Access progression for ICT

The milestones:

Spectator Participator Initiator Creator

The access progression:

Access Level Milestone

Spectator
Access Level 0

The Pupil experiences and responds to the use of ICT equipment, is showing an interest by watching, listening or changing attitude. The use of ICT can be used to enhance sensory awareness by amplifying or selectively promoting visual, auditory or tactile stimulation.

The pupil is experiencing ICT by listening, looking, attending, and responding.

Equals curriculum schemes of work:
PMLD
1a 2a 3a 4a
1b 2b 3b 4b
1c 2c 3c 4c

Equals baseline/level descriptors
1. Experience and respond to stimuli produced by ICT equipment.
2. Experience and respond consistently to stimuli produced by ICT equipment.

P levels:

Access progression:

The pupil does not have a direct input to ICT equipment but is responding to changes in their environment.




Participator
Access level 1. Single action cause and effect.

The pupil is interacting with ICT equipment in his immediate environment they are developing an understanding that an action on their part can cause a reciprocal action in their environment. This activity forms part of the pupils development into becoming an effective individual who can positively affect their environment.

Equals baseline assessment:
Baseline/level descriptor 4
Know that ICT equipment can be used with intent to produce a desired effect.
Baseline/level descriptor 5
Use a range of ICT equipment with intent to produce a desired effect

Equals curriculum schemes of work:
PMLD
SLD

P levels

Access progression:
A single access to ICT equipment leads to a single response.
For example using a computer a single switch press would lead to a discrete activity, animation or sound, the screen would then clear until the next switch press.
Some programs can be configured to give prompts if the switch is not pressed after a certain time ("Press your switch" or "Do it NOW").
The computer responses may be bright and noisy to attract the pupil's attention, it might be better carried out in a multisensory or separate room.
The parameters you can change in single input cause and effect programs are:
Time for reward
The time of the reward can be critical: too short and the pupil has not had sufficient time to notice and respond to the reward; too long and the pupil might loose the causal nature of their action (they might not connect their switch activity with the reward sequence)
Sound for reward
Determined by the pupils own response to different sounds (pitch, volume, speech, music). If a pupil has a marked startle reactions you should generally try to avoid rapid or loud short beeps.
Animation for reward
Depending again on the characteristics of the user, generally I find that very clear cartoon like animation is most easily recognised by most of our pupils.
Creating your own single action cause and effect programs.
The main advantages in creating your own cause and effect programs is that you can make it from resources that you know the pupil responds best.
You can use most multimedia authoring programs (Powerpoint, Macromedia, Clicker, Intellipics, SwitchItmaker etc.etc.)
Examples (hyperlink)




Participator/Initiator
Access level 2. building

P level:
Equals baseline assessment:
Baseline/level descriptor 4
Know that ICT equipment can be used with intent to produce a desired effect.
Baseline/level descriptor 5
Use a range of ICT equipment with intent to produce a desired effect.
Baseline/level descriptor 6
Use a range of simple ICT equipment and software.

Equals schemes of work:


P levels:

Access progression:
These are building programs. The program responds to each switch press (or input) by drawing part of a picture or adding to a scene.
Repeated switch presses are required to finish the picture. When the picture is completed a short animation is usually the final reward. The screen then clears and the program waits for the next switch press to continue. The pupil is learning to become more discriminating and to concentrate for a longer period of time. The variables that
can be altered are the number of switch operations to complete the picture (and thus the time required for the pupil to concentrate), the colours used and the sound.
It can also be important to let the pupil know when he/she has pressed the switch with an auditory and visual cue.
A major difficulty with programs at this level is switch banging; the student can operate the program by tapping the switch repeatedly whilst paying no attention at all to the computer screen.
The computer switches can be positioned so that switch banging is not encouraged (by increasing the difficulty of physical access to the switch or placing where the pupil has to reach up to touch it).
Perhaps the pupil needs to move on to something more demanding or more interesting, certainly I have found switch banging less frequent when using the better sounds and graphics or when the pictures and sounds are ones the pupil is personally interested in.
I have sometimes found it useful to present the switch myself to the pupil and then to remove it after each switch activation, this allows you to personally reinforce the switch action and the computer responses.
It might also be an idea to move onto the next stage in the Access progression; turntaking using two switches to break up the activity and try to make the pupil think which switch he or she has to press next. If the pupil has difficulty in using two separate switches (cognitively or physically) I have often found it useful using two switch turntaking programs with me controlling one of the switches. You will need to reinforce and accentuate each switch action of the pupil, I have found a brief commentary can be useful (see commentaries in special times/intensive interaction)


Access level 3. Turntaking and choosing
P level:

Equals baseline assessment:
Baseline/level descriptor 4
Know that ICT equipment can be used with intent to produce a desired effect.
Baseline/level descriptor 5
Use a range of ICT equipment with intent to produce a desired effect.
Baseline/level descriptor 6
Use a range of simple ICT equipment and software.

Equals schemes of work:


P levels:

Access progression:
This access level involves the alternate use of switch(es).
When using two switch turntaking it can be useful to use two different coloured or different types of switches.
The switch operation can be shared between two pupils enabling a degree of co- operation and changing the nature of the interaction from a solitary task to one promoting group turn taking, communication and negotiation. It can be used as the basis of a small group activities, and group games.











Access level 4 Timing and accuracy.

Milestone: Initiator/Creator

P Levels:

Equals baselines assessment:
Baseline/level descriptor 5
Use a range of ICT equipment with intent to produce a desired effect.
Baseline/level descriptor 6
Use a range of simple ICT equipment and software
Baseline/level descriptor 7
Use ICT to support their learning within a limited range of experiences
Baseline/level descriptor 8
Use ICT to support their learning using a wide range of hardware and software.

Equals curriculum schemes of work:

Access progression:

These are switch accuracy programs. The pupil in operating these programs is required to press his/her switch at a particular time in response to an event on the computer. He/she has to monitor the events on screen, judging when to press the switch and when not to (the waiting is often the most difficult part). The variables that can alter the degree of accuracy required to operate the program are the speed of the target, the size of target and the sound.
The cognitive and operational differences between level 3 (switch building) and level 4 (switch accuracy) are considerable. On the switch building level the pupil is encouraged to repeatedly press a switch, and can do so without reference to the computer program. However level 3 demands that the pupil continually monitors the program to achieve a successful switch press at the right time. Pupils can often be confused when some switch
presses are successful and others are not.
In part the operation may rely on a certain cognitive ability some pupils may never achieve. There are however teaching strategies and linking activities to promote accurrate switching:
Using two switch building programs in which the student has to touch more than one switch for each progressive effect and using two physically different switches e.g. a press switch and a wobble switch.
Using switches at different positions e.g. one on the floor and one on the table.
Using related switch accuracy activities (switching on tape recorders, radios and light room apparatus with a timed switch operation)
Using switch accuracy programs with the teacher in control of one of the switches, so the student has to tell the teacher when to operate the switch. Using physical guidance to help the student to operate the switch at the necessary time and progressively reducing the help.

Access level 5: Scanning access

Milestones: Initiator/creator

P levels:

Equals baseline assessment:

Equals schemes of work:


This level is a continuation of the access level 4 (timing and accuracy) I have placed it into a separate scheme since scanning access is so important to our pupils and it relies on the development of specific skills that build on timing and accuracy.

These are switch scanning programs. The student is presented by a matrix of symbols from which he/she can choose an item. The variables are speed of scan (for 1 switch operation), size of grid (usually 2,4,8 or 16), and the elements within the matrix. Scanning is an important skill necessary for the operation of switch operated speech machines and of switch based word /symbol processors. The different methods of scanning (one/two switch, the different selection methods) and their relative merits are fully examined in the Ace centre document "A Common Terminology for Switch Controlled Software" 1990. There does not appear to be a practical progression within scanning; from a one switch to a two switch method, both have their problems and inherent weakness. Fundamentally what is occurring is the reduction of a multi-choice complex (the individual) to a one or two state switching operation which
is then expanded back to a multi-choice condition at the computer end usually through some kind of scanning access to a grid of words or pictures. There are proportional switching methods that can either respond variably to the pressure applied to the switch, or to the distance the switch mechanism is pushed or to the time the switch is activated. I think these switching methods could be usefully explored since the present simple scanning methods are not very successful for pupils who have severe learning difficulties.



Equals Baseline descriptors in ICT (PMLD and SLD)

Most pupils will:

Baseline/level descriptor 1
Experience and respond to stimuli produced by ICT equipment

Baseline/level descriptor 2
Experience and respond consistently to stimuli produced by ICT equipment

Baseline/level descriptor 3
Be curious and show an interest when using ICT equipment

Baseline/level descriptor 4
Know that ICT equipment can be used with intent to produce a desired effect.

Baseline/level descriptor 5
Use a range of ICT equipment with intent to produce a desired effect.

Baseline/level descriptor 6
Use a range of simple ICT equipment and software

Baseline/level descriptor 7
Use ICT to support their learning within a limited range of experiences

Baseline/level descriptor 8
Use ICT to support their learning using a wide range of hardware and software
Some pupils will have progressed further and will:
Demonstrate an understanding of ICT for communication, expression, gathering information and leisure purposes.