EdTech: Equitable access to digital technologies
This module considers how issues of equitable access to digital technologies can have an impact on the quality of learning and how this may be redressed.
Aim
This module shows you how to identify and respond to issues of equitable access to digital technologies.
Objective
After completing this module you will be able to:
- recognise situations and groups where inequity of access can affect learning opportunities
- adopt strategies to redress or compensate for inequitable access to digital technologies.
Digital Teaching Professional Framework
This module covers the EdTech component - F1 : Accessibility
- Provide equitable access to appropriate digital technologies and resources, e.g. ensuring that all learners have access to the digital technologies used.
- Select and use digital strategies which respond to the learner's digital context, e.g. contextual constraints to their technology use (e.g. availability, institutional restrictions - offender learning, work based learning), competences, expectations, attitudes, misconceptions and misuses.
- Use digital technologies and strategies, e.g. assistive technologies, designed for learners' in need of special support (e.g. learners with physical or mental constraints; learners with learning disorders).
- Consider and respond to potential accessibility issues when selecting, modifying or creating digital resources and to provide alternative or compensatory tools or approaches for learners with special needs.
- Use design principles for increasing accessibility for the resources and digital environments used in teaching.
- Continuously monitor and reflect on the suitability of the measures implemented to improve accessibility and adapt strategies accordingly.
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Feedback
Taking note of your feedback
We greatly appreciate the time taken to provide us with feedback on each module. We regularly review all the feedback provided and use it to inform the development of new modules. Subject to funds being available and other constraints, we will amend existing modules where feedback shows this is required.Reviews
An interesting reminder that teaching needs to adapt to the resourcing available, not the other way round.
I like the message, teach the best with what you've got, I might add while you work on influencing those within your organisation who can improve the access to technologies within your learning environment. This module reminded me of examples of practice from the Holex Techlearn project which were documented in this blog, https://holextechlearn.wordpress.com/ although the project was in 2015 many of the examples are relevant today for teaching the best way with what you've got. Another example of an approach for language is the Skype, VLE and MailVu post or if you want to deliver quizzes with limited access to technology out in the community take a look at the post on Plickers. There are lots of other ideas too.
A nice short session that shows how to plan for non tech situations
Equitable access is such an important consideration for educators. This module reminds us just this - when access is not equitable, we must ask ourselves “How do I teach this best with what I’ve got?”.
Digital divide and exclusion is not a myth. Let’s make sure we support learners in developing the essential digital skills they need to work and live in a digital global society.
Our remit as educators is to inspire growth and prepare learners to become independent thinkers ready for the world of work as best as we can within the constraints of the learning environment.
Such a huge topic area to cover but the context chosen worked well to bridge to other contexts and the focus on adding value to the pedagogy is spot on.
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