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Tablets in Education – Possibilities and Challenges
Torbjørn Helland Solhaug
Twitter: @solhell
Background
• Use of tablets increases in primary education
• Some schools are funding tablets
• Some schools are allowing use of private tablets
Objective
• Capabilities on different platforms
• How tablets are used
• Accessibility status on popular app’s for education
• Implications for children with disabilities
It’s About Children
• Not fully developed visual, motoric or cognitive skills
Key Features
• Multi-touch increases association between user action and tablet reaction
Key Features
• Multi-touch increases association between user action and tablet reaction
• Range of available apps is staggering on all major platforms
“Apple recently announced that the App Store application count had grown beyond 700,000 live apps…”
Some of the Features Needed
• One finger operation • Zoom the entire interface
• Screen reader • Adjust on-screen keyboard content
• High contrast/invert colors
Challenges
• Wide range of gestures – hard to remember
• Complex gestures – hard to understand and perform
• Activating aids changes multi-touch gestures to perform actions – more gestures to remember
It’s More Than…
Even More Than…
Platform Capabilities
Evaluated Platforms
• iOS• Android • Windows RT
Platform Comparison – Screen Reader
iOS- Good voice quality- Desktop-like
functionality
Alternative- No alternative found
Android - Poor voice quality- Poor functionality
Alternative- SVOX with separate
Norwegian voice
Windows RT- Good voice quality- Desktop-like
functionality- No Norwegian Voice- Strange activation
Alternative- Beta version of NVDA
Platform Comparison – Magnification
iOS- Easy to activate- Decent content
quality- Demanding to
operate
Alternative - No alternative found
Android - No preinstalled
Alternative - No alternative found
Windows RT- Strange activation- Poor content quality- Easy to operate
Alternative- No alternative found
Platform Comparison – Text Enlargement
iOS- Good range of
enlargements- Doesn’t affect
everything, even inside the OS
Android - Small enlargements
- Doesn’t affect everything, even inside the OS
Windows RT- Small enlargements
- Affects most elements
Platform Comparison – High Contrast
iOS- Pure invertion- Works everywhere
Android - No preinstalled- No alternative found
Windows RT- Structured color
changes- Depends on correct
setup of elements
Platform Conclusion
• Issues with all platforms• Android falls short• iOS and Windows RT neck-and-neck• Select platform based on
functionality needed
Usage
Some of the Possibilities
• Alternative pedagogics
• Distributing lessons and tasks
• Tablets as assistive technology (AT)
• Common in special education
Subjects
• Primarily reading and math
• Creative teachers use it for all subjects
• Common in special education
Tablets as AT
• Enlarge textbook content and similar• Watch movie shown on movie screen• Have content read to you• Communicating with images or
written text
Challenges
• Wide range and huge number of apps• Hard to find apps that works for
entire class• Limited number of Norwegian apps• Teacher competence• Teacher time and commitment• Learning platforms not compatible
with tablets
Apps
Checklist
• From guidelines for accessible mobile interfaces
• From Funka’s accessibility audit• 15 checks performed on 13 apps
Frequent Issues
• Instructions are limited or nonexistent• Screen reader receives no or limited input• Poor contrast• Small clickable areas• Confusing interfaces
Some Quotes
“My son practices numbers, communication, language and more. Great tool! “
“Great tool, very motivating“
“Works fast and catches attention “
“My children don’t use tablets due to lack of competence at the school“
“More methods for learning“
“School can’t afford to buy tablets“
Conclusion
• Beneficial for pupils in general• Great as assistive technology• Requires competence, time and
commitment• Pupils with impairments often
needs a dedicated tablet
References
• Reports (in Norwegian):https://www.blindeforbundet.no/internett/nyheter/fokus-pa-nettbrett-i-grunnskolen
• "Tilgjengelige mobilgrensesnitt" et prosjekt gjennomført av Funka Nu AB. 2011www.funkanu.se/no/Funka-tilbyr/Analyser/Gransking-av-mobile-grensesnitt/
• "Surfplattor – en utvärdering av teknik og användbarhet" av Usify på oppdrag av PTS. 2011http://libris.kb.se/bib/12427312
• "iPad og svaksynte – hvordan bruke iPad i skolen". Heftet er utviklet som et ledd i samarbeidet mellom Tambartun Kompetansesenter og NAV Hjelpemiddelsentral Sør-Trøndelag. 2012www.statped.no/Tema/Syn/Publikasjoner/iPad-og-svaksynte---hvordan-bruke-iPad-i-skolen/
• “iPad i skolen“. Blogg av Jan Gamre om bruk av iPad i undervisning. http://jangamre.wordpress.com/
• “IKT og skole, prosjekt nettbrett“. Blogg om prosjekt der en hel klasse og deres lærere har blitt utstyrt med hvert sitt nettbretthttp://www.iktogskole.no/?page_id=1609)
There is no such thing as an average user