Learning media assessment

Welcome

Welcome to the United Kingdom Learning Media Assessment (UKLMA) website. This resource is designed to help Qualified Teachers of the Visually Impaired (QTVIs) and the team around the child to make informed, transparent and data-driven decisions about the learning and literacy media that will maximise individual children's educational attainment.

The UKLMA provides a framework for making, reviewing and justifying these key decisions for children with visual impairments from Early Years to Key Stage 4. You can also use the interactive real-life video case studies in this resource for INSET to promote understanding and skills about media assessment in the team around the child or among fellow QTVIs in your school/service.

Use the tabs on the left side of the page to navigate through the different sections in this website. In general, the information can be divided into categories:

• Background information about the LMA process
• Case studies that provide valuable examples of how Learning Media Assessment is used in real-life situations
• Detailed information on how to implement the LMA including guidance regarding the components of each form used in the LMA process along with directions for completing the form
• Downloadable forms that can be used with your own pupils.

In addition to the above, teachers will find sections on Frequently Asked Questions, video messages from teachers and other professionals, and lists of helpful resources.

While the LMA forms provide a helpful framework for collecting data pertinent to decisions about appropriate learning media, decisions must be taken from a holistic perspective of the individual pupil's strengths, needs and educational environment.

Learning Media Assessment resource

The LMA can be used from Early Years to Key Stage 4 to help the team around the child ensure that:

1. the initial decision about the pupil's initial literacy medium is based on best evidence and is transparent
2. the pupil's current learning/literacy medium is consistent with the pupil's current needs and maximises their potential attainment
3. changes in the educational needs of pupils in relation to learning media are identified and addressed in good time.

Background to LMA

The original Learning Media Assessment (LMA) procedure was developed by Alan Koenig and Cay Holbrook in the USA and published by the Texas School for the Blind in 1994. The publication was supported by SLATE - a CD-Rom based resource that provided additional advice on implementing the procedure and interactive case studies to guide LMA users.

These resources have been updated and adapted for the UK context to provide QTVIs and their colleagues with a structured framework to record, evidence and justify decisions about the choice of learning and literacy media for pupils with vision impairment over time.

As in the original version, the UKLMA also provides guidance to practitioners on key issues surrounding the choice of learning media.

There is further information about the principles of LMA.

Getting started with LMA

Decisions regarding appropriate learning media for pupils who have visual impairment are multifactorial and can be complex. It is important for teachers to understand the entire LMA process and how each component fits into the overall assessment. You might find it helpful to start with a systematic review of the process. Once you have gained a general overview, it may be useful to look at an example of how the process might be used with specific children, a young pupil named Jem and an older pupil named Mira.

Development

The United Kingdom Learning Media Assessment (UKLMA) resource has been developed by RNIB and VIEW to support the educational attainment of pupils with severe vision impairment. It is freely available to VIEW members on the VIEW website and responsibility for its maintenance and any future development lies with VIEW. Further information is available on the references used to develop this site and acknowledgements.