IT Skills

Qualification   

Our aim is to ensure that all students can use technology to improve their independence and their employment opportunities. All students at RNC are provided with bespoke IT provision.

We know that all your experiences of using technology are likely to be different and we want to enable you to build on your skills to ensure that you can access your course and build on skills for your future.

We encourage you to use assistive technology, including Braille displays, screen readers and/or large print.         

What does the course involve?

As a Microsoft Centre we encourage the use of Windows devices and provide you with a laptop for the duration of your studies. The laptop is installed with your preferred assistive technology (Fusion, JAWS, Supernova or Zoom Text). 

If your preferred medium is Braille, you will be encouraged to use a Braille Display with your laptop so that you are able to have the benefit of accessing both the screen-reader and Braille output.

In the first year of your IT Skills programme you will be guided through our bespoke RNC IT Profiling curriculum to ensure that you have the skills for your main area of study.

You will develop skills in many of the Microsoft Office applications using your preferred assistive technology.

You will develop skills in presentation and accessible document production for you to produce visually pleasing documents that you are able to access and that are visually well presented.

We have three stages to the RNC Profiling curriculum:

• Essential
• Intermediate
• Advanced

The Essential elements will ensure you have the skills to independently access your programme of study and the Intermediate and Advanced elements expand your knowledge and ensure that you have IT skills for your next steps, whether that be continued education or employment.

Teaching methods

You will be taught within a group, but not necessarily as a group. You will be encouraged to develop the skills that you need and will be supported on an individual basis to gain these skills.

Your IT development will be taught alongside you developing your use of your chosen assistive technology.

Using personal devices

Many of you will come to RNC with your own devices, some of you will be confident in their use, others will need support. We will encourage you to use our devices in the classroom but will also support you to gain a better understanding of your personal devices.

You will have the opportunity to support and be supported by your peers. This can be invaluable, as you are able to learn from each other and discuss what works for you.
    

Requirements 

During your Pre-Entry Assessment we will work with you to identify the skills you currently have and the areas where you may need to develop to enable you to achieve an independent working medium using IT.    

Assessment methods

Profiling activity which will enable us to build on your skills and assess your knowledge.
 
Duration
IT provision is encouraged for the duration of your time at RNC.