I suppose where a
reader has an advantage over TextHELP, is that they can be used to read out
the questions. In the context of an examination, one of the main
problems encountered by dyslexic students, is their inability to gain an
adequate understanding of the question.
Of course, I
suppose you could present an examination paper in electronic form, and get
TH to read it back, but this seems like taking it a step too far – when a
reader would be adequate for this task..?
Phil
From:
Discussion list for disabled students and their support
staff. [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Bryan Jones
Sent: 20 April 2005 17:13
To:
[log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: textHELP in exams
?
We do use TextHelp
in exams here, in some cases of dyslexia, not for all by any
means. It is used in the main for students who have severe
difficulties reading and enables the exam questions to be read aloud, via
electonic copy. And it can be used to proof read their
responses as well. You can supply a Reader instead, but it
usually costs money to pay for their time. Perhaps the student feels
uncomfortable / self conscious about asking someone to read her work aloud,
perhaps repeatedly, which could impact on performance. I can't see how
using a Screen Reader would give her an advantage over other students,
unless of course some other students with dyslexia have reading difficulties
that are likely to impact on their exam performance as well, in which case
they too should have access to
TextHelp.
Bryan Jones,
Manager, Disability Support
Services
& North London Regional Access Centre,
Middlesex University
Tel: 020 8411
5366
-----Original
Message-----
From:
Discussion list for disabled students and their support
staff. [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Phil Judd
Sent: Wednesday, April 20, 2005 4:15
PM
To:
[log in to unmask]
Subject: textHELP in exams
?
Hi,
I have just had a phone call from
an examinations officer from local college. They have a student,
in receipt of the DSA, who is requesting the software textHELP Read and
Write to be installed on to a computer for use in their
examinations. The student’s disability – combination of mobility
and dyslexia – insists that she needs the ‘read-back’ feature within TH
to listen to what she has written – basically a sentence at a
time.
In the student’s psychological
report, for her examinations, she has been recommended 25% extra time
(plus allowances for rest periods), a computer and a
reader.
I was wondering whether any of you
have had experiences of students either requesting or using
textHELP Read and Write within an examination setting (in addition
to Word) ?? In any case, I would have thought that the reader
would be able to provide audible feedback of sentences and paragraphs in
much the same way as the TH software.
However, the student is insisting
that this is not ‘quite the same ??’. At present, the exams
officer is not convinced and feels that the inclusion of textHELP would
put the student at an advantage over other
students.
Any comments
?
Thanks
Phil
Judd
Bridgend College