Digital Skills Workshops on using assistive technology as tools for learning are available to all our students. Whether you are a beginner or improver, our workshops are student-led and designed to support you in using assistive technology and, in particular, technology that is FREE and at your fingertips!
Our Digital Skills Workshops are scheduled throughout semesters one and two. Sessions use a variety of learning strategies to assist all learning styles, including video clips to illustrate, and workshop resources will be available on Moodle.
You will learn about resources to enhance your notetaking, reading and writing skills. You will look at key strategies to help you develop your organisational and time management skills and helpful apps to assist your memory.
These workshops offer a sense of belonging, are open and friendly, and delivered on-campus. Resources and materials are available on the Digital Skills Moodle page. Like it or not, technology is marching on. We recognise now more than ever that the learning environment is not always physical, fixed, tangible, or on-campus.
Our Digital Skills Workshops are student-focused and can be tailored to individual needs. Enquiries are encouraged and welcomed —email academicresource@carlowcollege.ie, and we will do our best to assist you.
Below you can find information on some of the assistive technologies covered in our Digital Skills workshops that can help you settle, stay and succeed at Carlow College, St Patrick’s.
Do you type with two fingers, looking at the keyboard? It is never too late to learn Touch Typing Skills.
Handwriting has a speed of approximately 20 words per minute, but with plenty of practice and dedication, you can learn how to type up to 30/40/60 words per minute. Excellent keyboard skills are an essential skill to develop in college. This will save a lot of time when taking notes in lectures and typing up your assignments.
It is good to know – no one is born with computer skills – everyone needs to learn the basics!  Typing.com is a free online resource to help you improve your typing. You can create an account to help you track your progress.
Immersive Reader- making reading more accessible.
The Immersive Reader is a text to speech feature of Learning Tools in Microsoft Office 365 and is available in Word online. Each word is highlighted as it is read aloud. You can adjust settings, such as pace of dictation, text size, and spacing between words. You can also change the reading voice and background colour. The Immersive Reader has a grammar component that highlights nouns, verbs and adjectives, and you can break down words by syllables.
- Watch step-by-step tutorial on how to use the Immersive Reader to make reading more accessible.
- Try the Immersive Reader interactive training demo
New to Office or want to refresh your skills?
GCF Global offers the freedom to learn what you want, when you want, absolutely free! GCF Learn Free self-paced courses in Microsoft offer lessons with a mix of text, video, interactives, and challenges to practice what you learn – all at your fingertips!
Contact
Contact our Learning Support Tutor, Caroline Flinter at:
