The document discusses the various free resources and support available from Jisc, including tools to make web pages and documents more accessible. It highlights how institutions can use free text-to-speech voices and tools to provide inclusive support for students with disabilities without spending more money. The document provides an overview of the different types of resources available, such as free staff training, 46 resource websites, 33 accessibility tools, and guidance on finding, accessing, and implementing these resources to enhance teaching practices.
9. Making text speak
• All your PCs, Macs and Laptops can
speak web pages, documents, ebooks etc
• With quality English voices
• For no cost
• And your learners can download them for
their personal use.
• www.jisctechdis.ac.uk/voices
02/04/2014 www.jisctechdis.ac.uk 9
10. Free voices work with free
tools like:
• Google Chrome browser
(ChromeSpeak Plugin)
• Clipboard readers like Orato
• Text to MP3 tools like Balabolka
• Inbuilt text to speech like Word 2010
02/04/2014 www.jisctechdis.ac.uk 10
11. Text and more – 1) finding
stuff
02/04/2014 www.jisctechdis.ac.uk 11
• What is it?
• How can I use it?
• What else do I
need to know?
• Do I have access
to it?
12. 2) getting in
02/04/2014 www.jisctechdis.ac.uk 12
Open Athens, Federated Access
Management, Shibboleth and Eduroam?
Can somebody translate?
15. Making everyday practice
more inclusive
02/04/2014 www.jisctechdis.ac.uk 15
• Free staff development
resources.
• Provide better support
without having to spend
more money.
• Provide better
experiences for
everyone.
• Find out about
recommended free tools
and free text to speech
voices to go with them.
Unlocking e-resourcesFinding and using the Aladdin’s cave of free Jisc resources and support
Why bother? ..And what’s it got to do TechDis?Image shows 5 types of resource that can be used for teaching:Text, images, audio, video and interactivities. These five headings are spaced equally around a series of concentric circles. The next 4 slides will plot lines from the middle to the outer circle, the length of the line being proportional to how learners with different disabilities value resources in that format.
VI learners find it easiest to access resources in audio (or well narrated video)
Dyslexic learners benefit from resources in image, audio, video or interactive formats. They don’t cope so well with text resources.
Deaf learners prefer resources that are visually rich (images and video – so long as there’s not too much info conveyed in the narration). Interactivity can also be beneficial.
People with learning difficulties may prefer image, audio, video or interactivities over text resources.
Putting the 4 different graphs together we find it is printed text that is the least favoured resource for many people with disabilities.
Yet when we look at typical teaching resources, printed text in the form of handouts or books often dominate – so disabled learners have their least favourite medium for most of their resources. The Discover Jisc project sought to address this by unearthing the excellent repositories of alternative media that Jisc has paid for and made freely available to the sectors.
All your PCs, Macs and Laptops can speak web pages, documents, ebooksetcWith quality English voices.For no costAnd your learners can download them for their personal use.www.jisctechdis.ac.uk/voices.
Under the Getting started part of the Discover Jisc website (www.jisctechdis.ac.uk/discover_jisc) we point to a range of excellent collections and – for each of them – answer the questions What is it?How can I use it?What else do I need to know?Do I have access to it?
We also explore issues around access – Open Athens, Federated Access Management, Shibboleth and Eduroam?We translate these concepts into plain English explaining what they mean and how you can find out if they apply to your teaching context.
We cover copyright issues to help you understand what you can and can’t legally do with these free resources. In plain English we help make sense of copyright and point to useful resources that can answer any deeper questions that remain.
We describe each of the main Jisc Advisory services and why they can be useful to you. These include:Jisc Digital MediaJisc InfoNetJisc LegalJiscmailJisc NetskillsJisc RSCs Jisc TechDis
Another section of our website emerged from the Discover Jisc project – how to make everyday practice more inclusive: You canhave access to free staff development resources.Provide better support without having to spend more money.Provide better experiences for everyone.Find out about recommended free tools and free text to speech voices to go with them.
Another area of the Discover Jisc site has step by step guides – worked examples – of using technology and Jisc resources to create inclusive teaching and learning across 7 different teaching themes in contexts ranging from work based learning to ACL, AS to Level 1/2. The step by step guides cover background, resources, tools, training and many other themes.
Image of Aladdin’s lamp and caption “It won’t rub itself”
Whilst Jisc might supply an Aladdin’s cave of treasures you need to engage with them to get any benefits. The resources unearthed in the Discover Jisc project include 46 resource sites covering thousands of images, videos, sound clips etc, 17 guidance/advice sources, dozens of downloadable accessibility guides and 33 free tools to use.
Going further – follow the links to www.jisctechdis.ac.uk/discover_jiscwww.jisctechdis.ac.uk/techdis/resourceswww.jisctechdis.ac.uk/voiceshelpdesk@techdis.ac.uk