SQA Braille Competency Course - Contracted completing April 2019 - March 2020

Number of Participants completing: 20
Number of Respondents: 15

Overall Assessment:

How would you rate the following:

How will you use what you have learned in this course?

Supporting VI pupils in education.
I may be required to help one of our pupils learn braille in the future or perhaps make some materials using braille.
To teach visually impaired young people.
In my workplace supporting pupils with VI.
Good grasp of braille and good tutelage from Diane.
I will use what I have learnt in my job and with one of my family members and also teach it to my children.
Support children who need VI support and use my skills and knowledge which I’ve learnt from this course.
It will be used daily with a blind child in class.
To begin teaching braille with a pupil.
With pupils in school.
To support my role as QTVI.
Helping the child I support.
To help teach braille in my role at school.

How would you rate the following:

What was best about the course?

The variety of skills, i.e. Maths.
It was good when I could check my work against examples. Feedback was very good too.
The practice exercises.
Learning a new skill.
The feeling of having achieved something that was very difficult.
Finishing it!
Learning different sections.
The Tutor's prompt email responses to any queries from me.
Mock assessments/examples.
Exercises with check-sheets.
New language.

What, if anything, could have been improved?

Transcriptions for each exercise. More exercises for using the special signs. Most stages, I found mistakes, very confusing for beginners. I didn’t know if it was a mistake or not sometimes.
I did find some mistakes in the braille transcripts at the end when I was checking my work. Notably words which should have had dots 4+5 had dots 5+6 instead. Maybe more examples of the use of the rules rather than long instructions – which are sometimes hard to follow.
There were some errors in the course material which caused some confusion, so could be improved.
Some class based teaching to help clarify some aspects.
Answers given at stage 12 revision would have helped. The exam could be thirty minutes longer as very stressful.
Nothing. I was satisfied with everything.
Nothing. Straight forward and any questions I had were always answered.
More materials to check back on exercises completed – to know you had done them correctly.
More maths exercises very rushed at the end of course.
Some errors found in transcriptions, as the course gets more difficult – transcriptions for all exercises.
More 'answer sheets' to check to.
More examples, videos.

Any other comments regarding the course?

I think the foreign accents etc. could be in a different stage, it's an extra I'm unlikely to use. If needed, I would then learn as required.
Thank you for all your help.
I really enjoyed learning braille, I had great support from Diane, and I am so pleased I have had the privilege to learn this amazing language – thank you Diane.
I don't think there is enough time for exam for a slower person who doesn't use braille regularly.
Really enjoyed this course.
'Mock exam' should have been a more realistic standard as the final exam paper - this was much tougher!

Distance Learning

This course was delivered through distance learning - did you find this a good arrangement or would you have preferred a different mode of delivery? Please comment either way.

I eventually ended up needing a mentor VI from my team, easier to talk/discuss rather than email a tutor. Sometimes, the tutor didn't email back for a few days due to her working pattern.
Distance learning suited me well.
This was a good arrangement as I knew I could email the tutor if I needed any further clarification on anything.
Everything needed was included.
Yes. This is a better mode of learning for me. At one's own pace.
No. This was perfect for me.
Very good arrangement. Learn at my own pace.
Distance learning was suitable for me.
Yes I did – some study days would be useful.
When there were difficulties in understanding certain aspects, a face-to-face tutorial would have been helpful.
It's been really hard as I had lots of inquiries in my head but not working with a teacher face-to-face made things really hard.

Overall distance learning experience

How would you rate the overall learning experience?

How did you hear about this course?

Co-ordinator/Line Manager: 9
Colleague: 3
SSC Website: 2

What other SSC CPD training would you find useful?

Any CPD for VMS would be great. I have attended many courses here.
Sign language.