Visual Activities

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Visual Activities and enabling strategies

• Demonstrations and enabling strategies
• Films and enabling strategies
• Presentations and enabling strategies
• Blackboards and Whiteboards and enabling strategies

Adaptations for Assessment 

Description of Visual Activities

Visual activities are means of observing theory in practice through, for example:

• Demonstrations
• Films
• Use of OHPs/PowerPoint presentations
• Use of blackboard/whiteboard

Most people find it easier to see, not just listen, in order to learn. It is important to note that most visual learning activities such as those listed above may also require the learner to use speech and hearing as well as sight.

Skills/Abilities required for Visual Activities:

• Observation
• Concentration
• Attention to detail
• Visual discrimination
• Visual memory

General Strategies

• Preparation: remember to check that all materials that will be required for the demonstration are available.
• Arrange the room so that all learners have a clear view.
• Health and Safety issues: carry out a risk assessment if necessary.  Ensure that all students use appropriate safety equipment.
• Practise: rehearse your demonstration.
• Explain how the demonstration is connected to the learners’ previous learning.
• Allow time for questions.

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Demonstrations

A demonstration allows theory to be linked to practice. It involves showing other people how to do something; it is the display and explanation of a skill. The demonstration may include practical, physical, cognitive and intellectual skills.

Examples of practical/physical demonstrations

• Hairdressing techniques
• Bricklaying
• Sport routine/exercise
• First aid demonstration

Examples of cognitive/intellectual demonstrations

• Writing a business letter
• Analysis of a media text
• Using apostrophes

Enabling strategies

It is important to think about how much vision a student has when considering demonstrations. Some people:

• have blurred vision;
• cannot judge distances and speed;
• unable to distinguish between objects that have similar colour or shape;
• may be able to see things that are very close but not be able to see things in the middle or far distance;
• have a restricted range of vision (e.g. tunnel vision).

Most people who have a visual impairment have some useful sight, so the nature of the demonstration will determine whether or not they can see it. For example, some learners with visual impairments may be able to see a demonstration that has been uploaded to a PC by peering closely at the screen, but be unable to see the same demonstration conducted in ‘real life’.

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Films

When using films as a learning resource, check with the distributors if they can supply disks which enable onscreen subtitles for the deaf and hearing impaired. These can also provide audio descriptions via infra red headsets for visually impaired learners.  Don’t assume that a person with a visual impairment can’t benefit from ‘watching’ a film.

Enabling strategies

• Ask partially sighted students what helps them most, because the support they require may be very different.
• If you have someone who is Deaf or hard of hearing in your class, use subtitles wherever possible.
• If a learner has a support assistant, it would be helpful if they could be enabled to watch the film beforehand so that they can later provide supplementary information to the learner in the most appropriate format.
• Provide supplementary materials to support learners with sensory impairments. These materials will also be useful to support workers and interpreters.
• Discuss potential barriers with disabled learners in advance.

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Presentations

Presentations are the process of providing information to an audience.  A presentation program, such as Microsoft PowerPoint, is often used to present the content.

Enabling strategies

• If there are people who cannot see or read off the screen in your group, read out what is written on the screen when using a whiteboard, blackboard, overhead transparency or PowerPoint presentation.
• Explain fully any diagrams, illustrations, acronyms or videos you use.
• Produce materials in advance for those who need them
• Remember to produce your course information with plenty of time for the material to be put into Braille or have the print modified, if required.
• When preparing handouts, pay attention to how easy they are to read. Keep them clear and simple. Use an accessible sans serif fonts; Arial at 14 point size is a good starting point for clarity. Black print on yellow or white paper is usually clear, although students with visual stress may have individual preferences. An uncluttered layout without too much information on one page is helpful.
• Avoid placing text over a background illustration or pattern.
• Upload presentations/handouts onto an intranet Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), if available, in advance of the session. This will enable learners to prepare for your session.
• Help learners to customise their PC environment, VDU, default fonts - check out JISC TechDis for further information.
• Some learners find it easier to record sessions, as this may be the most efficient way for them to make accurate notes; review materials and ideas and discuss the content with others at a later date.  Digital recorders are now sophisticated machines that allow easy tracking of information. Check that the learner has a strategy to locate information either by using an index marker or dividing recordings up into timed sections.
• With the learner, explore techniques that help to compensate for perceptual difficulties. For example, discuss ways of isolating lines or blocks of information, possibly using windows cut out of card. Use a frame or ruler to identify the line of text and to help move the eye to the next line.
• Use colour and imagery to highlight key points or important details.
• Encourage learners with visual stress to use coloured overlays to cover the text they are reading; this can dramatically reduce the glare from white paper.

JISC TechDis offers good advice on Delivering Presentations Inclusively

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Blackboards and Whiteboards

Enabling strategies

• Never speak when facing away from learners, as those with hearing impairments rely on seeing the face and mouth to make sense of the words.
• Adjust lighting for individuals, where possible.  Generally, good lighting is helpful, but for some students too much light can be a hindrance, and glare from shiny surfaces can be very distracting. Many people who are partially sighted are photophobic - they cannot tolerate bright light.
• Remember that some people with autism cannot bear the high frequency ‘buzzing’ of strip lighting.

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Assessment

Remember that people with the same impairments may need different adjustments to practice to enable them to engage with the assessment process and demonstrate their learning.

When assessing your learners, be very clear about exactly what it is you are testing. For example, in asking learners to write an essay in an exam, are you testing the learners’ knowledge and understanding of the topic, or the ability to write clearly and precisely? Decide what you are assessing and how many marks are apportioned for each element (knowledge or good writing, memory or understanding)

Consider why you are assessing in a particular way, and whether another method may be more inclusive. In some cases, the exact format of the assessment is critical to the demonstration of the intended learning outcome. For example a course in hairdressing would require a practical demonstration of competence; but, where possible, allow your learners to have a choice about how they demonstrate their knowledge and skills; in other words allow them to demonstrate their knowledge and skill in a variety of formats.

There may be occasions where you have provided the disabled learner with an alternative assessment (e.g. a blind learner may need to give their answers orally rather than in writing). In such cases, you should ensure the integrity of the alternative and make sure that the disabled learner is judged on their ability to meet the criteria – providing neither a disadvantage nor advantage over other learners.

Adaptations for Assessment

• Some students may rely on equipment to meet the needs of the assessment, whether in a formal examination environment, or the less formal setting in which assignments are prepared for continuous assessment.
• Consider how much time will be needed for completing assignments.
• Some disabled learners will need extra time to complete their assessments.
• Some disabled learners who are working in a group may need extra time to complete the assignment.
• Can work be dictated onto tape or can the student give an oral presentation instead?
• Will the learner require an assistant or a scribe?
• Students with visual difficulties may require examination papers in formats such as Braille, tape or enlarged print.
• The questions and/or titles of the assignment may need to be provided on disk.
• A tape recorder, computer, scribe or assistant, may be needed to enable a disabled learner to complete their assignment.
• Be clear about the role and involvement of equipment or an assistant; ensure that the student maintains control and is fully responsible for producing their assignments.

Click here for Adjustments for Assessments taken under Examination Conditions

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