New software for mobile phones makes anytime, anywhere learning a reality for students with learning disabilities » Education » 24dash.com

Huge advances have been made in the last year to integrate assistive technologies with mobile phones, enabling students with learning disabilities such as dyslexia, to further their learning whilst on the move. To date, the majority of assistive software has been confined to PCs or laptops, drastically limiting a student’s ability to access information outside the classroom or home environment. Speaking at the Handheld Learning Conference 2009, Neil Milliken, Head of Mobile Development at iansyst (who lead the Mobispeech joint venture), will be discussing a range of innovative new applications for mobile learning which are helping to support students with a range of cognitive, physical and sensory impairments.

Many assistive technologies can be of benefit to students in the mainstream classroom; making learning with technology more inclusive. Learning disabilities are often a magnification of difficulties experienced by everyone. Everyone has issues remembering things from time to time, granted, not to the same degree as a dyslexic person; however, having tasks and reminders read out to you on your mobile phone, for example, could be beneficial to all. Using familiar technology such as mobile phones is a massive step towards a greater acceptance of disabilities, as SEN students are not set apart from their peers when using it.

iansyst will be showcasing the latest version of CapturaTalk (www.capturatalk.com), the UK’s first mobile phone software to convert text to speech from a digital photo taken on the phone. Through the use of this software learners can experience true accessibility to learning, whether in the classroom or on the move.

CapturaTalk v2 software offers users a portable solution to recognise and read back text and numbers from a photograph taken on the phone or digital document. Now fully integrated with the Concise Oxford English Dictionary, if a student needs to read something back, the software highlights the words as it is reading them, helping to reinforce word recognition. The software is now available pre-installed on phones, on SD Card (Standard, Mini & Micro) and as a stand-alone download compatible with a range of Windows Mobile 5 & 6 touch-screen devices.

Mandy Anderson-Tooth, English Teacher and Lead PDA Teacher at Monks Park has been using CapturaTalk with her two Year 7 mixed-ability English classes and finds it incredibly useful for engaging the children and supporting those that are struggling with their reading. Mandy comments: “We have many children joining us in Year 7 with reading difficulties borne from a variety of reasons including disabilities and general disengagement with the subject. They are, however, very responsive to technology, particularly the PDAs, as they are familiar with the concept and use similar devices at home in their leisure time. The CapturaTalk software is particularly popular as it caters for all the children’s learning styles and brings a fun element to any lesson.”

The advances in mobile technology and related applications have provided learners with many new features to enhance organisation and communication skills. Specific applications for keeping accounts, word processing and presentations along with calendars, to-do lists, task reminders and Dictaphones (all of which are designed to provide improved productivity) can be used in an assistive context, enabling personalisation and support for a wide range of learning styles and to enhance user skills and abilities. For example, many dyslexic students have problems with short term memory; mobile phones allow them to store important reminders and documents which they can access anywhere, anytime.

The advantage of content provided in digital format is that it can be adapted to suit user’s preferences with text-to-speech, speech-to-text, graphical representations, audio recordings and synchronisation of tasks, reminders and other time management aids.

Neil Milliken said: “Mobile technologies are particularly important for supporting students with learning disabilities as it helps them to access support and information anywhere, anytime. Students with learning difficulties such as dyslexia often rely on assistive software such as text-to-speech to help them understand information. It is especially beneficial when they can use these tools anywhere, not just in the classroom. CapturaTalk, for example, gives students access to written materials on the move and helps them learn at their own pace as they can re-listen to information as many times as they need. This in turn enables them to contribute more in class and become confident learners.”

Neil will be presenting on “Personalising Mobile technology to enhance learning and organisational skills” as part of the ‘Emerging Technologies and New Practices’ session on Tuesday 7th October between 2.30pm and 4pm.

For more information about iansyst / Mobispeech’s involvement in the Handheld Learning Conference or to set up a meeting with Neil Milliken at the show, contact him at iansyst, tel: 01223 420 101; email: neil@iansyst.co.uk; or visit the iansyst Ltd website: www.iansyst.co.uk / www.dyslexic.com

For press enquiries or to arrange an interview with Neil Milliken at the show, please contact Louise Peto or Ashley Cox at Livewire Public Relations, tel: 020 8339 7440; email: ashley.cox@livewirepr.com; website: www.livewirepr.com