hopwood Hall (GFE)
Workshops
• Day 1: Assessment for Assistive Technology Feb 2013
• Slides from the events:
• http://goo.gl/usih18
• http://goo.gl/2pZvNM
• Day 2: Creating the Assistive Technologist role and it’s integration
into a College structure, April 2013.
• Slides from the events:
• http://goo.gl/UWI2FB
• http://goo.gl/9PnNE8
• Day 3: Specific Assistive Technology software training, Jun 2013
• http://goo.gl/I0IpvM
• http://goo.gl/732XNY
Natspec Research Project
• The Natspec sponsored research project ‘Assistive Technology in
Further Education Organisations’ (now published on Jorum:
http://find.jorum.ac.uk/resources/18808) was conducted via online
questionnaire / telephone follow up, and sought to:
• Inform the content of the workshops (give the sector what it required
in terms of AT related CPD)
• Define key themes around what is working well (or what is not
working well) with respect to Assistive Technology in all types of FE
College
• A summative DART2 project presentation took place at the JISC
RSC NW annual conference on 26th June 2013:
http://www.jiscrsc.ac.uk/northwest/news/2013/february/jisc-rscnorthwest-annual-event.aspx
• For more information please see http://dart.beaumontcollege.ac.uk
Natspec Research Project
– Key Themes
Over half of the providers who responded to the questionnaire had a
person (either full or part time) in a designated ‘assistive technology’
role.
This was positive, although there were also indications that the level of
awareness about assistive technology was very mixed with some
college’s way ahead of others.
Very often positive developments had occurred as a result of one
particularly committed individual.
Natspec Research Project
– Key Themes
Respondents felt overwhelmingly that a co-ordinated approach which
brought together different college departments was a key to
successful assistive technology support.
Most providers felt there were good relationships between those
providing assistive technology and learning support departments,
but worryingly many felt that their relationships with IT departments
were less good.
Natspec Research Project
– Key Themes
Assistive technology was funded in different ways in different
organisations.
Some students were funded through an individual allocation of money.
While this was positive in that it allowed for an individual to receive the
hardware and software he or she required, respondents were
concerned that this restriction to a specific individual made it difficult
for them to try out possible creative solutions for their full range of
disabled students. It also could prevent them from ensuring that
assistive technology is available across the college for all students
Natspec Research Project
– Key Themes
There were very mixed responses to the question about whether
students owned and could retain their specialist equipment when
they left college which indicated that this is a complex issue which
deserves further exploration both at local and national level.
Natspec Research Project
– Key Themes
On the whole providers felt most confident about the assistive
technology support they were giving to students with dyslexia and to
students with a visual impairment.
They were less confident that they were providing the most appropriate
assistive technology support to other groups of students, particularly
those with more complex learning difficulties.
Natspec Research Project
– Key Themes
Respondents recognised the need for on-going training and support
and for easier ways to keep abreast of new developments in the
area of assistive technology.
College structure and relationships
between teams
• The technology strategy in a College stands or falls based on:
• Relationships between teams
• The College Structure
• Relationship of the IT/Technology team with:
• Teachers
• Therapists (where present)
• Supporting staff
• People in the AT role
Dart 2 Key Outcomes / Outputs
• 10 Colleges provided with Deep Support, more than half have
now created new Assistive Technologist roles
• Note feedback from supported Colleges on the DART website
• Well over 100 people attended the workshop series in England
and Scotland
• The Natspec sponsored report has provided an interesting
overview of the status of Assistive Technology in the Colleges
who responded
• A community of practice spanning GFE and ISC College has
been created around the Assistive Technologist position
Dart 2 Key Outcomes / Outputs
• Feedback links:
• Landmarks College: http://goo.gl/Senj8x
• Seashell Trust: http://goo.gl/oE5ANI
• Bridge College: http://goo.gl/hA9vUP
• Myerscough College: http://goo.gl/CtSPev
• Edinburgh College: http://goo.gl/yof3rK
• Kilmarnock College: http://goo.gl/B0XZD1
DART 2.1
A element of Dart 2.1 is further engagement with Jisc in order to:
•
Train the Access and Inclusion advisors in the JISC RSC’s who
wish to learn more about AT through active participation in the
Deep Support provision.
•
The RSC’s A&I advisors will be invited to all deep support events in
the regions they support in order to both be up skilled by DART
core partner’s staff members and to provide local knowledge and
context.
•
An additional workshop will be provided for all A&I advisors from the
RSC’s in consultation with their role group / JISC TechDis in order
to promote sustainability of the projects outcomes. This workshop
will be open to all interested Jisc staff.
Thank You
 Email us:
 rohan.slaughter@scope.org.uk
 trevor.mobbs@scope.org.uk
 Follow us:
 @rohanslaughter
 @mobbst
 @dartproject
 http://dart.beaumontcollege.ac.uk
Any questions?