Best practises 2004 in training and learning awarded by the Finnish Prime Minister
ICT Training Model for Student Groups with Special Needs Tikas is an innovative ICT training model designed for student groups with special needs. Tikas aims to assist educational establishments, associations and other organisations in providing ICT tuition for learners with special needs of all different ages. Tikas will benefit, among others, people with intellectual disabilities, the autistic, those studying according to an individual syllabus and people with reading and learning difficulties. Tikas is also ideal for elderly people, immigrants and people with multilingual backgrounds who have insufficient knowledge of the official languages of their country of residence. Tikas gives comprehensive support to students who are learning basic ICT skills. Learning is supported by qualified instructors, detailed goals and learning material adapted for student groups with special needs. Owing to its flexibility, Tikas supports learners in various ways and gives them a chance to proceed in their studies individually according to their own capabilities.
ICT skills promote equality in today’s information society All citizens require the basic ICT skills to enjoy the same quality of life as others in the information society. These ICT skills help people with special needs participate in societal activities and increase their employment opportunities, making the society more accessible and inclusive. Many students need special support in learning the basic ICT skills. Well-designed and well-implemented ICT tuition gives students the skills they need in order to function as equal members of the information society. Various learning difficulties have increased and there are growing numbers of immigrants who have an insufficient command of the official languages of their country of residence. Tikas helps to prevent exclusion from the information society.
A functioning product based on co-operation Tikas was developed by the Finnish Association on Mental Retardation. FAMR is a national central organization and a co-operative forum for organizations and persons working to improve the quality of life of people with an intellectual disability as well as of others in need of support in learning, understanding and communicating. The project is partly funded by the European Social Fund (ESF) and the State provincial office of Southern Finland (2000-2005). After this Tikas will continue as part of the activities of the FAMR’s Center of Teaching Materials. Experienced ICT instructors and special needs teachers have been involved in developing Tikas. Their input has been valuable in choosing the contents and in producing and testing the material. As of June 2005 over 100 Tikas ICT instructors have already been trained, and they have issued over 1000 Tikas ICT Certificates. Tikas training is being given in 40 Finnish educational establishments.
Tikas tuition Tikas tuition is provided by educational establishments and other institutions. The tuition is given by a qualified Tikas instructor and is based on the Tikas Skills Content and material.
Tikas Skills Content and the levels of difficulty The Tikas Skills Content describes the skills a student must adopt in order to use various computer programs: • • • • • • •
Using a computer and managing files Word processing Internet and e-mail Drawing Presentation graphics Digital photographing and editing Spreadsheets
Students can study the sections they need individually in the order of their choice. Each section is divided into three levels of difficulty.
Level 3 Level 2 Level 1 The basics.
Expanding basic skills. The ability to use programs independently.
Good knowledge of the basics. Developing advanced skills.
Learners can choose among these different levels according to their needs and capabilities. The Skills Content is based on the requirements of the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) and have been adapted for students with special needs.
Tikas ICT Certificate gives detailed and reliable information on skills A student can receive a Tikas ICT Certificate for each level in each section separately. Receiving a Certificate does not require passing a separate test; it is based on the Tikas instructor’s evaluation of the student’s skills. The Certificate provides thorough information that gives a new teacher or employer accurate details on the student’s skills. The Certificate also motivates students to learn ICT and helps each of them form a clear view of his or her own abilities.
Easy-to-read ICT textbooks Tikas has produced a series of textbooks to teach basic ICT skills in plain language. The plain language is a simplified language that has been adapted for people with special needs. The textbooks in Finnish are: •
Word processing (Petri Ilmonen)
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Using a computer and managing files (Juha Hällfors)
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Spreadsheets (Petri Ilmonen)
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Presentation graphics (Petri Vainio and Petri Ilmonen)
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Internet and e-mail (Juha Hällfors)
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Digital photographing and editing (Petri Ilmonen and Heikki Lindberg)
The textbooks help students learn the basic ICT skills. The requirements of students with special needs have been considered in the language and layout of the textbooks. All the instructions have been converted plain language, and the text is supported with a large number of pictures.
Tikas instructor in-service training The training covers designing and implementing ICT tuition for student groups with special needs as well as using and producing learning material. The training emphasises the adaptation and implementation of the Tikas Skills Content. In addition, the principles of plain language and its use in tuition are taught. Training is implemented in a versatile way: the Internetbased learning environment is supplemented with activating, face-to-face learning periods.
VerkkoTikas environment The Internet-based VerkkoTikas environment has been developed as an operational environment independent of time and place. The VerkkoTikas consists of a web service and an e-learning environment for Instructor in-service training. The contents of the VerkkoTikas web service include: • • • • • • •
Tikas skills content Evaluation forms Easy-to-read PDF guidebooks Learning material (i.e. exercises) Tips for teaching An opportunity to exchange views with other Tikas instructors Current information concerning ICT and teaching
Contact information The Finnish Association on Mental Retardation Center for Teaching Materials/Tikas Viljatie 4 C 00700 Helsinki, Finland tikas@famr.fi Leena Kokko Director mobile tel. +358-400-703 017 tel. +358-9-3480 9353 leena.kokko@famr.fi Petri Ilmonen Planning Officer mobile tel. +358-40-509 4994 tel. +358-9-3480 9358 petri.ilmonen@famr.fi Paula Kuhanen Planning Officer mobile tel. +358-40-523 4830 tel. 358-9-3480 9355 paula.kuhanen@famr.fi
