Difficulty: Written Language

5 Keywords: Written Language, Dyslexia, Specific Learning Difficulties, Learning Differences, Second Language

TechDis Sim-Dis offers a demonstration of proof reading issues using a Shockwave video.

Written language difficulties may include finding it hard to read complex words or long documents, understand texts, and remembering content. On the expressive side there may be difficulties creating written work, organising sentence structures and spelling words. Word-finding difficulties may exist and the repetition of words or phrases can occur.

Written language difficulties may be due to a possible lack of English language knowledge as a result of a profound hearing impairment from birth or the fact that the student has an oral language difficulty or has only just learnt English coming from another country. Poor writing skills may also be due to dyslexia, specific learning difficulties, learning differences or learning disabilities and other issues linked to the development of writing generally.

SCIPS - Characteristics of Language/Comprehension Difficulties Impacting on Learning and Teaching

Tasks

• Task: Citations, References & Bibliographies.
  • Issue: Self-plagiarism
    • Strategy: Using the web to avoid self-plagiarism
  • Issue: Referencing taking up too much time
    • Strategy: Referencing using Idea Rover and EndNote
  • Issue: Referencing problems
    • Strategy: Reference Crib Sheet with EndNote
  • Issue: Referencing with numerical format
    • Strategy: Referencing using Microsoft Word 2007
  • Issue: Organising references
    • Strategy: References from digital archives and EndNote
  • Issue: Alphabet muddles
    • Strategy: Microsoft Word tables for references
• Task: Academic writing
  • Issue: Language switching when writing
    • Strategy: Quickly Changing languages
  • Issue: Dictionary comparison
    • Strategy: Dictionary as part of Mac OS
  • Issue: Spelling complex words
    • Strategy: Spelling with Word, Babylon and Google
  • Issue: Essay writing accuracy
    • Strategy: Dragon NaturallySpeaking for essay writing
  • Issue: Spelling and vocabulary
    • Strategy: Google spell checker and Oxford dictionary
  • Issue: Works does not save well into Word or PowerPoint
    • Strategy: OpenOffice instead of Microsoft Works
  • Issue: Word dictionary not helpful
    • Strategy: Dictionary.com when Word fails
  • Issue: Writing too much for an assignment
    • Strategy: AutoSummarise for cutting word limits
  • Issue: Spell checking for assignments
    • Strategy: Wikipedia for meanings
  • Issue: Spell checking whilst writing
    • Strategy: Global AutoCorrect for keeping in the flow
  • Issue: Spell checking assignments
    • Strategy: Spell checking and adding words to my dictionary
  • Issue: Problems with lectures and research
    • Strategy: Live Messenger for discussions about lectures and research
• Task: Research and Revision
  • Issue: Article searches related to engineering
    • Strategy: Subject specific portals and Google short cuts
  • Issue: Wikipedia issues
    • Strategy: Wikipedia and Wikiversity for references
  • Issue: Reading for long periods difficult
    • Strategy: Crib cards and recordings
  • Issue: Jargon can cause problems
    • Strategy: Wikilook for jargon busting
  • Issue: Scanning text
    • Strategy: Scanning books - right up to the spine!
  • Issue: Keeping up with notetaking, research and revision
    • Strategy: OneNote for note taking, research and revision
• Task: Note Taking
  • Issue: Making short notes and spelling
    • Strategy: Smartphone for notes and spell checking
  • Issue: Note taking difficulties
    • Strategy: Recording lectures
• Task: Adobe PDF reading
  • Issue: Adobe PDF accessibility issues
    • Strategy: Screenshot Reader for reading inaccessible text
  • Issue: Adobe PDF conversion to text to speech
    • Strategy: Adobe PDF to Word for text to speech and annotation
• Task: Presentations
  • Issue: PowerPoint not showing equations on the Mac
    • Strategy: Keynote shows equations on Mac
  • Issue: Preparing Presentations
    • Strategy: Mind mapping for presentations
• Task: Virtual Learning Environment Usage
  • Issue: Blackboard navigation
    • Strategy: Find Resources via Blackboard & Google spell check
• Task: Podcasts / Vodcasts (Audio / Video)
  • Issue: Learning by doing rather than listening
    • Strategy: QuickTime and video podcasts
  • Issue: Windows Media player not intuitive
    • Strategy: iTunes using grid view with icons
• Task: Generating ideas and planning
  • Issue: Putting thoughts into the right order
    • Strategy: Microsoft PowerPoint for ordering thoughts
  • Issue: Dragon NaturallySpeaking for getting ideas down.
    • Strategy: Dragon NaturallySpeaking to get the ideas going
  • Issue: Thesaurus difficulties
    • Strategy: Visual Thesaurus
• Task: Reading items on the screen
  • Issue: Words going blurry with some colours
    • Strategy: TextHelp Read and Write and colour changes
  • Issue: Reading accurately
    • Strategy: Slowed text to speech and screen shot reader
  • Issue: Understanding complex vocabulary
    • Strategy: CapturaTalk for understanding complex medical terms.
• Task: Blogs, Wikis and Personal Reflections
  • Issue: Spelling online
    • Strategy: Blogging and checking spelling
• Task: Collaboration online
  • Issue: Spell checking on Facebook
    • Strategy: Blackberry for spell checking on Facebook