# Load2Learn: Helping students to get the most out of lessons using the new free service Canonical page: https://dominiklukes.net/research/load2learn-helping-students Journal article by Dominik Lukeš, in the Dyslexia Review 24(1), pp. 15–16 (2013). Journal article · Dominik Lukeš · Dyslexia Review 24(1), pp. 15–16 · 2013 Author's own text. The published version is not online. *This is the text of the author's Dyslexia Action Tech Thursday post on the same subject. The article as printed in Dyslexia Review may differ.* ## What it’s all about We’ve spent a lot of time talking about [how useful Text-to-Speech is](http://www.dyslexiaaction.org.uk/news/tech-thursday-make-your-computer-speak-part-1-getting-started) on all sorts of devices. But what if you have a textbook you’d like to have read out to you? The only way is to scan it and convert it into text. This is what teachers supporting blind and partially sighted students have been doing for years. This meant a lot of duplication of effort and a lot of time wasted that could be spent on supporting students directly. Dyslexia teachers often did not even know that this was a need and benefit, so they didn’t get the benefit of new technologies like text-to-speech or accessible formatting. But now, there’s a good chance **many of the textbooks** you are using are **available on [Load2Learn](http://load2learn.org.uk)**. And the good news is that you can **get them for free** if you already have a paper copy. ## What can you find on Load2Learn ### Downloadable resources [Load2Learn](http://load2learn.org.uk) has done the work of scanning thousands of materials and converting them into accessible digital formats. You can find: - **Textbooks**: This is the most common material. There are over 5,500 of textbooks and recommended readings from a number of curriculum areas across all Key Stages. There’s a good chance at least some of the textbooks you’re using are on there. - **Simplified images:** You can download nearly 2,000 curriculum images that have been simplified by the RNIB to be accessible by touch when printed on special raised paper. But they can also be used by students with visual impairments or by dyslexic students who find images in textbooks very busy. - **Past exam papers:** Several exam bodies have provided past exam papers in several areas. - **Practice worksheets:** This is still a developing area but you can find a number of RNIB’s Curriculum Bitesize articles. - **Audio books:** Load2Learn is not your primary source of audio books but you can find a number of audio books there, as well, synchronised with text using the DAISY format. ### Training and guidance materials Using Load2Learn itself is easy. And it is also easy to use the materials you download. However, some of the techniques for most accessible use will be new to most people. That’s why Load2Learn offers a [number of guides and training materials](http://load2learn.org.uk/training) in a variety of formats. You can: - [read guides](https://load2learn.org.uk/help/useresources.php) and instructions - watch [short videos](https://load2learn.org.uk/help/videos.php) on (or directly on [YouTube](http://youtube.com/load2learn)) - download a set of [Productivity and Accessibility Cue Cards](http://load2learn.org.uk/training/cuecards) - take a [short self-study course](https://load2learn.org.uk/training/selfstudy/) (Note: you have to register for a free account to access this) **Note:** [Dyslexia Action CPD courses](http://www.dyslexiaaction.org.uk/book-cpd-units) now offer unit DACPD88 Assistive Technologies to Support Struggling Readers and Writers. ## Why you should use Load2Learn ### Accessible formats Accessible format is simply a format you can modify to suit your needs. - **Word:** Word is the most accessible format. You can mark up the document structure to ease navigation and export it into any other format. And most importantly, it can be read by a number of other programs so that you don’t even have to buy anything. - **ePub:** This is the most universal e-book format that can be used on almost any e-reader. The only exception is Amazon’s Kindle but it’s easy to convert ePub to the Kindle MOBI format using a [free tool called Calibre](http://calibre-ebook.com). - **DAISY:** This is a format for synchronising audio and text. It requires a special reader and special authoring software. It is slowly being replaced by version 3 of ePub which will support the same features. - **Audio:** Many people can only access books by listening to them. For them, audio may be the most accessible format. - **Simplified images:** Many textbooks contain graphs and charts that are too busy to convert into a raised paper to be read by touch. But they may even be too busy for someone with processing difficulties. Simplified images are for them. ### What you can do with Load2Learn materials #### Listen with text-to-speech Once you have the text of a book digitised in an accessible format, you can convert it to audio using text-to-speech. We did [a long series on text-to-speech](http://www.dyslexiaaction.org.uk/news/tech-thursday-make-your-computer-speak-part-1-getting-started) in the summer. #### Modify formatting You can make the text more accessible by changing: - Text size - Text and background colour - Line spacing - Font type All of these things are easy with material downloaded from Load2Learn. We will talk about accessible formatting in this series, soon. #### Read on a device Once you have an unlocked accessible digital file, it’s easy to convert it to read on your phone, tablet or e-reader. Books become a lot more portable and accessible. Imagine a student listening to their reading on the bus from school. ## Who can use Load2Learn ### Print Disabilities Materials on Load2Learn can be made available due to special exemptions to the copyright laws made for people with print disabilities. Without those, none of what Load2Learn is doing would be possible. The official definition of print disability is: > “A print-disabled person is anyone for whom a **visual, cognitive or physical disability hinders the ability to read print**. This includes all visual impairments, **dyslexia**, and any physical disabilities that prevent the handling of a physical copy of a print publication.” -- [CLA License](http://www.cla.co.uk/data/pdfs/print_disability/cla_guidelines_for_the_pdl_aug10.pdf) The [details of how can use the materials and how](https://load2learn.org.uk/about/terms.php) are all explained on the Load2Learn website but in short: - Load2Learn materials can be **downloaded and used by people with print disabilities** or people who support them (such as teachers or carers). - Eligible users can **modify to the Load2Learn materials** to suit their specific needs provided the changes are not derogatory or misleading. - Modifications can only be **shared with people with print disabilities**. - You can only download textbooks from Load2Learn if you **already have a print copy**. ### Free for UK schools It is **free for all UK schools** to get a membership in Load2Learn. All you have to do is sign up and submit an online application. **Parents and students** can get access to Load2Learn through their local school. ## How to use Load2Learn in your school ### Register an account and apply for membership 1. The first step is to [register a free account](https://load2learn.org.uk/user/signup.php) (this will let you see more details about the books) 2. Appply for free membership by [creating a group](https://load2learn.org.uk/user/manage_group.php) 3. Wait a few days for approval (most membership requests are processed in 48 hours) 4. Add relevant support staff 5. Start using Load2Learn ### Search, browse and download There are two ways you can find materials to download on Load2Learn: 1. **[Search](https://load2learn.org.uk/search/):** Type in title, publisher, key stage and the format you want into the search bar.\ 2. **[Browse](https://load2learn.org.uk/hierarchy/browse/):** Go through the various categories available to see what’s available. You don’t have to to wait for your membership. Go to Load2Learn now and browse or search for materials. ### Request and contribute What if you don’t find the text-book you’re using on Load2Learn? You can - Suggest books for inclusion via the [Request section](https://load2learn.org.uk/about/request.php) - Scan the book yourself and share it with others via Load2Learn. The Load2Learn website has more details about [how to contribute to Load2Learn](https://load2learn.org.uk/about/contribute.php). ## Next steps Load2Learn can transform the way your students access curriculum resources and it should be part of every school’s provision of SEN support. 1. Don’t hesitate and [get a free Load2Learn membership](https://load2learn.org.uk/user/signup.php) for your school. 2. Check out the [guidance and training materials](http://load2learn.org.uk/training) 3. See if you’d like to learn even more about using technology to support struggling readers and writers on [Dyslexia Action’s CPD Unit DACPD88.](http://www.dyslexiaaction.org.uk/book-cpd-units) Do you use Load2Learn already? Let us know how the experience is for you. --- ## About this item - Type: Journal article - Published: 2013 - Journal: Dyslexia Review 24(1), pp. 15–16 - Authors: Dominik Lukeš Topics: [Dyslexia, readability and accessibility](https://dominiklukes.net/topics/dyslexia-and-accessibility). ## Cite this Lukeš, D. (2013). Load2Learn: Helping students to get the most out of lessons using the new free service. Dyslexia Review 24(1), pp. 15–16. ```bibtex @article{lukes2013-load2learn-helping-students, author = {Dominik Lukeš}, title = {Load2Learn: Helping students to get the most out of lessons using the new free service}, year = {2013}, journal = {Dyslexia Review 24(1), pp. 15–16} } ``` ## Related - [Bring Your Own Policy: Why Accessibility Standards Need to Be Contextually Sensitive](https://dominiklukes.net/research/bring-your-own-policy-why-accessibility) (Journal article · 2013) - [‘Does He Take Sugar?’: The Risks of Standardising Easy-to-Read Language](https://dominiklukes.net/research/does-he-take-sugar-the-risks) (Journal article · 2012) - [Dyslexia-friendly passwords](https://dominiklukes.net/research/dyslexia-friendly-passwords) (Journal article · 2014) - [Online Corpora for Literacy Teachers — Part I](https://dominiklukes.net/research/online-corpora-for-literacy-teachers-part) (Journal article · 2012) - [Online Corpora for Literacy Teachers — Part II](https://dominiklukes.net/research/online-corpora-for-literacy-teachers-part-2) (Journal article · 2012) - [What Should Literacy Teachers Know about Language and Linguistics?](https://dominiklukes.net/research/what-should-literacy-teachers-know-about) (Journal article · 2011) Section: [Research](https://dominiklukes.net/research)