Schools, colleges and higher education providers across the UK now use a variety of different e-learning platforms to support their pupils and students.
They can allow students to access a range of learning materials (e.g. pdf’s, videos, presentations) and submit assignments, in an inclusive and accessible learning environment.
Higher education providers should have accessible and mobile ready e-learning platforms
The Disabled Student Sector Leadership Group (DSSLG) published a report in January about how higher education providers can ensure they are equipped to support disabled students.
The report says that small changes can make a big difference to inclusive learning and that all teaching materials should be available to students on an accessible e-learning platform:
“…there are some very simple changes that can make a significant difference to student outcomes around inclusive practice:
“[These include] Housing all teaching materials on the virtual learning environment in such a way that students can access them when they are needed, before or after formal teaching.”
In short, up-to-date information should be accessible no matter what device your students are using or what language they speak, but are you sure that your e-learning platform is mobile ready?
It simply MUST be! Just look at how your students use mobile devices in 2017.
Smartphones are vital for your students
The OFCOM Communications Market Report 2017 that was published in August shows that your students use mobile devices to access the internet from anywhere to suit their needs.
And most of them consider their smartphones as their number one device to access the internet.
The report says:
“For most people, mobile devices are their most important device for accessing the internet.
“Consistent with high take-up, more than four in ten (42%) UK internet users, including nearly two-thirds of 16-34 year olds and 44% of 35-54s, regard their smartphones as their most important device for accessing the internet.” (pp 164)
This data is consistent with other figures published by OFCOM in its Access and Inclusion in 2016 report, which was released in March.
The report shows that:
- 93% of 16 – 24 year olds use a smartphone for personal use – this is a whopping 20% greater than the UK average (73%) for the total population
- 97% of 16 – 24 year olds use the internet anywhere – this is a 10% more than the UK average (87%) for the total population
These figures for smart phone use show just how important they are for young people.
This includes the one in in five people in the UK have some form of disability.
Recite Me can make your site mobile ready and accessible to everyone
Recite Me is a cloud-based accessibility software programme that will let all your students access your website and e-learning platform anytime, anywhere, on any mobile device or PC.
It is great for people with learning difficulties like dyslexia or disabilities such as full or partial sight-loss, or loss of mobility through wide-ranging health conditions.
For example, it offers students the option to have text from any website read-aloud to them.
It also gives students the option of downloading and saving any written web content as an MP3 file, which means they can listen to it on any mobile device or PC, where and when they want to.
Recite Me also has a number of other great features that help students with disabilities and learning difficulties like dyslexia.
Book your free trial now!
If you want to ensure you’re supporting your students by making your academic web content mobile ready and accessible to everyone book a free trial of Recite Me for your university now.
Do you want to ensure you’re supporting your students by making your academic web content mobile ready and accessible to everyone?
Book a free trial of Recite Me for your university now.
