Access to Communication and Technology Unit (ACTU)

Country Studied: Malta

Area of Focus: Assistive Technology

Type of learning difficulty the Best Practice is supporting:

• Reading and writing difficulties.

Aims and objectives of Best Practice

ACTU’s goal is to ensure that students with complex learning difficulties are assessed for AT/AAC needs. Students are placed on a waiting list until the ACTU core team assesses their needs. A comprehensive AT report is then written and presented to the parents, who in turn present it to the school team. If recommendations for software/hardware for school use have been made, the school team then sends the report to the eLearning Centre. This best practice may not be directly involved with educators, but it regards the overall experience of students with learning difficulties, and we can explore the nexus between assistive technology & teaching foreign language to students with learning difficulties.

Short description of Best Practice

1. ACTU was originally set up in 2006 and since 2009 it has begun to include speech and language therapists and occupational therapists with specialist knowledge of AT/AAC. ACTU’s goal is to ensure that students with complex learning difficulties are assessed for AT/AAC needs.
2. A comprehensive AT report is then written and presented to the parents, who in turn present it to the school team. If recommendations for software/hardware for school use have been made, the school team then sends the report to the eLearning Centre. The eLearning Centre is responsible for the procurement of the AT device/system on loan, as long as it is available. When it is not available, the school is notified, and parents or the school may opt to purchase the equipment themselves. The eLearning Centre is responsible for device installation in the classroom. In practice, however, experience has shown that the eLearning Centre is instructed to do its utmost to source and purchase the required device/system, as part of the State’s commitment to inclusion.

3 Key learning Principles that were used in this Best Practice to support learners with LD

The Directorates have invested in the provision of training on the use of interactive whiteboards and the virtual learning environment for all state school teaching staff over two school years, from 2011 to 2013. Two specialised groups of support staff, numbering about 40 in all, are also on hand to provide in-class support to primary and secondary school teachers to make best use of these resources. In addition, the eLearning Centre has always endeavoured to train all educators in schools on generic and specialised ICT equipment prior to its implementation in the classroom.

ACTU also provides training. This is done in one of two ways: 1. General training courses through in-service courses held in July and September each year. ACTU staff are also involved in the training of learning support assistants. 2. Educational staff are provided with training in the classroom to identify further opportunities for the use of AT/ICT/AAC in the context of the school environment. This is tailored to the individual child’s needs and the equipment they have access to. Training for parents in relation to the use of AT/AAC equipment within the home/community is also provided. This includes training in specialised educational software, such as Clicker 6 and Penfriend, and vocabulary packages, such as Grid 2 and Unity.

Strategies used as part of Best Practice

• Adapting instruction to various learning styles.
• Individualized Learning Plans.
• Guidance on creating and implementing individualized learning plans.
• Collaboration with support services and professionals.
• Strategies for modifying or creating teaching materials to suit different abilities.
• Creating a positive and supportive classroom environment.

Results and impact

The eLearning Centre offers the expertise of two support teachers, specialised in AT, who support teachers in the classroom to ensure that ICT is positively and effectively promoted in the classroom. ACTU offers more individualised support to teachers/learning support assistants. Children who access the Resource Centres (formerly Special Schools) are accompanied by their learning support assistants, who can then benefit from working with staff who have more experience in the use of ICT for children with special needs.

The qualitative level of training and one-to-one sessions in relation to the support provided by the personnel at the eLearning Centre. Learning support assistants and educators find that the in-house support in the classroom provided by ACTU is more conducive to learning. This can reap benefits for the students who do not need to be excluded from the classroom to work on their AT needs.

Evidence as to why this was considered Good Practice

The eLearning Centre/ACTU has been involved in various projects with NGOs, including the Foundation for Information Technology Accessibility (FITA), in developing the Maltese Speech Application Programming Interface Text-to-Speech Engine, a three-year project funded by the European Regional Development Fund. This was also in partnership with the Society of the Blind and Visually Impaired. The eLearning Centre/ACTU is also involved in a multi-stakeholder approach with other entities to promote the use of ICT research in the development of interactive CDs for key word signing projects, including interactive activities to address the Maltese language.

Transferability

Develop a framework for the introduction, integration and monitoring of Assistive Technology among schools across Europe – follow steps of eLearning Centre.

Critical issues

1. Need for more funding.
2. Transition from one class to another.
3. Capacity of ACTU.
4. There continues to be difficulties with the actual inclusion of children who require ICT and/or AAC in the classroom on a day-to-day basis. Teachers rely on the learning support assistants for the implementation of these.

Any additional learning that we can take from this Best Practice, example:

Short-term developments:

• Ensuring that the ICT for All Guidelines for schools are disseminated and discussed firstly at strategic and then at school level and discussed in school development plans. This will then inform the development of an ICT for Inclusion policy.
• Ensure that the ongoing training programme for school administrators and educators on the use and benefits of assistive technology is functional.
• Ensure that the whole process, from identification of needs to assessment and provision of equipment, is flawless and as efficient and effective as possible, so students do not have to wait excessively to be given some form of technology.
• An inclusion in assessment strategy needs to be developed and implemented. This includes the use of MP3s as already indicated, and a common reading and writing software program to be used at all levels throughout students’ lifelong learning journey for those who present with literacy difficulties and who are at risk of social exclusion.

Long-term plans:

• A funding programme is secured for all students who can benefit from the use of assistive technologies in the classroom. There should not be duplication of resources in relation to human or/and technological resources.
• Multimodality offered by ICT supports students with various types of intelligences and/or challenges, not necessarily those with diagnosed difficulties. Students with different nationalities/languages are a case in point.