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I look forward to their reply :-) > -----Original Message----- > From: Discussion list for disabled students and their support > staff. [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of John Conway > Sent: 27 March 2007 14:59 > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: Re: training > > 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. > Access to this e-mail by anyone else is unauthorised. 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