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Choosing technology to support your learning
What do we mean by assistive technology? Assistive technology can be any device or software that you can use to achieve a specific task in a particular situation.
There is no single technology that is perfect for all students. It depends on your needs and individual preferences. But there can be specific assistive technologies and software that can help you with particular tasks and functions.
I have dyslexia and I needed to choose screen reading software... there were a few around and I wasn't sure which one to choose, so I decided to speak to other software users before I had a go. I also asked for sample demonstration copies from the suppliers and asked to speak to their representatives and they were very helpful. In the end, I made a choice based on my own preferences, but only after I'd done a bit of homework and had a go at using and seeing how the software works.
— Ilana
Here are some preliminary tips before going into more detail.
- Before buying any technology or software, see if there is a free trial or demo version that you can use or download.
- Visit the software for students site to see what software is available free to Monash students.
- If you are a student with a disability, the Disability Liaison Unit has information on the Adaptive Technology Rooms in most Monash libraries.
- You could join electronic assistive technology and software discussion lists to find out more from other users.
Let's look at some more specific issues for you to consider.
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Raskind (1998, p. 257) wisely points out that