E-safety, accessibility, inclusion, Data Protection - all the legal stuff

E-safety

 Ofsted announced new guidelines for provision of e-safety in schools, to come into effect from September 2012.

Fundamental ideas of e-safety are risk and behaviour.  You need to be able to identify what the risks are, and how your online and computer use behaviour can put you at risk.

The increasing numbers of internet-enabled devices in and around schools make this an area of growing concern.

Ofsted recommend that all teachers and non-teaching staff should be trained to understand, to recognise and to give guidance in preventing risky online behaviour.    This guidance should start at an early age and continue throughout schooling, and include parents and carers.

E-safety aspects of online access and device use will need reviewing and updating. Clear policies written in language suitable for each age group must be developed in consultation with all staff.  This will need time to plan and implement; although it is an extra workload on busy staff, it must be a priority. (To say nothing of it being an Ofsted requirement.)

Equality Act; Copyright, Designs & Patents Act; Data Protection Act.

Though my employer is not an FE college as such the laws apply equally in my workplace.  We have an obligation to provide accessible hardware and software tools for learners with special requirements, although it is a challenge to do so.  We have had inspections to check on our use of copyright material. I include a short explanation of copyright law in every course I do.  As a sessional tutor I do not have the same access to central secure information stores or communication tools as fulltime staff, and I need to maintain confidentiality and e-safety in my use of online tools in their place.

Useability and Accessibility

Useability of a resource is a measure of how easy something is to make use of - to read,  get the main points from,  listen to, view, change, or move around in.   For documents, it covers their structure, layout, choice of font and size, use of standard heading styles, and clarity of language.  For web based resources the same factors apply but with the addition of navigation design to simplify the routes through and around the document/text/resource.  
Accessibility is the measure of how well the resource can be used by people with varying needs of visual processing, hearing quality, manual dexterity and learning difficulties.  Flexibility of design and multi-sensory approaches to the content will increase accessibility.

 Inclusivity and Accessibility 

For example, hearing impairment.
It is convenient to think that the only adjustment hearing-impaired learners need is to have paper copies of lectures or tutor talks, and maybe a signer if they are lucky.  However many hearing-impaired learners using sign language find it hard work using standard English written texts as it is a "second language" for them.  Older learners with mild to moderate hearing loss can lose out on the nuances of a teacher's explanations, the comments from round the room and the bonding banter that may occur.

Technology can help, providing the means to include supportive images or audio text in course material that the learner can use at their own pace. Many other devices and accessories can help the hearing-impaired learner. The most useful are those the learner uses anyway, e.g. note writing app on a smartphone which can be used real-time to communicate if a signer is not present.

Organisations need to involve disabled learners in developing policy and support schemes under the "anticipatory duty" of the Equality Act.  They often do a good job supporting hearing-impaired learners but do not publicise the fact well enough.  Support to a learner with disabilities or learning difficulties is a balancing act between cost, availability within the service, and need and independence of the learner.

Awareness of needs, rights and responsibilities for support is key in any organisation.