Re: recent communication about sympathetic marking.
At the University of Southampton if dyslexic students are eligible for extra time in examinations, they will also be eligible for 'sympathetic marking' in examinations. Under examination conditions they are likely to make more errors than their non-dyslexic peers because of slow sleed of information processing etc. We feel this consideration is totally justified. The coloured sticker system is meant to ensure that in anonymous marking a dyslexic student is not penalised for typical dyslexic spelling and syntax errors. The sticker system is simply to bring to the attention of the marker that it is a dyslexic script and that there may be errors in written expression. If, however, language skills are being assessed, then no consideration is given.
Sympathetic marking is not allowed for coursework because there is the opportunity for students to receive academic study skill tutorials with our dyslexia tutors. Dyslexia Services can provide help with editing skills. Dyslexia tutors can also read students' work aloud to them so that they can hear whether they have written what they have intended to write. Guidance can be given about the kind of grammatical, structural errors individual students are making. Under no circumstances would we undertake to proof read students' coursework, however, or comment on the subject matter of the work.
Janet
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Janet Skinner
Co-ordinator of Dyslexia Services
University of Southampton
9 University Crescent
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023 80595 562 (internal 25562)
Dyslexia Services Reception 023 8059 2759
(internal 22759) [log in to unmask]
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