Education

Schools and Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs)

Widgit is the UK's longest established SEN software company and a world leader in the production of symbol-supported classroom material. For the last twenty-five years, Widgit have been refining the technology and theory behind symbol support and pioneering the use of symbols and symbol software to support learning and the acquisition of literacy.

Widgit are the creators and publishers of "Writing with Symbols", "Communicate:In Print" and "Communicate:SymWriter".

To help people respond to the government’s announcement that all schools must have a VLE implemented and being used effectively by 2010, Widgit have developed two new tools to enable learners with literacy difficulties to have equal access to the material on the VLE.

The powerful support that Widgit Symbols can provide to VLEs was noted in a recent report from Becta which listed symbol support as one of the five required elements for a VLE.

Five elements required for a VLE to be accessible for children with SLD are:

• Simplified interface, with ability to customise it
• Symbols (eg Widgit) embedded at every level
• Sound recording embedded at every level, navigable by graphics and symbols
• Scannable elements of the interface for switch users
• Large storage capacity for individual users to accommodate lots of video etc

How to effectively enable independent access to a learning platform by children with SLD