Library & Learning Services

Whether you are developing teaching and learning content or professional documentation for your department or service, there is good practice guidance and software available which all users may add to their resource toolkit.

Inspiration® mind-mapping software creates visual representations of plans / ideas or concepts in the form of a diagram or mind map. Inspiration can transform your visual map into a linear format at the touch of a button to suit all preferred learning styles. You can create your own map or use one of the many templates on offer.

Inspiration is an excellent tool for any form of planning such as modules, presentations, lectures or seminars. Inspiration is used for scoping research activities and analysing key findings from both quantitative and qualitative data. The colour-coding, visual and diagrammatical aspects are helpful in linking key themes and formulating research analysis.

TextHelp Read and Write® allows you to access text in an auditory format and text is read aloud directly from your PC. TextHelp can assist when reading assignments for marking, proofreading and highlighting errors within written work. TextHelp highlights the text when reading and identifies grammatical, spelling and homophone errors with its advanced functions and has an in-built dictionary where definitions are read aloud.

Inspiration® and TextHelp® incorporate their own training videos and mini training guides are available from the Learning Services Wiki via Locate a User Guide and Using ICT.

To access Inspiration or TextHelp on the network: select Start →Network Programs → Accessibility → Inspiration or TextHelp.

Good Practice

Accessibility Essentials Series by JISC Techdis. This series provides guidance on creating accessible documents using a range of everyday applications that we access on the Edge Hill University network, such as Word, PowerPoint or via PDF files. JISC Techdis guidelines are available via the Staff Development wiki.

Guide to Accessible Documents for the VLE . This guide is available from the Learning Services wiki via Locate a User Guide and Using ICT.

For further advice or guidance please contact Julie Keen extension 4372 or via email to [email protected].