Dr Jane Seale, BSc PhD

Dr Jane Seale, BSc PhD

Office phone+44 (0)23 8059 4784
Internal extension24784
EmailJ.K.Seale@soton.ac.uk
Room number32/2015

 | Expertise / Academic Interests | Biography | SOE Research Centre Membership | Programme Tutor | Other Courses | Principal Publications | Funded Research | Awards & Memberships | 

Expertise / Academic Interests

Assistive technology, accessibility and disability
Evaluation of the use of learning technologies in post compulsory education
Learning Technologies - evaluation of the use of learning technologies in post compulsory education
On-line literacy practices, disability and identity
Post-Compulsory Education - Evaluation of the use of learning technologies

Biography

Jane’s teaching and research interests lie at the intersections between disability, technology and education.

Disability and Technology: For 20 years Jane has been researching the role of computers and assistive technologies in promoting independence, identity and quality of life for adults with disabilities. She has developed a national and International profile in the field through key roles and activities including: Co-ordinator of the first ever Masters programme in Assistive Technology in the UK, (2000-2002); Steering Committee Member of Home Farm Trust ICT Development Project (2000-2002); Member of the editorial board of the Journal of Assistive Technologies (2007).

Technology and Education:

For the past ten years Jane has researched the role of e-learning and technology in higher education- with a particular emphasis on implementation in health care course; promoting reflection and resource-based learning. She has developed a national and international profile in the field through key roles such as President of the Association for Learning Technology (2006-7), Editor of the Association for Learning Technology Journal (2001-2007); Co-chair of ALT-C 2005; Co-Chair of Ed-Media 2007; Committee member of Department of Health e-learning steering group for social work education; Member of Advisory Board for Journal of Interactive and Smart Technologies. She is currently co-investigator of an ESRC funded project called Sustaining Online Resources in Research Methods.

Education and Disability:

Jane teaches on a range of programmes including the Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice and the Masters in Educational Practice and Innovation where she specialises in issues relating to inclusion. Jane is currently external examiner for an undergraduate degree in Disability Studies at Sheffield Hallam University. She is Chair of the University Inclusion Forum and is leading the development of participatory evaluation and research methods within the university. In July 2006 Jane was awarded a Vice Chancellors Teaching Award for excellence in teaching. She is co-investigator of an ESRC funded seminar series, which aims to explore shared concepts of “access” for people with learning disabilities.

Disability, Technology and Education:

Jane has developed a strong profile in the field of e-learning and accessibility. Her 2006 book “E-learning and disability in Higher Education: Accessibility research and practice” is in over 300 libraries world-wide and she has lead national and international workshops, seminars and panel discussions focusing on issues of accessibility and e-inclusion. She is a co-investigator of a JISC funded project called LEXDIS, which is aims to explore the e-learning experiences of students with disabilities.

In all of these fields Jane has sought to develop new models and theories that can help to conceptualise practice as well as tools and methods for evaluating and research practice. She has recently become a co-director of the National Centre for Research Methods which aims to stimulate imaginative new developments in both quantitative and qualitative research methods.

SOE Research Centre Membership

Post Compulsory Education and Training

Programme Tutor

1. M Phil/PhD

Other Courses

1. Dissertation through Flexible Study MA (Ed)
2. Research Training Programme
3. Educational Practice and Innovation MSc

Principal Publications

Expand / collapse publications Show/hide all publications
Significant Publications
  • Seale, Jane K. (2006) The rainbow bridge metaphor as a tool for developing accessible e-learning practices in higher education. Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology, 32, (2)
  • Seale, J. (2006) E-learning and disability in higher education: accessibility theory and practice. Routledge: Oxford.
  • Seale, J. (2004) The development of accessibility practices in e-learning: an exploration of communities of practice. ALT-J Association for Learning Technology Journal, 12 (1), 51-63.
  • Seale, J.K and Pockney, R (2002). The Use of the Personal Home Page by Adults with Down's Syndrome as a Tool for Managing Identity and Friendship. British Journal of Learning Disabilities,30,4,142-148
    Books
  • Seale, J. (2003) Learning Technology in Transition: From Individual Enthusiasm to Institutional Implementation
  • Seale, J., Boyle,, T., Ingraham, B., Roberts, G. and McAvinia, C. (2006) Designing digital resources for learning. In, Conole, G. and Oliver, M. (eds.) Contemporary Perspectives in e-Learning Research: Themes, methods and impact on practice. Oxford, UK, Routledge, 116-128. (Open and Flexible Learning).
  • Seale, J. (2003) Measuring the Impact of Assistive Technologies on Quality of Life: Can rehabilitation professionals rise to the challenge? , in I. Higginson, Carr, A and Robinson, P (eds) Quality of Life
  • Banes, D. and Seale, J. (2002)Accessibility and inclusivity in further and higher education: an overview. In: Phipps, L., Sutherland, A. and Seale, J. (eds.) Access All Areas: disability, technology and learning, York, TechDis, 2002, 1-5.
    Journal Articles
  • Seale, Jane.K. (2008) Developing e-learning experiences and practices: the importance of context. ALT-J: Research in Learning Technology, 16, (1), 1-3
  • Seale, J., Wald, M. and Draffan, E.A. (2008) Exploring the technology experiences of disabled learners in higher education: challenges for the use and development of participatory research methods. Journal of Assistive Technology, 2, (3), 4-15. (In Press)
  • Nind, Melanie and Seale, Jane (2008) The hard work of access: lessons for education from a smeinar series on concepts of access. The SLD Experience, 51, 11-18.
  • Seale, J.K (2007) "Strategies for supporting the online publishing activities of adults with learning difficulties". Disability & Society (In Press)
  • Seale, Jane (2007 In Press) "Methodological issues in researching online representations: production, classification and personal web space". International Journal of Research and Method in Education,30,(2)
  • Palmer, Phil and Seale, Jane (2006) "Exploring the attitudes to environmental control systems of people with physical disabilities: A grounded theory approach." Technology and Disability 19, (1), 17-27
  • Seale, J. (2006) A contextualised model of accessible e-learning practice in higher education institutions. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 22(2), 268-288.
  • Seale, J. and Turner-Smith, A. (2002) Editorial: Bringing AT Professionals Together. Technology & Disability, 14(4), 2002, 147-148.
  • Seale, J., McCreadie, C., Turner-Smith, A and Tinker, A. (2002) Older People as Partners in Assistive Technology Research: The use of focus groups in the design process. Technology and Disability, 14(1), 2002, 21-29.
  • McCreadie, C., Seale, J., Tinker, A. and Turner-Smith, A. (2002) Older People and Mobility in the Home: In Search of Useful Assistive Technologies, British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 65(2), 2002, 54-60.
  • Seale, Jane, McCreadie, Claudine, Turner-Smith, Alan and Tinker, Anthea (2002) Older people as partners in assistive technology research: the use of focus groups in the design process. Technology and Disability, 14, (1), 21-29.
  • Seale, J.K (2001) The Same but Different: The Use of the Personal Home Page by Adults with Down’s Syndrome as a Tool for Self-Presentation. British Journal of Educational Technology, 32,3, 343-352
    Edited Books
  • Phipps, L., Sutherland, A and Seale, J(eds). (2002) Access All Areas: disability, technology and learning. York, ALT/JISC/TechDis 96pp.
    Conference Contribution
  • Wald, Mike, Seale, Jane and Draffan, E.A. (2008) Disabled learners experiences of e-learning. In, World Conference on Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia and Telecommunications (EDMEDIA) 2008, Vienna, Austria, 30 Jun - 4 Jul 2008. Chesapeake, VA, Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education, 9pp, 6374-6383.
  • Seale, J. (2007) Accessibility and activity theory: an exploration of the factors that mediate the practice of developing accessible e-learning in higher education. In, Ed-Media 2007: World Conference on Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia & Telecommunications, Vancouver, Canada, 23-27 Jun 2007. Chesapeake, USA, Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education, 7pp, 4601-4608
  • Kelly, B., Sloan, D., Brown, S., Seale, J., Petrie, H., Lauke, P. and Ball, S. (2007) Accessibility 2.0: people, policies and processes. In, W4A 2007: International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility, Banff, Canada, 7-8 May 2007
  • Seale, Jane (2005) Editorial: E-Learning Rhetoric, creativity and innovation. ALT-J Research in Learning Technology, 13 (2), 91-92.
  • Seale, J (2003) In Search of an Enterprise of Accessibility: Communities, Practices, Boundaries and Constellations. In Cook, J & McConnell, D (Eds) Research Proceedings of the 10th Association for Learning Technology Conference (ALT-C 2003). Association for Learning Technology, Oxford. pp 299-313 ISBN: 0-9545870-0-6
  • Seale, J (2003) The challenge of researching accessibility practices within Higher Education: An exploration of “shared enterprises” or “political games”? In Proceedings of Australian Association of Research in Education. In Proceedings of NZARE and AARE Conference 2003. CD Rom. ISSN: 1176-4902. download
  • Seale, J (2003) Researching home page authorship of adults with learning disabilities: Issues and dilemmas. In Proceedings of NZARE and AARE Conference 2003. CD Rom. ISSN: 1176-4902 download
  • Seale, J (2003) supporting the development of e-learning accessibility practices: new and emergent roles for staff developers. In G. Crisp., D, Thiele., I. Scholten., S. Barker & J. Baron (Eds) Proceedings of the 20th Annual Conference of the Australasian Society for Computers in Tertiary Education. Pp. 458-464 ISBN: 0-9751702-0-1 download
    Monographs
  • Seale, Jane, Draffan, E.A. and Wald, Mike (2008) An evaluation of the use of participatory methods in exploring disabled learners' experiences of e-learning: LEXDIS Methodology Report to JISC. Southampton, UK, University of Southampton, 71pp.
  • Seale, Jane (2008) Participatory approaches to inclusion related staff development: report of a LATEU funded learning and teaching enhancement project 2007-8. Southampton, UK, University of Southampton, 42pp.
    Other
  • Seale, J. (2004, June) Mapping pedagogy and tools for effective learning design
  • Seale, J.K and Cann, A.J (2000) Reflection on-line or off-line: the role of learning technologies in encouraging students to reflect. Computers & Education, 34,309-320
  • Seale, J (1999) Learning technologies and the lifelong learner: armament or disarmament? Association for Learning Technology Journal, 7,1,61-67
  • Seale, J (1998) Two perspectives on the language of special needs computing: towards a shared view. Disability and Society, 13,2, 259-267

    • Funded Research

    Concepts of access for people with learning disabilities: Towards a shared understanding
    LExDis
    ReStore: Sustaining Online Research Methods Resources

    Awards & Memberships

    Co-Director National Centre for Research Methods (NCRM)