[senit] Learning Platforms

On 29/04/2008, david fettes

thanks, so basically most of the ICT in special
schools (and most schools I would have thought) lies
outside the scope of "Learning platform", but may well
in the future be inside that definition as the apps
change. This makes it difficult for a school to define
the learning platform it wants as it may be years
before some apps move to a LP, and a shorter time for
other apps. I've seen reference to "legacy software"
in bsf output specs. Would this mean the majority of
what we now use for ICt ie the local apps? It seems
mad calling it legacy software when it may be new or
not even yet purchased. Perhaps the interface between
LPs and local apps needs to be explored a bit more.(eg
some apps can save in html or other formats which are
VLE friendly).Some can download files from with the
app like clicker. Some apps may be able to upload work
straight to a VLE etc etc. Is there anything readable
on that available or is that all part of the platform
Accessibility API standard you mention? 
david
--- Steve Lee <steve at fullmeasure.co.uk> wrote:

> On 29/04/2008, david fettes
> <davidfettes3 at yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
> > hi can anyone clarify the differences between
> >  VLE
> >  MLE
> >  Learning Platform?
> 
> David, this often crops up,
> They're pretty much interchangeable really.
> 
> VLE & Learning Platform are names for the
> classroom-facing environment
> used by students and teachers.
> MLE integrates this with the school admin or records
> systems or MIS.
> 
> >  secondly, where does local PC based software eg
> >  special needs access & switch software fit into
> >  any and all of these models?
> 
> As most VLEs are web applications then the answer is
> not very well as
> they are local applications and so need installing
> on each PC. The
> could be shared over Thin Client networks along side
> the web. We can
> probably expect web versions of many titles to
> become available as the
> web becomes more the platform of choice. This does
> have advantage that
> you can access from any computer with just a web
> browser.
> 
> >  what about local access devices eg
> IWBs,touchscreens,
> >  switches?
> 
> If they can work with the browser and the web
> applications are well
> written then  such devices should work just fine. If
> they, or a
> software driver, emulate keyboard and mouse they
> should work with some
> configuration. More complex Assistive Technologies
> like screen readers
> require much closer interaction and this requires
> collaboration
> between the AT, browser and web applications.
> Technically this uses
> something call the platform Accessibility API (MSAA,
> AT-SPI, IA2,
> UIA).
> 
> A new standard from W3C called WAI-ARIA is going to
> be critical for
> such dynamic web applications as web sites that use
> it can let the ATs
> know about updates to the web page. So you will soon
> want to look on
> all the 'boxes' to see if ARIA is supported. Mozilla
> Firefox fully
> supports ARIA and the IE8 Beta has added some
> support.
> 
> That's the long answer but hopefully will give you a
> bit of a picture
> of what's involved.
> 
> -- 
> Steve Lee
> --
> Open Source Assistive Technology Software
> web: fullmeasure.co.uk
> blog: eduspaces.net/stevelee/weblog
> 
> 
> 
> 


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