In order to put into practice what I learnt from this module I modified a set of calculation methods resources and tested them in the classroom with a group of learners. In order to do this I made sure that all of the text was actually text not images of text, reduced text of unnecessary information, inserted links to videos to demonstrate key skills (instead of writing about them), added... more

In order to put into practice what I learnt from this module I modified a set of calculation methods resources and tested them in the classroom with a group of learners. In order to do this I made sure that all of the text was actually text not images of text, reduced text of unnecessary information, inserted links to videos to demonstrate key skills (instead of writing about them), added useful images and diagrams as well as a quiz and self reflection task. By doing this I thought it would be a good way to test a complete item with a variety of new elements.

I found that some of the learners were anxious about using a screen reader as they were worried it would single them out as different in the classroom however when I pointed out that they could use their own headphones/earphones so that it looked like they were listening to background music they were happier to give it a try. After speaking to the learners that used the screen reader tool (we used naturalreaders.com) I discovered that 80% of them found that they understood the information better as they were able to concentrate on the meaning of the text instead of concentrating on trying to read the words. 20% said that they found it hard to follow and that they didn't like the sound of the voice.

The addition of a images , diagrams and videos seemed to help learners understanding as the need for me to demonstrate calculation methods such as subtraction and multiplication after the initial teaching was greatly reduced. Normally I would have to do small group study sessions to go over the methods with the learners but the links to the videos seemed to really help as they could watch them as often as they wanted.

Inserting a short quiz at the end of the practical tasks allowed learners to show their knowledge and understanding and they all completed it without any concerns. However the self reflection task did not work very well. It was essentially a series of questions asking how they found the module, if there was anything they needed to go over, anything that needed to change or any feedback and how they could apply the skills in a real life setting. These questions were all answered with one or two words.

The resources appeared to have improved the learners understanding of the topics covered and the learners were much more engaged then they have previously been. I think in order to improve further I will need to investigate other screen readers in order to see if there are any where you can change the voice in order to ensure that learners are happy. I will also need to work on the self reflection task. A lot of the learners that we have although verbally confident are not confident with their written skills so that could play a part in why they were not filling in the answers. However I also think I need to discuss with others whether they believe a reflection at this point could be relevant to the learners and if so how to develop it.

The results of the testing of the resources and other ideas are being discussed at a meeting with the Delivery team and the Management team to see if there are further ways to improve and how the results of the test can be implemented across all resources. less