The Open Training College operates the principle of inclusive access to learning materials and opportunities for all students. This is achieved through the Supported Open Learning Model and the College’s Virtual Learning environment MyOTC, which facilitates the presentation of learning materials in a variety of formats and provides multiple opportunities for students to dialogue with staff and collaborate with other students.

For more information on the Supported Open Learning Model and a  demonstration with Articulate Presenter, please click here.

However, it is recognised that some students who present to the College with specific learning support requirements (e.g. medical condition, specific learning difficulty, physical disability, mental health issue etc.) may require additional individual consideration and accommodations to provide them with equal opportunity to succeed on their chosen programme.

Why disclose?

It is important for students and applicants to make the College aware of your support needs as soon as possible so that appropriate supports can be identified and put in place for you to ensure the best possible learning experience for you as an individual, and the best possible opportunity for you to be successful in your studies.

Following a discussion and identification of your learning support requirement(s) by a professional, the College will work with you to identify appropriate and reasonable supports for you in your chosen programme.

What supports are available?

Some of the supports that have been provided to learners to date include:

1. Supports for students with a physical/sensory disability:

• Venue checks to ensure accessibility and appropriate facilities
• Physical modifications to the training and examination environment e.g. seating arrangements, sound amplification etc.
• Learning materials provided in accessible, modifiable electronic formats
• Learning materials developed using multimedia, including ScreenR and Articulate
• Additional time allocated to complete assessments
• Alternative assessment formats, e.g. Viva Voce
• Support of a scribe to complete examinations
• Access to open source assistive technology software, e.g. Screen Reader, Browse Aloud

2. Supports for students with a specific learning difficulty, e.g. Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia

• Alternative assessment formats, e.g. Viva Voce
• Support of a scribe to complete examinations
• Additional time allocated to complete assessments
• Spelling and/or grammar waiver for assessments
• Extended individual tutorial support
• Provision of lecture materials in advance of lectures/workshops

What our students say….

“The support I received was excellent. My tutor and head of year in third year were so supportive, both of my medical condition and the stress I was under that I could not have got through without them. I always knew I could contact them if I was struggling, without being judged as being a time waster or poor student.”

“My tutor and the College were very supportive, easy to talk to and gave me good advice and help. I’m very pleased and happy and (it) made things easier on me as I was not well and my tutor helped to alleviate my stress by being so understanding.”

“Tutor ensured that the graduation ceremony was totally accessible and changes were made to the original format in order to ensure my full and equal participation as for my fellow students. The classroom was suitable also.”

ScreenR

ScreenR is a web-based tool that allows the College to create screencasts, which can be viewed by students without the need to install any software. These screencasts are a verbal and visual presentation demonstrating how to complete some academic tasks, allowing tutors to provide step-by-step instructions to students that can be viewed repeatedly by the student from their own pc, laptop, or other web-enabled device.

Articulate

Articulate Presenter allows the College to quickly develop online multimedia presentations, briefings, and tutorials for students. These presentations integrate narration and interactivity with a standard PowerPoint file and reduces the size of normal presentations so they download fast and can be played on student’s pc, laptop, or other web-enabled device using Flash player. Click here for demonstration.

Viva Voce

A Viva Voce is an alternative/additional assessment technique whereby a student gives an oral account of their response to a set assignment/exam question in the presence of a tutor. This is recorded and presented for the purposes of assessment and certification of a student’s learning.

Scribe

A scribe is a person who writes down a candidate’s dictated answers to questions in an exam situation. The scribe must record only the dictated words.  It is not the function of the scribe to structure, analyse or plan during the scribing process.

Screen Reader

A Screen Reader is a software application that will identify and interpret what is being displayed on a computer screen and convert the text on the screen to speech for the user.

Browse Aloud

BrowseAloud reads web pages aloud for people who find it difficult to read online. Reading large amounts of text on screen can be difficult for those with literacy and visual impairments.

Dyslexia

Dyslexia is a reading disorder that is marked by difficulties with reading speed, accuracy and/or comprehension- despite adequate intelligence and teaching. Often there are other associated symptoms such as poor spelling, writing, handwriting and occasionally mathematical difficulties.

Dyscalculia

Dyscalculia or math disability is a specific learning disability involving innate difficulty in learning or comprehending mathematics. It is akin to dyslexia and includes difficulty in understanding numbers, learning how to manipulate numbers, learning math facts, and a number of other related symptoms.

Dysgraphia

Dysgraphia is a deficiency in the ability to write, primarily in terms of handwriting, but sometimes also in terms of coherence. It occurs regardless of the ability to read and is not due to intellectual impairment.

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