Dear Emma,
The points you raise below are very pertinent.
My own experience indicates that of those assessed about 25% of students
actually take up training that was offered. (as a training co-ordinator)
Many students do not perceive as being important enough to take the time
out when they are under pressure, trying to cope with deadlines etc.
As an assessor, I have sometimes not recommended training or have
recommended reduced training time for students who are on computer based
courses, thinking that they would be able to manage with less, which
they assured me they would. Subsequent events sometimes indicated that
this was a mistaken assumption. It is not always possible to predict
with accuracy in these situations.
Certainly, those who took it up would send in consistently positive
feedback about services.
Where students took up training, trainers would report back on any
issues with the system and these would be fed back to suppliers, without
the student being distressed, and the problems were in the main resolved
much more quickly and thoroughly than would have otherwise been the
case.
This is addressed more widely:
I openly state that when I was responsible for this, I wanted students
that our centre had undertaken the assessments for to be trained, where
possible, by trainers who could feed back to us in the detail precisely
in order to monitor, to mediate and to support the equipment service.
This worked very well, for both students and equipment suppliers with
complaints being reduced to minimal levels.
However training is offered, it is important that good working links are
established between professionals, while each being autonomous much of
the time. Autonomy is not absolutely necessary if the system is being
operated with integrity. (ie, I am in favour of the best quality
training being delivered, whoever the provider is.)
Regards,
Penny
-----Original Message-----
From: Discussion list for disabled students and their support staff.
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Emma Wright
Sent: Tuesday, March 27, 2007 2:10 PM
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
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>
>
> -----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
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