Examinations and Assessments

Facilitator: Gareth Morgan

Comments made by the facilitator are given in italics and solutions suggested by students are given in bold.

Question 1. How does the institution inform disabled students that adjustments can be made in their assessments?

Birbkeck student: Declared condition on application form and was referred to DO – some adjustments were put in place, but they were insufficient. The student appealed and although the DO did not think that it was necessary, further adjustments were made. Student was unhappy with the handling of the situation by the DO and the exams staff.

IOE student: Student was advised to approach tutor for any special provision required.

SOAS student: DO sent student an email which outlined all the options available – any support was negotiated through DO. Some written questions were difficult to interpret, so they were explained and clarified to the student in person (verbally).

IOE student: Student was not aware that any adjustments could be made in assessments, although she was aware that it is possible to arrange proof-reading through the DSO

Birkbeck student: Attended a general information session.

SOAS student: Received booklets from the Disability Support Office and from Registry.

Gareth Morgan asked if any students had seen posters informing them of arrangements?

Several students said that they had seen posters

SOAS student: Wasn’t aware of how the disability office could help. It is crucial that information about exam arrangements is given to students in good time (i.e. before the deadline for doing anything about it). Suspects that some students are concerned about disclosing their disability as they are not sure how this will impact on their time at University so often only disclose near the time of exams.

Birkbeck student: Getting hold of registry is very difficult and often needs to be facilitated by the disability support office.

Birkbeck Student: The Educational Psychologist (who conducted student 3’s dyslexia assessment) recommended exam provisions and the Disability Office put these into place.

Gareth Morgan asked where does information about exam provisions come from?

SOAS Student: Disability Office makes arrangements and then these are formalized and notification comes from exam office.

Birkbeck Student: Similar to last student plus a phone call and feels that her arrangements are fine.

Birkbeck Student: Last minute arrangements can be problematic.

Birkbeck Student: Received information about exam arrangements from friends rather than from the Disability Office.

Birkbeck Student: A generic letter is posted out to outline provisions but this is somewhat limited. Including a phone number / e-mail that students can use to get more information would be appreciated.

Birkbeck Student: Ticked box on application form. Disability office didn’t contact him, he contacted them. Talked to Exam Office themselves. Institution not very proactive.

Birkbeck Student: Only used Disability Office ‘properly’ (applied for DSA etc) in final year. Only found out then that provision could be made e.g. use of an ergonomic chair.

Birkbeck Student: Only saw posters this year, did not see them in previous years.

Birkbeck Student: Sought out disability office herself.

SOAS Student: I gave my medical documents to ZD the disability officer, she knew that I was disabled and I had already been in contact with her before I came here. She then refers to the Academic registrar.

SOAS Student: I didn’t know about special arrangements. It was only when DO told me and then I had to gather all the documents together.

SOAS Student: We did receive an e-mail from the faculty saying to get in touch if we needed special arrangements.

SOAS Student: We are sent confirmation of special arrangements.

Question 2: How clear is the documentation you receive that explains how such adjustments are made?

Birkbeck Student: Adjustment process is not clear, asked for details and didn’t receive any, student did a single module at SOAS which they had to leave half way and got no course units whatsoever.

Birkbeck Student: Confusion over whether disability is taken into account when marks are considered (including final degree classification

Question 3: How effectively are these adjustments applied to all assessments (i.e. class-based tests as well as formal examinations)?

Birkbeck Student: Need to receive material well in advance in order to have the opportunity to prepare and review complicated material – especially when time is limited eg. weekend workshops. Would be useful to have more material available to download, on the internet, or within a Virtual Learning Environment. Study should be more closely related to the world of work – have relevance for particular vocations – a modular structure. The college administration would benefit from a more commercial approach. Need to be aware of the possibility of conflicting priorities, to look at all the students’ various deadlines and try to stagger them, so that the pressure on the student is distributed more evenly.

SOAS Student: Particular difficulty for mature students and those who are returning to study after a long break – they would all benefit from extra support and coaching in general study skills, examination techniques, etc.

Gareth Morgan asked if the students had the same arrangements for in-class tests as they get in exams?

SOAS Student: For assignments provisions should be standardized rather than on a case by case scenario just as they are for exams.

Birkbeck Student: Seconds the idea of standard assignment provisions as suggested by SOAS student above. Automatic extensions on assignments would help alleviate stress. Staggered deadlines would also be useful.

Gareth Morgan: Difficulties with non-staggered deadlines are experienced across the board and across institutions.

Birkbeck Student: Tries to complete her assignments early, however this will often disadvantage her because her take on information develops as the course develops, particularly if she has written the paper before the lecture on that

Birkbeck Student: Only had provision in final year (on purely exam based course). Coursework was not penalized when handed in late (not sure whether this was a specific action or something that happens across the board)

Gareth Morgan asked if lecturers know about the students’ disabilities?

Two SOAS Students and a Birkbeck student: Yes and this information was handled discreetly.

SOAS Student: There is a separation between the processes of the disability office and the teaching staff. This separation impacts on students.

Birkbeck Student: Is there a connection between a student’s disability and anonymous marking; do lecturers know they are marking the work of a dyslexic student (for example)?

SOAS Student: The exam board needs to have information from DO. There are gaps that students can fall through and some mistakes have been made e.g informing the invigilator what they need to do. In one of my exams he hadn’t been told that I had an extra 15 mins. I tried to tell him but he ignored me.

SOAS Student: There is no systemic communication of the fact that you can have extra time. It’s done almost informally.

SOAS Student: In my Amharic exam I was made to sit outside a room and to read.

SOAS Student: Systemically (within SOAS) alternative assessment is banned.

SOAS Student: There are people in my course who feel like they should get an assessment and I feel bad that I have it and they don’t.

SOAS Student: In my case no-one knew what other form of assessment I could take.

Question 4: How appropriate are the venues used for examinations?

SOAS Student: Was given access to a separate room to enable student to type answers without disturbing other examinees – also allocated extra time to sit paper, due to dyslexia. These adjustments worked well.

Gareth Morgan asked have there been any practical problems in sitting your exams?

Birkbeck Student: Had heard of a fellow Birkbeck student who was re-located three times during one exam – the room booking was totally disorganized – it was very disruptive to this person, and they consequently complained to Birkbeck about their treatment.

Birkbeck Student: Shared computer rooms in exams can be very noisy and distracting.

Birkbeck Student: Toilets are not easily accessed from the exam rooms used by disabled students.

SOAS Student: Once all the exam arrangements were made everything was fine.

Birkbeck Student: The rooms used by disabled students are not treated as exam rooms. There are often people walking past and a lot of back ground noise.

Birkbeck Student: One student was happy with sheltered invigilation (avoided awkward questions from her peers etc) and happy with the exam venues

SOAS Student: The room was very loud and noisy. It was hard to concentrate. The invigilators didn’t know that they should be quiet. I should have had a quiet room

SOAS Student: One student was writing on a computer and that was distracting.

SOAS Student: If people need to talk to them selves they should be able to be on their own in a room.

Question 5 - How well organized are the examinations?

SOAS Student: 1st exam this year, rest break not organized. The exam also didn’t start on time and the invigilator didn’t give the paper. Feels that invigilation for disabled students can be slack.

Birkbeck Student: In some exams lecturers are present but they often do not come to the exam room for disabled students, sometimes because the room is in a different building to the main exam room.

Birkbeck Student: It is stresses like these that disabled students just don’t need.

Birkbeck Student: Examiners and invigilators are often not aware that a student is sitting their exam in a different room. This can cause the examiner to worry that the student is not sitting their exam at all.

Birkbeck Student: would like clarification on what, as a dyslexic candidate, you can ask the examiner/invigilator. Where is the line between asking for help and asking for explanation, how do we know and how do lecturers know.

Birkbeck Student: Exam preparation sessions come too late in the academic year, moving these to the first term would be helpful.

SOAS Student: SOAS offers generic revision sessions.

Birkbeck Student: Generally ok, problem this year where afternoon exam was scheduled to start in same room as previous exam. Morning exam was due to finish at the same time afternoon exam was supposed to start, exam was delayed.

Birkbeck Student: One student had minor problems in the 1st year which were smoothed over in subsequent years.

SOAS Student: The exams were very well organised. I was in a room on my own and it was quiet. All of my exams I take on my own.

SOAS Student: I fought for and achieved an alternative assessment. I was told it was unprecedented. I had confidence because I was a trainer.. I did a two hour presentation and although it was badly organised it was successful. One examiner said that it challenged her criteria. Another came for only half the time. There is a lack of precedent due to no other options. There is resistance from registry.

SOAS Student: It felt like registry were begrudging you.

Question 6: How effective are the support staff (e.g. readers etc.) recruited for exams?

Birkbeck Student: Invigilators can be chatty and noisy (sometimes because they need to be).

2 Birkbeck Students: Disagree with this and commended the invigilators in their exams.

SOAS Student: The invigilators were confused about how to give me the extra time. They didn’t know what it meant.

SOAS Student: I didn’t know that I could take a break.

Question 7: How much development in the provision made for disabled students is evident, year on year?

IOE student: Very little development in provision for disabled students is evident each year. Student would suggest raising awareness of disabilities among teaching staff.

Question 8: What improvements would you like to see in how examination issues address the needs of disabled students?

SOAS Student: It is crucial that information about exam arrangements is given to students in good time (i.e. before the deadline for doing anything about it).

Birkbeck Student: Need to be aware of the possibility of conflicting priorities, to look at all the students’ various deadlines and try to stagger them, so that the pressure on the student is distributed more evenly.

SOAS Student: For assignments provisions should be standardized rather than on a case by case scenario just as they are for exams.

Birkbeck Student: Exam preparation sessions come too late in the academic year, moving these to the first term would be helpful.

IoE Student: Student would suggest raising awareness of disabilities among teaching staff

Birkbeck Student: No need to stick to such a traditional approach to assessment – it disadvantages disabled students – and it is open to fraud, cheating, plagiarism, etc.

SOAS Student: Too reliant on exams alone – could offer a variety of ways to assess students. If college is worried about plagiarism they could use specialist software to detect it (scans work and identifies patterns which are unique to an individual, so that ‘borrowed words’ are detected).

Birkbeck Student: More transparency in exam adjustment procedures

Birkbeck Student: Making sure students know what adjustments are possible

Birkbeck Student: Making sure students know what assessment format will be.

Birkbeck Student: Issue of adjustments for research students in Viva’s – Is any provision made? Need to look at what provision could be made for research students in Vivas?

Birkbeck Student: Provision for open book exams for students with focus and concentration issues.

SOAS Student: Guidelines should be published.

SOAS Student: Academics need training as they are often the first port of call. They could be telling us about this part of exams.

SOAS Student: It needs to be clearer what extra time you can ask for.

SOAS Student: There needs to be training for the marking of assessments.

SOAS Student: Registry need to think about what kinds of special arrangements are needed and how to use them instead of just ticking the boxes.

SOAS Student: They don’t know how to think about it!

SOAS Student: Individual tutors have no idea about special arrangements and can have wrong assumptions.

SOAS Student: Somebody in registry who has a dedicated role to sort out special arrangements.

GENERAL SUMMARY

Question 1. How does the institution inform disabled students that adjustments can be made in their assessments?

Students found out about exam arrangements from a variety of sources such as the Student Disability Advisors, Tutors, information sessions, booklets and posters. This had reached most students but there is a general feeling that what is available and how to apply for it should be made clearer earlier in the year. There was a feeling that the institutions could be more proactive and that more training could be provided to academics and registry staff.

Question 2: How clear is the documentation you receive that explains how such adjustments are made?

The answers suggest that the process isn’t clear and there is little understanding of what happens after the exams – eg how having special arrangements / a disability is taken into account in marking.

Question 3: How effectively are these adjustments applied to all assessments (i.e. class-based tests as well as formal examinations)?

Students took this opportunity to discuss:

the difficulties caused by assignment deadlines not being staggered enough and
to argue that assignment provisions should be standardized with, perhaps, automatic extensions.
Another difficulty outlined was lecturers not giving all information for assignments early enough.

SOAS students also mentioned that there is no systematic communication of exam adjustments made to the departments for in class tests etc.

Question 4: How appropriate are the venues used for examinations?

Issues raised here were:

the distraction of working in a room with others using a computer;
the rooms not being quiet enough (with no-one ensuring that people outside were quiet) and
the proximity of toilets to the special exam rooms.

Question 5 - How well organized are the examinations?

Here the issues were:

invigilators not knowing what the arrangements were for the students;
lecturers going to main exam room but not special arrangements rooms,
revision/exam technique classes taking place too late; and
students knowing what they are allowed and expected to do.

Question 6: How effective are the support staff (e.g. readers etc.) recruited for exams?

Invigilators need to be quieter and clearer about what was allowed.

Question 7: How much development in the provision made for disabled students is evident, year on year?

There was only one comment on this which suggested that very little development in provision for disabled students is evident each year.

Question 8: What improvements would you like to see in how examination issues address the needs of disabled students?

There are lots of suggestions. These are listed above and in the Action points.

SOAS, University of London (The School of Oriental and African Studies)

Equality & Diversity Office