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- abstract below
- a PowerPoint presentation is available on the conference CD.
For details of how to obtain the CD, please contact the BDA.

Dyslexia Support Tutors' Virtual Office

Sheila Blankfield

Learning Support Officer, Edge Hill College of Higher Education, Lancs blanks@edgehill.ac.uk

Abstract

The obective of this workshop is to give an overview of how a VLE (Virtual Learning Environment) can be used to support the work and professional development of dyslexia support tutors at a Higher Education Institution. Edge Hill is a College of Higher Education. 9 hourly-paid Dyslexia Support Tutors are employed by the Teaching and Learning Development Unit, providing one-to-one support to about 60 students. The Learning Support Tutors' Virtual Office was established in WebCT (a Virtual Learning Environment) to provide the tutors with a 'home' at college. With limited time and no office, the Virtual Office provides this community of tutors with a number of benefits which enhance their work with dyslexic students. Features of the Virtual Office include: Discussion - used to share successes and difficulties, to air problems and receive suggestions, to tell others of useful strategies and approaches, to advise each other of bargains in coloured paper and so on. Calendar - used for reminders of important dates, such as assessment periods and pay claim dates. Resources - used to access, review, critique and share responses to a range of websites, publications, additions to the library and so on. Materials - used to obtain the documentation required for running the service, for example, payment claim forms, evaluation forms, learning agreement forms Mail - used to communicate directly and confidentially with any one colleague.

Disclaimer: all the abstracts presented here have satisfied the academic committee as appropriate for presentation at an international conference. However, the material reflects the views of the authors, not necessarily those of the academic committee or the BDA. No endorsement of any approach, product or service is intended or implied.

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