Fair point.
Don't get me wrong though I'm not against all exams - I was my PGCert had exams as I'm a bit of a last minute merchant and have 3 weeks to knock out a 6,000 word assignment, much better to sit me down and make me do it in 3 hours!!
-----Original Message-----
From: John Conway [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 01 August 2012 14:12
To: Sharron Sturgess
Cc: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Individual rooms for exams
I know there is no easy solution and one of our departments has just abandoned short in-class tests because it proved impossible to provide sufficient support workers. It is tempting to suggest abandoning exams. I run an MSc course with 50% exams and our external examiner keeps recommending dropping all exams!
I also find some students are still thinking of school type exams when they ask for special arrangements, many of ours drop the reader when they realise their exam paper is six sentences (questions) and not the long involved short answer papers they are used to
Sent from my iPhone
On 1 Aug 2012, at 08:07, "Sharron Sturgess" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> I'm not sure you can make that assumption John - our extra time venue seems to get bigger and bigger, and we now use a large computer lab as so many are recommended use of a PC. Also it's not just DSA assessors who make these recommendations, I make exam recommendations based on what I feel the student needs as a reasonable adjustment not what resources I think the department will be happy to use. And when they moan (which they do) we suggest an over reliance on exams will create such problems, not the students who need the adjustments.
>
> That said we do recommend separate rooms and then smaller rooms of 2 to 6 students or 7 to 20 to try and help address the problem.
>
> Sharron
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Discussion list for disabled students and their support staff. [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of John Conway
> Sent: 01 August 2012 13:59
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Individual rooms for exams
>
> I wonder if assessors could think this one through when making the recommendation and advise students that those with special arrangements will be in a relatively small exam room and so manage their expectations?
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On 1 Aug 2012, at 05:40, "Simon Jarvis" <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> wrote:
>
> Hello Jayne,
>
> Our approach is to try and dissuade, as much as possible, students from having a room on their own - we've found that students are often living under the misapprehension that the choice is either main exam hall or an individual room; if we explain they are more likely to be in a smaller room but with a few other students they are often mollified.
>
> I think at the last count we had just under 800 students with exam arrangements of one type or another and I am confident that it is reasonable to expect students to take their exams in rooms with other students unless there is a very good reason for them being on their own, e.g. they are using a reader, amanuensis or voice input software.
>
> Looking at these issues with an employability hat on, we work with students with acute exam anxiety over the time they are here so that they can obviate some of the issues they face.
>
> Simon
>
> On 01/08/2012 11:23, Hey Jayne wrote:
> Dear colleagues,
>
> I have recently had a meeting with my colleagues in the exams office here at Northampton as we are in the unfortunate position where we are now unable to give every student who is recommended a ‘separate room’ for exams a room on their own. We obviously do this for students who need a scribe or reader but for those with anxiety for example, we are now at full capacity having provided 387 rooms over the exam period last summer.
>
> One suggestion is that instead of giving them a room on their own, we provide rooms with a maximum of five students which would significantly decrease not only the need for rooms but also invigilators which are in very short supply.
>
> Could you please let me know if you do something similar at your institution?
>
> Many thanks
>
> Jayne
>
> Jayne Hey MA
> Access Ability Team Leader
> Student Services
> The University of Northampton
> Boughton Green Road
> Northampton
> NN2 7AL
>
> Tel: (01604) 892258
> Email: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
>
> Ranked number 1 in the UK for Value Added The University of Northampton has achieved the top ranking among UK Universities for ‘Value Added’ in the Guardian Universities League table for 2012. See more about this on our website<http://www.northampton.ac.uk/news/article/133/the-university-of-northampton-is-no-1-for-value-added--the-guardian>.
> Award winner - Outstanding Higher Education Institution Supporting Social Entrepreneurship 2011 (UnLtd/HEFCE)
>
> This e-mail is private and may be confidential and is for the intended recipient only. If you are not the intended recipient you are strictly prohibited from using, printing, copying, distributing or disseminating this e-mail or any information contained in it. We virus scan all E-mails leaving The University of Northampton but no warranty is given that this E-mail and any attachments are virus free. You should undertake your own virus checking. The right to monitor E-mail communications through our networks is reserved by us.
>
>
>
> --
> Simon Jarvis
> Head of Disability & Dyslexia Service
> Queen Mary University of London
>
> Student and Campus Services
> Room FB 2.30, Francis Bancroft
> Mile End Road, London E1 4NS
> Tel: 020 7882 2765
> Mobile: 07500 825 597
> Fax: 020 7882 5223
> www.dds.qmul.ac.uk<http://www.dds.qmul.ac.uk>
|