VR Headsets and Assistive Technology in Classrooms
Slindon College is an independent day and boarding school for boys aged 8 – 18, who thrive in a specialist learning environment. The College is able to offer a broad, balanced and differentiated curriculum with a range of alternatives to GCSEs, such as BTECs, Functional Skills and AQE Awards. To identify the best approach, the inclusion team considers the individual needs of the young person rather than diagnosis alone. Teachers adapt lessons through differentiated tasks, sensory-aware classroom strategies, scaffolded instructions and flexible approaches to communication and assessment.
Slindon College currently offers a variety of assistive technology in classrooms including laptops, reader pens, iPads, voice-to-text and speech recognition programs, as well as ClaroRead and MyOn software. Some pupils attend assistive technology intervention sessions to support them with using these tools and embedding them into their methods of learning. Reader pens are trialled for certain pupils, and if it is considered their normal way of working, these can then be applied for their exam access arrangements. The College’s exam access arrangement pens are able to read from a screen and ClaroRead software allows pupils to have text read out loud. This technology supports pupils with dyslexia, visual impairments and other print or learning difficulties. MyOn, an online reading programme, is also used by the College to provide pupils access to a variety of high-quality digital texts that can be read out loud.
After purchasing new VR headsets and hand controllers, Slindon College is also introducing these to lessons as a learning tool. With a vast library of software available, content is tailored to allow pupils to engage with these devices in any lesson. From roaming the streets of medieval Rome, to exploring the depths of the ocean; pupils can even take a trip to the Moon and explore with NASA’s lunar rover. The College employs a 30/30 rule, engaging in 30 minutes of VR use followed by 30 minutes off. The VR programmes include revision tools, which are used every Wednesday on a table rotation by Year 11 pupils to assist with their GCSE revision.
Many pupils can experience mental health challenges linked to neurodiversity. At Slindon College, ‘The Sensory Snug’ is a space that has been opened to provide pupils with a designated area to focus on their learning needs. The Sensory Snug is a room with additional tools available to assist pupils with self-regulation and learning energy levels; it has become a dedicated space for pupils before and after exams.
www.slindoncollege.co.uk
