Since Angela Morgan’s review of additional support for learning (ASL) was published in October 2020 there has been a lot of activity and development, and the scope of the actions is wide, which is to be expected given the large number of learners who are identified as having additional support needs (ASN) and the range of their needs.
Yet in the updated ASL review action plan published by the government in November, “technology” is only mentioned once, while “digital learning” does not feature at all.
What are we to make of this? Are inclusive digital learning and assistive technology so well integrated into ASL that we don’t need to have any actions to improve provision? At CALL (Communication, Access, Literacy and Learning) Scotland, based at the University of Edinburgh, we have been working since 1983 helping children and young people in Scotland to overcome disability and barriers to learning through technology, and I certainly don’t think so.
There is a great deal to do and here in CALL Scotland we see a very mixed picture.
In some parts of Scotland every learner from mid to late primary upwards has a personal Chromebook, iPad or laptop, while in other areas learners do not have the same level of access to technology. Access to digital learning and assistive technology is clearly inequitable across the country, and this has a particular impact on learners with ASN who require assistive technology (AT) to access learning.
For example, pupils who:
- Have difficulty seeing paper resources (they can use assistive technology to zoom in and enlarge digital texts).
- Find it hard to read (pupils with dyslexia can use text-to-speech (TTS) to support their reading).
- Have English as an additional language (they can use translation, TTS and dictionary tools to support understanding).
- Are deaf (they can use real-time captioning).
- Have difficulty with handwriting or spelling (they can use spelling and grammar checkers to improve their written work, or dictate with speech-to-text).
- Are non-speaking (they can use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) technology).
A recent blog post by my colleague Shirley Lawson describes how one young learner with cerebral palsy is able to use her iPad with suitable apps and adaptations to access learning more independently.
In a 2020 review of assistive technology commissioned by the Westminster Department for Education, Dave Edyburn wrote: “When a person finds the appropriate AT, they are able to complete tasks that they previously could not complete, did slowly or did poorly. The right AT augments, bypasses or compensates for a disability.”
Harnessing tech to support ASN pupils
While today’s Chromebook, iPad or Windows devices do have excellent accessibility and learning tools built in, the standard devices provided to pupils may not meet the needs of some learners who require more specialised assessment and adaptations. It is also the case that pupils do not always have access to the full range of built-in accessibility tools on their devices, and teachers and practitioners are not always able to download the accessibility learning apps or extensions that are needed for pupils to use devices effectively.
On top of all this digital learning is a new pedagogy for all of us, and pupils, parents and educators need time and support to get the best out of this new technology.
Digital learning and assistive technology have huge potential for learners with ASN and actions to realise this potential should feature in the ASL action plan.
The lack of attention given to digital learning and assistive technology in the plan does not align with other plans and proposals from the Scottish government. For example, in 2021 then education secretary John Swinney pledged: “Just as in my day, the teacher handed out a jotter to all, so in this internet age, we will hand each child the device they need to learn and prosper.”
So what actions are necessary?
Devices must be available and accessible to all
Proving personal devices to every learner has enormous potential to close the attainment gap for learners with ASN, but the devices and digital learning resources must be accessible for all. Local authorities have different strategies and policies, but regardless of whether pupils have iPads, Chromebooks or Windows devices, they should all have the same level of accessibility. This is not currently the case.
We want to see actions to ensure that all learners have the same opportunities to access digital learning and so we are calling for the development and publication of accessibility standards or benchmarks to ensure that digital learning devices and resources are accessible and inclusive - and to meet obligations under equality and accessibility legislation.
Improve teachers’ digital literacy
In CALL Scotland, we offer a wide range of professional learning from our free weekly webinars through to our more intensive 10-week Technology for ASN course. Most local authorities have digital learning teams and professional learning programmes as well. Yet, despite this, we regularly visit schools to support learners where we find that pupils and educators are unaware of the tools that are built into the devices that they have right in front of them.
Education Scotland published a draft Teacher Digital Literacy Framework in December 2022, which “outlines the digital literacy skills, knowledge and understanding a teacher requires”.
We would like to see actions in the plan to help educators develop these skills.
Outline the core elements that pupils who require assistive technology should experience
Above we noted that some learners with more complex additional support needs require more specialised support and assistive technologies, but we know that access to expertise is uneven across the country.
We propose action to develop and implement an “assistive technology pathway” outlining the core elements that pupils who require assistive technology should experience in Scotland. The pathway should address provision at universal, targeted and specialist levels and bring together local and national assistive technology services to ensure that all learners can benefit from an equally high level of provision.
Tap into existing expertise
The 10-year strategy to come out of the 2012 Doran Review of learning provision for children with complex needs and the more recent ASL action plan provide an opportunity for the Scottish education community to think about how assistive technology should be provided for learners with additional support needs.
And CALL Scotland should be part of that discussion. CALL has developed into an essential service and resource for children and young people and their educators, parents and carers in Scotland (and beyond). After 40 years providing training and advice and individually assessing the needs of hundreds of pupils, I think we know something about the topic.
Paul Nisbet is the director of CALL Scotland and an engineer and educational technologist
