Case Study 3
STUDENT THREE - uses a full screen Flash game where roll-over action on segments of a circle-shaped graphic trigger a range of musical notes and the highlighting of that area of colour. He stares at the screen without expression and clicks the mouse and persists with the activity without distraction despite a noisy room.
A second clip in the sequence shows a member of the Trans-active team using a digital camera with the same student; taking a picture and then showing it to Student Five on the screen on the back of the camera. The student shows the beginnings of social communication as he is drawn into the process by the supporter.
Student Three demonstrates:
- A high level simplicity of design for on-screen activity will engage a student with more complex cognitive disabilities
- Working with outboard technologies like digital still or video cameras and sound recorders can build on this simple start point towards more dynamic participation of the user with cognitive disabilities
Project Apple develops this approach using the system to promote and support learners to enhance their communication and take steps towards more effective self expression and self advocacy. A key component of the LE is a set of content and tools called Trans-active that has been developed by Mencap and the Rix Centre at the University of East London in an earlier collaboration. Trans-active blends accessible multimedia for learning skills for independence after school with tools to help people with learning disabilities to explore the choices available to them in adulthood. In Project Apple Trans-active is being extended to suit an older audience as well as users with profound and multiple learning disabilities. In addition its integration into the Learning Environment enables students to use its easy-authoring capabilities in more flexible ways.
