Dear Gabriele,
Your query seems to involve an issue that has not come up before on the list. Off-list, I’ll send you the names of two experts who have probably worked with problems such as this. They may be able to offer useful advice. Because the topic is important, I’ll add a couple comments.
Gabriele Ferri asked, “In the MSc program I coordinate, we have two competence-based (vs. skill-based) assessments/exams. These are 60-mins interviews with a panel of assessors, where students discuss their work and answer questions pertaining projects that took place in the past semester. These are the main, principal assessments in the academic year.
“A student just presented medical documents certifying an anxiety disorder, and asked for an alternative format. The school's psychological counsellor and I are at a loss here. The point of a verbal assessment is to probe, through q&a, a student's ability to defend and support their design choices.
“Other formats (e.g. a written essay) lose the fundamental quality of showing whether one can think on their feet vis-à-vis their design process.
“On the other hand, I respect that anxiety is an objective medical condition, and I realize I should be able to accommodate. I just don't know how!”
Alma Hoffman’s advice is good. From your query, it seems that you consulted with the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences Student Psychologists’ office. AUAS Student Medical services might also have some expertise. There are significant resources on the AUAS web site that offer possible guidance. It might also be worth holding a meeting with several AUAS psychologists and doctors — if you’ve already done this, please forgive the suggestion. If you’ve only spoken with one counsellor rather than a larger group, it may simply be that this question lies outside the experience of the person you asked, while others may have useful ideas.
There is a section on the AUAS web site about studying with disabilities. This section has extensive information on disabilities, as well as on applicable legislation covering examinations.
If there is insufficient expertise within AUAS, it’s worth querying other Dutch universities. The Netherlands is quite advanced in this regard. If one university does not have the expertise you need, other universities may. With over 45,000 students, though, I am certain that you can find what you need inside AUAS — at a university that large, it may just require looking more widely or consulting at other faculties than your own.
Meredith Davis offers wise advice. During student years, it is possible to provide a supportive environment. If your student suffers from an anxiety disorder that is likely to be short-term or a disorder that can be ameliorated through therapy or medication, there may only be minor difficulties in choosing design as a profession. If the anxiety disorder is more likely to endure, this person is likely to encounter professional demands that are more difficult than an assessment. Advice from a skilled counsellor is a good idea.
There is a rich literature on these issues. If you want to read up, a subject specialty librarian can help you to locate useful sources in the AUAS library — or get them on interlibrary loan from other Dutch universities. If your main concern is helping one student rather than adding this area to your expertise, I’d suggest getting expert advice. To understand these issues well enough act wisely on behalf of your student requires more than reading. This takes experience.
Working with your student on this issue involves more than assessment — it involves counselling or psychology to design an assessment process appropriate to the student’s needs. In many nations, people who work in counselling and in psychology undertake a term of practice with expert supervision as part of the licensing process. There’s no way to get this experience from a book.
In a university with as many students as AUAS, there must be people who have faced this kind of challenge in comparable situations — they should be able to tell you how they did it, and who in the university gave them the necessary help. The Netherlands has a large body of applicable laws and regulations — these exist to help and to protect students, and to help universities and university staff in meeting student needs. You’ll find the help you need somewhere in AUAS — reading isn’t enough.
Warm wishes,
Ken
Ken Friedman, Ph.D., D.Sc. (hc), FDRS | Editor-in-Chief | 设计 She Ji. The Journal of Design, Economics, and Innovation | Published by Tongji University in Cooperation with Elsevier | URL: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/she-ji-the-journal-of-design-economics-and-innovation/ <http://www.journals.elsevier.com/she-ji-the-journal-of-design-economics-and-innovation/>
Chair Professor of Design Innovation Studies | College of Design and Innovation | Tongji University | Shanghai, China ||| Email [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]> | Academia http://swinburne.academia.edu/KenFriedman <http://swinburne.academia.edu/KenFriedman> | D&I http://tjdi.tongji.edu.cn <http://tjdi.tongji.edu.cn/>
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