Inclusive Technology Workshop [Online]

 Course Code: DCU208

This workshop is aimed at all staff in all types of roles as DCU has an array of inclusive technologies that we have at our finger tips. From Educator to Administrator, we have options in Microsoft and Google, that can help us with day-to-day tasks that this session will highlight.

The overall aim is to introduce staff to the options we have in our digital environment, that allow us to explore new ways of working. These technologies that are embedded in the fabric of the Microsoft and Google tools, can inform new approaches to work tasks. Everyone is not the same so technology can accommodate differences in how we go about our workload so this session will highlight some of these technologies.

Whatever your role is in Education, technology plays a large role in how we and students work and it give us all options about how we read, write, organise, translate, how we create presentations and even prepare for presentations and even convert Word documents into audio files

The session will also involve the demonstration of the array of inclusive technology, for example:

• Word / Google Doc has options for dictation ¨C typing with our voice.
• Word also has a tool called Immersive reader that reads back text and has options for the readability of text so people can read more effectively, as well as translation too.
• PowerPoint also has dictation and immersive reader but has a Presentation Coach tool that allows us to practice our presentations and offers feedback.
• Sensus Access, a digital tool we have in DCU (found in our website) allows us to convert Word documents into audio files so we can listen to the content from our Smartphone devices.
• Sensus Access also has the option to convert a scanned document into a Word document too hence making it useable for Immersive Reader in Word.

The session will also explore some web-based tools and apps that can be used for reading, writing, studying and more.

Self-study

Explore the Google Workspace Learning Centre and become more familiar with the functionality on offer and how best to utilise the suite of tools.