Lesson video

Hello, my name is Mrs. Andy Bush.

Welcome to Computing.

I'm so glad you could join the lesson today.

Today's lesson, we're going to be learning about accessibility technology and how it can support people with specific needs.

Welcome to today's lesson from the unit, IT and the World of Work.

Today's lesson is called Accessibility.

And by the end of this lesson, you'll be able to recognise how technology supports individuals' access to the modern working world and how accessibility issues affect people at work.

Throughout the lesson, we'll come across these key words.

Let's have a look at them together now.

Accessibility.

Accessibility, the quality of things being easily used, understood, and physically reached.

Collaboration.

Collaboration, two or more people working together.

Throughout this lesson, there'll be three sections.

The first section is identify communication tools for collaboration, the second section is evaluate collaborative working, and the third section is examine technology tools that assist accessibility.

Let's get started.

Remote working is now a key part of the world of work.

It relies on communication and collaboration.

What do communication and collaboration mean to you? Okay.

Let's have a look together.

Communication, sharing information.

Collaboration, two or more people working together.

A wide variety of collaboration and communication tools are available for the workplace.

It's important that an organisation considers the purpose of these tools.

This way, they can select the ones that work best for them.

Okay, let's check your understanding.

We'll read through these paragraphs together, and then you're going to fill the gaps.

Collaboration and communication tools.

A wide variety of and communication tools are available for the.

It's important that an organisation considers the of these tools.

This way they can, the ones that work best for them.

Okay, from the four words: purposes, select, collaboration, and workplace, put the correct word in the correct gap.

Pause the video and we'll come back for some feedback shortly.

Okay.

How did you get on? Let's have a look together.

So a wide variety of collaboration and communication tools are available for the workplace.

It's important that an organisation considers the purposes of these tools.

This way, they can select the ones that work best for them.

How did you do? Did you get them all right? Okay.

Let's have a look at some available platforms. Google Workspace, Slack, Cisco WebEx, Dropbox, Trello, Evernote, Skype and CloudConnect.

Have you heard of any of these platforms before? What does this type of platform have to offer? Let's take a closer look at some features.

Chat tools.

Chat tools allow colleagues to send instant messages to each other to communicate in real time.

This can increase productivity and sometimes it's a quicker and easier solution rather than sending an email.

Cloud storage.

Cloud storage allows staff within an organisation to access files from anywhere.

Enabling seamless work from any location.

Calendars.

Online calendars can help staff to organise their schedules.

Calendars can be shared across an organisation, allowing colleagues to view each other's availability, and people can set up shared meetings and invite others to join them.

Video calls.

Video calls can be used to meet colleagues virtually.

This means that people work in different locations can communicate face-to-face.

Collaborative note-taking.

Collaborative note-taking allows people to make notes that are visible to others.

This can be helpful as employees can see how other people have interpreted things from their perspective.

Collaborative documents.

Collaborative documents allow multiple users to see and edit a documents simultaneously.

This means that everyone accesses only one version of the document.

People don't have to save and share multiple versions via email.

This is quite useful for sharing comments and making amendments.

Okay, let's check your understanding game.

This time, you're going to match each tool to its description.

So the tools are video calls, chat tools, note-taking.

And the descriptions are, allows colleagues to send instant messages to each other to communicate in real time, which can increase productivity.

Allows colleagues to see how other people have interpreted things from their perspective.

And finally, allows colleagues to meet virtually.

Meaning that people working different locations can communicate face-to-face.

Okay, pause the video.

Have a go at matching the tool to the description.

Let's see how you got on.

Video calls.

Video calls allow colleagues to meet virtually, meaning that people working different locations can communicate face to face-to-face.

Chat tools.

Chat tools allow colleagues to send instant messages to each other to communicate in real time, which can increase productivity.

Note-taking.

Note-taking allows colleagues to see how other people have interpreted things from their perspective.

Okay, let's look at some more features and tools.

Screen sharing.

Screen sharing allows people to share what's on their screen with others as part of a remote meeting.

A bit like what we're doing now.

This can be beneficial in many ways, such as when demonstrating how to use a piece of software.

Collaborative whiteboards.

Collaborative whiteboards are visual tools that offer functions for drawing texts and post-it notes.

Users can edit the document at the same time.

This is good idea for brainstorming ideas and getting ideas for a project together.

These tools are often used for brainstorming ideas.

Discussion forums. A discussion forum is a platform where people can discuss particular topics.

People can post and read messages whenever they want.

Okay.

Let's start task A.

The first part of the task, name the three communication tools for collaboration that you think will be most useful to you when working collaboratively.

Then explain how you would use these tools to support you in working collaborative with others.

Pause the video and have a go at the task.

Okay.

Let's see how you got on.

We'll look at an example together.

So Sophia said, collaborative documents.

"I use collaborative documents lots in my work already.

I often use online presentation software to create presentations as a group.

It's helpful to have a version history as we can revert back to another version if needed.

I also like that I can delete something and have 30 days to get it back from the bin." Collaborative note-taking.

Sophia said, "I haven't done this, but I like the way it will let me see other people's perspectives.

I think this will give me the confidence to know I'm on the right track.

For example, before I start to write an essay or complete a longer piece of work." How does your response compare to Sophia's? Have you included the same kind of features and detail? Video calls.

Sophia said, "I use video calls a lot to speak to my friends and family.

I'd like to make use of the screen-sharing facility.

This would allow my brother to talk me through new pieces of software when I'm having problems understanding the new tools.

He's really good on computers." Okay, now it's time to move on to the next section of the lesson.

Evaluate collaborative working.

Let's get started.

Collaboration.

What does collaborative working mean to you? Can you think of advantages and disadvantages of this way of working? Pause the video and give it some thought.

Okay, let's look at the advantages of collaborative working.

Communication tools for collaboration.

As we've just seen, there are many tools that can be used to streamline workflows such as collaborative documents, video calls, and shared calendars.

Having a wide range of tools enables you to select the most appropriate tool for the job.

Knowledge sharing.

When multiple people work on the same project, they can share a variety of expertise across the team.

Improved problem solving.

Each person on the team will have their own perspective, knowledge and skillset when problem solving, which can boost creativity.

Individuals may feel supported when working as a team as they can discuss ideas and approaches to solving problems with others.

Increased productivity.

Tasks can be assigned to team members based on their expertise.

Using people's strength and skills increases productivity.

Think about when you've done group work in school.

It's often that people have different sets of skills that make the whole project or task easier.

Staff can be motivated by teamwork, encouraging each other to work towards common goals.

Disadvantages of collaborative working.

Complex decision-making.

When multiple people are involved in decision-making, it can become a lengthy process as not everyone will agree on the same thing.

I'm sure, again, you've experienced this when working in groups or even deciding on doing things with your friends.

Sometimes if there's lots of people involved, the decision can take a lot longer.

Coordination of resources.

The coordination of resources can become more complicated when multiple people are involved in a project.

This could involve coordinating rooms for staff to work in, software licences, or allocation of hardware.

Personality conflicts.

Within an organisation or team, there may be some clashes of personality, which may make it difficult for people to work together effectively.

People's behaviour towards each other may lower productivity and have a negative effect on the team.

Lack of accountability.

When staff work independently, it's easy to see who is accountable for the work completed.

Accountable means the person who is responsible for doing a particular job or task.

In a collaborative situation, it's harder to see who has done what, and some people may lack accountability for the work they have or haven't done.

Okay, let's check your understanding.

We're going to read through the paragraph and you're going to fill the gaps.

When staff work, it's easy to see who is, for the work completed.

In a situation, it's hard to see who has done what and some people may lack for the work they have or haven't done.

Choose from the four words below: accountability, collaborative, accountable, independently, and fill in the gaps.

Pause the video.

Okay.

Let's see how you got on.

Lack of accountability.

When staff work independently, it's easy to see who is accountable for the work completed.

In a collaborative situation, it is harder to see who has done what, and some people may lack accountability for the work they have or haven't done.

How did you get on? Did you fill the gaps correctly? Let's continue looking at disadvantages of collaborative working.

Unequal contributions.

There may be friction within the team if people don't all contribute similar amount of work.

True or false? Sometimes an advantage of collaborative working for some people can be a disadvantage for others.

Do you think the answer is true or false? Pause the video and give this some thought.

Okay, well, the answer is true.

Why is that? Something that is a positive for one organisation or group of people may be negative for another.

Think about collaborative decision-making.

For some organisations, increased numbers of people may make decision-making tricky, as everyone has their own opinion and managing this could be difficult.

For others, the range of knowledge and opinions might mean that better decisions are made.

Okay, moving on to task B, advantages and disadvantages of collaborative working.

What you're going to do is consider the statements on the following slide and think about where they would fit in this Venn diagram so they can be advantages, which will appear on the left, both would be in the middle, and disadvantages on the right.

Let's have a look at the statements together.

A, multiple people can work on a document at the same time.

B, the progress of a task can be tracked.

C, a better product can be delivered quickly.

D, shared ideas may create conflict.

E, people may have different skill levels when using a platform.

F, files can be accessed anytime, anywhere, and on any device.

Pause the video and have a go at the task.

Okay, let's see how you got on.

So the first advantage or disadvantage, multiple people can work on a document at the same time.

But that is actually both an advantage and a disadvantage because people can work together and collaborate but also sometimes there can be issues with conflicts and agreement.

B, the progress of a task can be tracked.

Well, that's an advantage 'cause everybody can easily see where the progress of the task is up to.

C, a better product can be delivered quickly.

Again, that's an advantage.

D, shared ideas may create conflict.

Well, that's a disadvantage because conflict within an organisation or within a team is never good.

E, people might have different skill levels when using a platform, but that's both an advantage and a disadvantage.

An advantage because it helps the job and the task to get done easily, but also a disadvantage 'cause some people may not have the skills required to complete the task.

F, files can be accessed anytime, anywhere and on any device.

Well, that has to be an advantage.

Okay, now it's time to move on to the third part of our lesson.

Examine technology tools that assist accessibility.

Communication and collaboration.

Remote working is now a key part of the world of work.

It relies on communication and collaboration.

How can the world of work be adapted to support those with disabilities so that they can communicate and collaborate effectively? On platforms for online communication, accessibility features support users with diverse needs.

Technology empowers individuals with visible or hidden disabilities to manage their time effectively while working remotely, access jobs that might otherwise be out of reach, communicate and collaborate seamlessly with colleagues, and four, contribute as valued members of workplace teams. Accessibility tools.

Let's take a look at some of the accessibility tools that are available.

Voice recognition.

Voice recognition converts spoken words to digital text.

This can be helpful for people who cannot hear audio clearly or people who find typing difficult.

Screen readers.

Screen reader software converts onscreen text into spoken words.

This supports people who have difficulties reading text on the screen.

Alt text.

Alt text is text-based description of what an image shows.

So for example, if this image of the dog was on the screen, the alt text would say, golden retriever standing on pavement with leaves on the floor.

This can support people with visual impairments.

People who struggle to see an image can use a screen reader to hear a description of what is in the picture.

Subtitles.

Subtitles are primarily used to translate audio from one language to another and show the words on the screen.

Subtitles are added to most television programmes to make content more accessible to a wider audience.

Closed captions are similar to subtitles but are designed for accessibility purposes to support people who cannot hear audio.

They include dialogue and descriptions of sound effects and music.

Okay, let's check your understanding so far.

So closed captions.

Closed captions are similar to but are designed for purposes to support people who cannot hear.

They include the, and descriptions of sound effects and music.

Okay, so you're going to fill the gaps with four words at the bottom of the screen: audio, accessibility, subtitles, dialogue, Pause the video and have a go.

Let's see how you got on.

Closed captions are similar to subtitles but are designed for accessibility purposes to support people who cannot hear audio.

They include the dialogue and descriptions of sound effects and music.

Well done.

Okay, let's continue to look at some of the tools and features.

Eye and motion tracking.

Eye-tracking monitors the position of a person's eyes.

People can use their eyes to control devices with this technology.

Motion-tracking monitors the movement of objects or people.

People can use their body movements to control devices with this technology.

I'm sure some of you may have used different games consoles where it tracks your movement to control the game.

Switch devices.

These can take the place of mice or keyboards.

They support people who cannot use traditional mice or keyboards when accessing computer systems. Adaptive keyboard.

An adaptive keyboard is a special type of keyboard designed to help people who find regular keyboards difficult to use.

It can be customised in different ways to make typing easier.

Some examples of how an adaptive keyboard might be different.

It might have larger keys, the keys can be arranged or programmed to do different things, like print or save a file.

Some even have pictures or symbols instead of letters.

These options can support people with different disabilities, visual, hearing, and physical.

Okay, now we're going to look at list of tools and identify whether each tool improves accessibility for individuals with a visual, hearing, or physical disability.

Okay, so the tools are voice recognition, specialist keyboard, alt text, switches, motion or eye tracking, and screen readers.

Pause the video and give this some thought.

How did you get on with this activity? Let's have a look at the outcomes together.

Voice recognition.

Voice recognition supports people with visual disabilities.

Specialist keyboard.

Specialist keyboard supports people with a physical disability.

Alt text supports people with a visual disability and switches support people with a physical disability.

Motion or eye tracking supports people with both a physical and a hearing disability.

And finally, screen readers support people with a hearing disability.

How did you do? Did you get them all right? Accessibility tools.

Technology is transforming the way individuals with disability access the world around them.

This increases the opportunity for these individuals to successfully develop a career of their choice.

Okay, we're now going to move on to task C.

For each of the following tools, describe the purpose of the tool, who it benefits, and how it improves accessibility in the workplace.

One Screen, reader, two, adaptive keyboard, and three, speech-to-tech software.

Pause the video while you complete the task.

How did you get on? First of all, let's have a look at screen reader.

Andeep said, "A screen reader reads out everything on the screen like text and menus.

It's really useful for people who are blind or who have poor eyesight.

It helps 'em to do their job without needing to see the screen.

They can write emails, read documents, and use websites just like everyone else.

How did you get on? Did you include as much detail as Andeep? If not, maybe go back and have a look at the information.

Okay.

Adaptive keyboard.

Andeep said, "An adaptive keyboard is a special keyboard that can be changed to make typing easier.

It might have bigger keys or different layouts, helping people who find it hard to type due to disabilities, like shaky hands or arthritis.

It makes typing less frustrating and helps people work more easily on computers.

Finally, speech-to-text software.

Andeep said, "This lets you speak into a microphone and turn your words into writing on the screen.

It's great for people who struggle with typing as it saves time and it makes it easy for them to write documents or emails just by talking." Well done for completing the task.

You've done a great job.

You've examined the tools that assist accessibility.

You've come to the end of today's lesson, and you've done a fantastic job.

Well done.

Let's summarise what we've learned.

Assistive technologies, for example, screen readers, voice recognition software, closed captioning, help individuals with disabilities engage fully in digital environments.

On platforms for online communication, accessibility features support users with diverse needs.

Popular tools for communication include email, instant messaging, video conferencing, and discussion forums. I hope you've enjoyed today's lesson, and I look forward to seeing you soon.