Learning Support Responsibilities Preparation

Best practices

1. Provide reasonable accommodations for examinations and assessment that allow disabled learners the same opportunity as their peers to achieve learning outcomes. 
2. Develop a clear procedure for granting alternative arrangements following the national standard for Guidelines and Procedures for the Provision of Alternative Arrangements in Tests and Examinations to Students with Disability/Impairment.
3. Ensure that access to alternative arrangements: 
   1. Widely publicised with a clear pathway for disabled learners to follow.
   2. Operates with minimum delay.
   3. That this is applied consistently across the institution or organisation.
4. Monitor the provision of alternative arrangements regularly so that:
   1. Equity and fairness are upheld.
   2. Teaching staff understand possible provisions and procedures and how to advise disabled learners.
   3. Provision is consistent across the tertiary provider. 
5. Consider providing alternative arrangements for internal assessment and tests of under 30 minutes for disabled learners with a reading, writing or spelling difficulty, on an individual needs basis.

Ideas and resources

• Reasonable accommodations for examinations and assessment may include: 
  • The use of assistive technology in examinations.
    For example, C-Pens that have been developed specifically for exam use. This eliminates the need for a reader in an exam.
  • Flexibility in the balance between assessed coursework and exams to help minimise issues like stress. 
  • Demonstration of achievement in alternative ways – presentations in sign language, oral exams, assignments instead of exams, short-answer instead of multiple-choice exams or vice versa, assessments which vary  question and response options.
    For example, audio or video tape instead of written answers.
  • Additional time allowances, rest breaks and rescheduling of exams.
  • The use of computers, note takers, reader/writers and other support in examinations.
  • Examinations and presentation of assessed work in alternative formats.
  • Additional rooms and supervisors for those using alternative arrangements. 
  • Extended deadlines for assignments. 

• Providing an alternative arrangement examination and assessment manual can ensure consistency by guiding staff on areas such as the use of scribes  and computers, additional time and managing oral exams. Training for test or exam support staff is also important. 

What you need to know

If evidence is provided that delayed completion of assessed work, non attendance at examinations, deferral or withdrawal has been due to impairment then policies and procedures should allow this to be recorded in non-prejudicial terms in all academic files.

Examples

Sometimes disabled learners do not have a diagnosis, but have obvious impairment-related learning support needs. Services should always  be supported to put in a bridge until the learner is able to get the right documentation or support, but not to send a learner away with no plan or  support in place.

In the COVID-19 era and for online invigilation, some tertiary providers have used systems such as ProctorU that can have adverse impacts on disabled learners if not properly monitored.