CALL Scotland: Experts in assistive technology

CALL (Communication, Access, Literacy and Learning) Scotland is a small unit within the Moray House School of Education, The University of Edinburgh. The Centre is co-located with the Scottish Sensory Centre. They were delighted to have celebrated their 25th Anniversary recently and a 25th birthday commemorative booklet is available. CALL is both a Service and a Research Unit. Service activity is limited by the amount of staff time available, but is open to anyone in Scotland concerned with communication difficulties, particularly in a learning context.

The team at CALL Scotland recently published a guidebook entitled iPads for Communication, Access, Literacy and Learning (iCALL). The Guide aims to support readers who are not necessarily technical specialists and who want to use the iPad with children or adults with additional support needs, special educational needs or disability.The book contains chapters on the following and can be accessed via this link:

  • Getting to grips with the iPad
  • Apps to support teaching & learning
  • Accessibility Options
  • iPad Accessories
  • iPad Resources
  • iPad in Assessments and Exams
  • Managing & Implementing the iPad
  • Glossary of Terms
  • iPad Management using iTunes: some useful tips.

You can keep up to date with the work of CALL Scotland and their forthcoming events and developments in the use of augmentative and alternative communication by following them on Twitter

Framework Supplier Guidance: Managing Apps

Framework Supplier

XMA was awarded the Scottish Government National Framework Agreement for Notebook and Tablet Devices Education Lot in March 2013. The framework enables schools, colleges and universities in Scotland to purchase from a range of Android, Apple iOS and Microsoft Windows mobile devices.

As discussed in the post ‘Purchasing Apps’, some modern tablet platforms manage the deployment of applications in a different manner to traditional Windows and OS X operating systems. Apps purchased from application stores on Android and iOS, for example, are specific to the account of the user downloading or purchasing them, rather than to the device. This raises some issues around purchase and installation of apps provided on the device at deployment as well as of those provided post-deployment. In some cases, schools choose to treat apps as consumable items, whereby apps are gifted to pupils who can then continue to use them when they leave school, others use a model where the school maintains ownership of the apps, which are retrieved and redeployed when pupils leave school. The former model requires little setup by the school as redemption codes are sent to pupils who redeem them against their own account. The latter model may look financially attractive but will require up-front work to configure the device, the resource cost of which may ultimately be more than the cost of the apps themselves.

There are circumstances where, with an additional Mobile Device Management (MDM) service, you may be able to deploy applications to tablet devices over the air. There are free and paid MDM solutions available offering varied functionality and XMA can advise of the best solution to suit your individual requirements.

Framework Supplier Guidance: Deployment of a variety of platforms

Framework Supplier

XMA was awarded the Scottish Government National Framework Agreement for Notebook and Tablet Devices Education Lot in March 2013. The framework enables schools, colleges and universities in Scotland to purchase from a range of Android, Apple iOS and Microsoft Windows mobile devices.

In some cases, schools may wish to deploy a variety of device platforms. It is important to consider the impact that this will have on teaching and support staff.

If teaching staff are utilising certain apps for particular tasks you may not find the same app available across all platform application stores. Certainly you may find similar apps, but it may become difficult in lessons to account for what features are available in one app versus another. Those involved in configuring and managing devices would have to become familiar with the features of all device platforms and in some cases limit functionality of services offered to a ‘lowest common denominator’.

Framework Supplier Guidance: Workflow

Framework Supplier

XMA was awarded the Scottish Government National Framework Agreement for Notebook and Tablet Devices Education Lot in March 2013. The framework enables schools, colleges and universities in Scotland to purchase from a range of Android, Apple iOS and Microsoft Windows mobile devices.

While some tablet devices maintain a traditional ‘icons and folders’ style interface for file management, some modern platforms such as iOS have simplified file management by storing files created by apps within a separate app data store, only accessible by the app that created them. For example, files created in the Keynote app are shown in Keynote, not in a system wide Finder or Windows Explorer style application. This can have some implications when it comes to classroom workflow, especially around submission of work from pupil to teacher, markup of that work and returning it to a pupil. Many apps (including Keynote used in this example) offer an ‘Open In…’ or ‘Share’ option allowing you to move the document to another app, email it, print it, etc.

With Glow’s migration to Office 365 it is expected that a shared storage space will be accessible across all platforms offered on the framework (Android, iOS and Windows) either through a native Skydrive app from Microsoft or an app developed for all platforms designed specifically for Glow storage. Watch this space!

Framework Supplier Guidance: Safe Harbour

Framework Supplier

XMA was awarded the Scottish Government National Framework Agreement for Notebook and Tablet Devices Education Lot in March 2013. The framework enables schools, colleges and universities in Scotland to purchase from a range of Android, Apple iOS and Microsoft Windows mobile devices.

If you are using online services or apps that store personal data, you should consider that the developer may utilise storage that is outwith the UK and the EU. The UK law that governs the storage of personal data is the Data Protection Act 1998 (http:// www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1998/29/contents). In relation to storage of personal data, the act notes:

Personal data shall not be transferred to a country or territory outside the European Economic Area unless that country or territory ensures an adequate level of protection for the rights and freedoms of data subjects in relation to the processing of personal data.

In effect this means that personal pupil data should not be stored with services or apps that are utilising storage outside of the European Economic Area, unless the company providing the service or app agrees to observe the same level of protection for the data as provided within the EEA. There is an agreement between the US and the EU whereby American businesses can adopt the principles of the relevant EU Directive and these companies are listed on the US Government’s Department of Commerce Safe Harbor site or at TRUSTe’s directory. The latter is kept more up to-date than the Department of Commerce site. Apple, Google and Microsoft are all listed at TRUSTe as holding an EU Safe Harbour Seal.

If in any doubt you should contact your Local Education Authority’s Information Officer.

Framework Supplier Guidance: Authentication on School Networks

Framework Supplier

XMA was awarded the Scottish Government National Framework Agreement for Notebook and Tablet Devices Education Lot in March 2013. The framework enables schools, colleges and universities in Scotland to purchase from a range of Android, Apple iOS and Microsoft Windows mobile devices.

Devices offered on the framework offer standard compatibility with wi-fi networks. Compatibility may be dependent on the setup of the network and the security features that have been configured. It is therefore important to consult with the administrator of your wireless network (who could be in your LEA or a third-party service provider) to find out what security features have been employed.

In some cases, you may wish to provide access to data or services that are currently available to staff or pupils who login to Windows or OS X computers in your school. With devices running Windows 8, it is possible to login as a directory-based user in this manner, but Android and iOS devices are designed to be used by one individual and do not have a login screen. You can utilise third-party applications on Android and iOS to access home folders stored on school or LEA servers, copy the file to your mobile device, edit it and transfer it back.

Framework Supplier Guidance: Purchase of Apps

XMA was awarded the Scottish Government National Framework Agreement for Notebook and Tablet Devices Education Lot in March 2013. The framework enables schools, colleges and universities in Scotland to purchase from a range of Android, Apple iOS and Microsoft Windows mobile devices.

Framework Supplier

With these modern operating systems the method for purchasing applications and licensing is quite different from the method you may be familiar with for traditional Windows or Mac computers. In the past you would probably have purchased software applications from a computer reseller or retail shop on some sort of removable media like a DVD, CD or a floppy disk. This would have an associated license agreement (and often a license key or serial number) that would allow you to install the application on a single computer or across multiple computers. Tablet devices offered on the national framework all come with an application store (or app store) built-in to the device’s operating system. This is the primary (and with Apple devices, the only) method for purchasing, downloading and installing applications. These application stores are as follows:

Android
Devices


Apple
IOS Devices


Microsoft
Windows Devices


ASUS Nexus 7, Galaxy Note 10.1
iPad mini, iPad
Dell Latitude 10

Google Play

App Store

Windows Store

All three stores offer free and paid applications and require you to sign up for an account to download either. These accounts can often be used to purchase and download other types of media such as music, movies and digital books and to access other services offered by the store’s vendor. These accounts are as follows:

Google Play

Google Account (with Google Wallet for paid apps)

App Store

Apple ID

Windows Store

Microsoft Account

Each store will prompt the user to setup an account or log in to an existing account when you first try to download an application. When downloading free applications you will be required to enter contact details but payment details will not be required. More information on each vendor’s specific application store can be found on their websites as follows:

Google Play

App Store

Windows Store

When creating an account and downloading applications from these three stores you are essentially entering into a legal agreement with the store vendor or application developer that outlines the use of the application. This agreement will cover the use of applications on multiple devices (similar to licenses that you would have purchased with traditional software as noted above).

While all of these stores allow you to re-download purchased applications on other devices that use the same account, each store (and in the case of Google Play and Windows Store, each application) will offer different terms for the use of applications on multiple devices. An outline of these is noted below but it is important that you read and understand the terms and conditions that you agree to when creating an account and when downloading an application. Also note that the terms of use are often different for institutions than for individuals.

Google Play

Defined by app developer

App Store

App licensed for use on one device only

Windows Store

Defined by app developer

Having an understanding of how apps are licensed on the device platform you are using will help define your strategy for account creation. For example, if the applications you are purchasing from Google Play are licensed for use on an unlimited number of devices, it would make sense to use the same Google Account across multiple devices. Given that the App Store requires one app per device it would make sense to create an Apple ID for each user. This in turn raises issues around purchase method and application deployment.

For paid applications you must have a suitable payment method associated with your application store account. Supported payment methods differ from store to store but all support debit and credit cards. It is unlikely that an institution would want to allow learners access to an account that is associated with a debit or credit card.

Google Play

Credit/Debit card (via Google Wallet) Gift/Pre-paid cards

App Store

Credit/Debit card Gift/Pre-paid cards

Windows Store

Credit/Debit card Gift/Pre-paid cards

As an alternative to the App Store, Apple offers a method of purchasing application redemption codes in bulk with their Volume Purchase Programme for Education. These redemption codes can be distributed to users and allow them to download paid apps without requiring a payment method associated with their Apple ID. The institution manages purchase through a central portal which requires a credit or debit card but these details are not exposed to end users. The programme also offers a 50 percent discount on many apps when purchasing 20 or more copies. Details of the programme are available on the Apple website.

Microsoft does not limit installation of applications to the Windows Store. As such it is still possible to purchase applications and licensing direct from computer resellers or developers. Consider how the application installation files will be delivered, as tablet devices do not have built-in CD or DVD drives. Preferably, application installation files should be provided electronically for download or installed to the device as part of an image.

Look out for a future blog post on application deployment and how this can be managed as you introduce more tablet devices to your institution.

Mackie Academy: The learners’ perspective

Working with the stylus on the iPad

The iPad pilot at Mackie Academy in Aberdeenshire has been situated in the Expressive Arts faculty. The staff met to identify where the iPad and the apps they had access to would best suit their needs over the course of the academic year. This agreement led to the creation of a rota that would enable effective sharing of the devices across year groups.

We met with some S3 learners in their art and design class to hear what they thought of using the iPads in their learning and interrupted Jessica and Kirsten who were using a stylus to paint in a specific app. They both felt that the contact point of the stylus and the iPad was too thick and that it did not allow enough control when they were creating their work.

They liked the fact that the app allowed them access to a range of digital materials to draw and paint  on. They felt that this was a good way to explore a wider range of materials, even though they were in digital format.

MackieArtPupils Interview with Jessica and Kirsten

It was interesting to see that there were definitely some critical judgments being made by the learners in this class about when it was and when it was not appropriate to use an iPad in their learning in art and design. The learners said that they preferred non-digital materials at times and that their decision to use the device depended on what they were trying to do, what the brief was or what they felt was the best medium to suit a particular task.

Mackie Academy: iPad in the art and design classroom

Exploring the digital creation tools on the iPad

The iPad pilot at Mackie Academy in Aberdeenshire has been situated in the Expressive Arts faculty. The staff met to identify where the iPad and the apps they had access to would best suit their needs over the course of the academic year. This agreement led to the creation of a rota that would enable effective sharing of the devices across year groups.

We met with Miss Norrie (art and design teacher), who talked with us about her experience in using the iPads with her learners. She thought that having the devices available meant that her learners had greater to access to digital media in art and design classes and broadened their experience of using different media to create art. She also liked the fact that the iPad had  everything contained within one unit, which meant that learners could search the web for images by and information about artists such as David Hockney and then move straight to an app that would allow them to create work themselves.

MackieMissNorrieArt Miss Norrie interview

Miss Norrie also felt that by having the iPads mirror to a presentation screen via Apple TV was of great benefit, as was functionality which allowed lessons learned or techniques mastered to be shared wirelessly by any learner during the course of a lesson.  Although the pilot was in its early stages, she felt that she was seeing a more open and collaborative culture in her classroom.

One criticism that she had of the device was that the contact point of the stylus that can be used to draw or paint on the iPad was too thick, compromising the learners ability to create fine detail in their work.

Mackie Academy: iPad in the music classroom

Garageband being used to help learners compose their music

The iPad pilot at Mackie Academy in Aberdeenshire has been situated in the Expressive Arts faculty. The staff met to identify where the iPad and the apps they had access to would best suit their needs over the course of the academic year. This agreement led to the creation of a rota that would enable effective sharing of the devices across year groups.

We met with Barrie Drennan (music teacher) who explained to us how he and his colleagues had planned to use the iPads in their subject area.

The S1 classes were due to be involved in inter-disciplinary learning activities that were going to involve the use of movie making and audio recording. It was expected that learners would create sound effects and soundtracks in Garageband and import them into their movies.

MackieBDrennan Mr Drennan interview 1

The S3 classes were going to look at the composition aspect of the new Music and Technology Qualification and look at creating loops from the existing bank of samples within Garageband. They would then move on to recording their own material, which could be  used with the samples already available on the device.

MackieBDrennan2 Mr Drennan interview 2