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Good to hear it, Tony. - I've just forwarded your message to one of those students with 5 x 1/2 training allocated................... Dr John S Conway FGS FRGS MNADO FHEA Disability Officer / Principal Lecturer in Soil Science / Chair, Research Committee Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester, Glos GL7 6JS 01285 652531 ext 2234 fax 01285 650219 http://www.rac.ac.uk/index.php?_id=590 email [log in to unmask] -----Original Message----- From: Discussion list for disabled students and their support staff. [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Tony Lees Sent: Tuesday, March 27, 2007 2:24 PM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: training Hi Emma, I'm not sure this helps you very much but if we could persuade all the students for whom we have outstanding training sessions (some £200,000 worth, already agreed by LEA's) to take them up I for one would be a very happy supplier! Just think, fantastic (well specified) equipment, excellent service and trained to get the best out of it all - surely this is the student "level playing field" (and not just nirvana) for which we all strive? Regards, Tony Tony Lees Avantek Computer Limited > -----Original Message----- > From: Discussion list for disabled students and their support > staff. [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Emma Wright > Sent: 27 March 2007 14:10 > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: Re: training > > I just want to clarify something I said the other day and > should have been clearer about at the time... I've spoken to > a few students from a few universities and although all of > these have said they were not offered training, they are not > likely to be representative of all students, and my next task > is to contact the staff responsible for offering training to > see what percentage of the whole are offering training. > Indeed, one university representative has already been in > touch to say they do offer training to most students. The > students at that university actually said that although they > hadn't been offered training, they didn't really feel they > needed it anyway (which may translate to an offer having been > made but turned down!). > > Training wasn't something I covered in a big way during my > interviews as students gave me the impression that it wasn't > that important to them, but the discussion on this board has > made me rethink that. I know that personally I could have > done with some training had there been enough money available > for it, but it seems not all students feel > the same. What I was intending to highlight in my post was the > apparent difference between the assumption on this board that > training is a given and students perceptions that they were > not offered any (which may of course be incorrect) or that > did not want it. I wonder how this translates in terms of > feedback on the quality of training if students don't feel it > is very important anyway, and on how good they perceive the > equipment to be if they haven't been trained how to make full > use of it. > > Anyway, this leads me to ask the following questions of you > all, do you have any figures, or even anecdotes, hunches, > etc, regarding the number of students that are offered > training and those that take it up? What sort of > software/hardware do you tend to offer training on, and which > do you not? Does the funding tend to be readily available > for this training? Do you have in-house or external trainers > on hand for this? Do your students seem to feel training is > important, and if not, why not? Any responses to any of the > questions will be very welcome (preferably off list - > [log in to unmask]) and will be used as background > information to my PhD research. > > Emma > > > > > On 27/03/07, Nasser <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > > Hi Alex > > > > Can you let me know how you get your training referrals? Do you > > contact students or are they passed on to you by the > institution or the supplier? > > > > The reason for asking is that we often come across students > that were > > supposed to be trained by the institution but we find that > they have > > not received the training, In such circumstances we would like to > > refer them back to other training providers who are based in the > > vicinity and if this is provided by an assessment centre or > University > > then even better. We strongly feel receiving the training at early > > stages will prevent potential problems and will > significantly improve > > the quality of life for the students. I think prevention is > always better than the cure. > > > > We have our own trainers too but we either use them if the LEA > > requests us to carry out the job or there are no other training > > providers nearby. We previously found that pressuring > students towards > > getting the training confused some of them as they had been > contacted > > and trained by other trainers we hence had ended up duplicating the > > job which meant we could not be paid for the training sessions. I > > think it is safer for us to let the LEAs place the order with us to > > avoid such situation as well as not stepping on other people's toes. > > > > At the moment we operate a system of providing information to some > > training providers on the delivery of the equipment to the > students so > > that the training can be carried out at the earliest opportunity. I > > think the longer the student has the equipment without the training > > the less likely it becomes for them to take the recommended > training. > > If you are interested in receiving this information for > your students please let me know. > > > > > > Best wishes > > > > Nasser Siabi > > Managing Director > > Microlink PC (UK) Ltd > > Direct: 02380 240 316 > > Mobile: 07870603128 > > > > This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and > > intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to > whom they are addressed. > > If you receive this e-mail by mistake, please advise the sender > > immediately by using the reply facility in your e-mail > software. Also > > destroy and delete the message from your computer. Please note that > > any views or opinions presented in this email are solely > those of the > > author and do not necessarily represent those of Microlink. > Finally, > > the recipient should check this email and any attachments for the > > presence of viruses. Microlink accepts no liability for any damage > > caused by any virus transmitted by this email. Any > modification of the > > contents of this e-mail is strictly prohibited unless > expressly authorised by the sender. > > Microlink House, Brickfield Lane, Chandlers Ford, Southampton SO53 > > 4DP (Company number: 3325643) > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Discussion list for disabled students and their support staff. > > [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of alex larg > > Sent: 27 March 2007 01:47 > > To: [log in to unmask] > > Subject: FW: training > > > > Hi Emma, > > > > I am a freelance trainer, an assessor, a former disability > officer and > > a campaigner and so have an interest in your comments. > > > > I aim to offer a person-centred approach to the clients' training > > sessions that I deliver and I don't feel that I need to > know anything > > about a person before I train them. I feel that this > advance knowledge > > can lead to people having certain preconceptions which > isn't healthy > > and can lead to laziness and complacency. > > > > I train in most software strategies, with the exception of > JAWS as I > > am not a user myself and don't currently have the time to > develop my > > knowledge of that complex program. I probably don't know everything > > about every program, but I know how to find out quickly. I learn > > something new everyday from the questions I am asked by > clients - this > > may sound like I don't know much, but there is a lot of > truth to the > > saying - the more you know the more you realize you don't know. I > > won't know anything soon :-) > > > > I also know what programs should do and so can reassure > clients when > > programs don't do what they should that it is not they (the client) > > who are doing something wrong. This situation can be > intimidating and > > off putting for users. Again I feel this is exacerbated by > underspecified machines. > > Another thing I keep going on about on one list or another. > > > > Wherever possible I would try to relate training to the work that a > > student has on the go. Where this is not possible the > training might > > be aimed at creating an individualised user manual for the user as > > they know how they learn and how they will best remember. Visual, > > textual and/or aural/oral as required. They may not know they know > > this, but I aim to help them to realize this or at least begin to > > consider this and then suggest they carry this philosophy > through to other pieces of work. > > I use plain English - non jargon - but using targeted essential > > language which is used within computer systems - widely used > > vocabulary necessary to function and interact. I will > patiently repeat > > this language and any points, if so required, until the client is > > comfortable and has grasped the necessary information. > > > > I also don't have a set way of doing things as everyone is > different > > and in my opinion good training has a solid framework basis, but > > requires flexibility to wrap around the clients' own > learning styles. > > > > I work all around the country. Please contact me off list for any > > further information. I would also be interested in the names of the > > three universities you mention, off list. > > > > Best wishes, > > > > Alex > > > > Alex Larg > > > > [log in to unmask] > > 07931 561 877 or 07916 175 077 > > Freelance Assistive Technology Trainer Freelance study > needs assessor > > Former Disability Officer > > > > > > > > ------ Forwarded Message > > From: Emma Wright <[log in to unmask]> > > Reply-To: "Discussion list for disabled students and their > support staff." > > <[log in to unmask]> > > Date: Mon, 26 Mar 2007 18:51:12 +0100 > > To: <[log in to unmask]> > > Subject: Re: training > > > > I keep hearing all this about training, but I've never been offered > > any! Nor have any of the students I've interviewed as part of my > > research across (so far) three universities. What sort of training > > for what sort of software tends to be offered? > > > > Emma > > > > On 26/03/07, George Bell <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > > > Might I perhaps suggest that people take a serious look at > > > http://www.bcab.org.uk/training.html > > > > > > This is an initiative taken by the British Computer > Association of > > > the Blind (BCAB) in response to complaints about poor > standards of > > > training in the use of I.T. > > > equipment. > > > > > > Many organisations, including the Department of Employment for > > > example, are now insisting that contracted trainers are > BTCS (BCAB > > > Trainer Certification Scheme) approved. > > > > > > Food for thought? > > > > > > George Bell. > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: Discussion list for disabled students and their > support staff. > > > [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of David Austen > > > Sent: 26 March 2007 13:51 > > > To: [log in to unmask] > > > Subject: training > > > > > > Posted without comment > > > extract from the 'form' letter sent out to students > regarding their > > > DSA provision. This is from a local LEA > > > ( I do not think it is appropriate to name which one). > > > > > > "Recently, some students have informed us that they felt > > > pressurized into accepting training provided by their University. > > > Please note that the LEA only uses training companies who are > > > thoroughly reliable and have many years' experience.with > equipment > > > training for disabled students. > > > If you feel that you have been treated unfairly by any > individual > > > or by a professional body, please contact us immediately > and we will > > > ensure appropriate action is taken". > > > > > > > > > -- > > Emma Jane Wright > > School of Sociology and Social Policy > > University of Nottingham > > > > [log in to unmask] > > > > www.accessingmaterials.org.uk > > > > > > ------ End of Forwarded Message > > > > Sent using the Microsoft Entourage 2004 for Mac Test Drive. > > > > > -- > Emma Jane Wright > School of Sociology and Social Policy > University of Nottingham > > [log in to unmask] > > www.accessingmaterials.org.uk > This e-mail is confidential to the intended recipients. 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