Wow, Lyn, many thanks for all the links, that is exactly what I have been
looking for. I am in touch with ALS at Surrey regularly. However John
Beaumont the Disability co-ordinators was one of the drivers behind the
removal of the yellow sticker scheme. In fact I am seeing him again on
Friday, but he has also informed me that he cannot do anything about the
withdrawal of yellow stickers. I have tried to gain permission for me to
send out a global email to all Surrey students, simply asking if they have
an opinion on the matter to get in touch with me. I have been turned down. I
requested from the University under the Freedom of Information Act how many
students were consulted about this. Surry had done a very small survey in
2003; the majority of students preferred the yellow stickers for exam papers
that were to be blind marked.
I have suggested that the University supply spell-checkers at exam time,
which would be handed back after the exam, it would be up to the disabled
student if they wanted to make use of it. And with it being university
owned, no accusations of notes being put on them can be made. However I do
feel I am fighting this battle in the dark, Although ALS has had complaints
from other students, I am not allowed to know who they are.
Just for others I do get all the extra time for exams, also because of other
disabilities I can stop when ever I want and the clock stops as well only
re-starting when I'm ready. I was offered a scribe, but do not have the
skill to dictate to another person, therefore turned it down.
My regards
Frank
Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes. Oscar Wilde
1854-1900
-----Original Message-----
From: The Disability-Research Discussion List
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Bibbings Lyn
Sent: 19 July 2005 11:12
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Yellow stickers
Importance: High
Dear Frank,
I think your first port of call should be to the disability advice staff
at Surrey. There is an Additional Learning Support office in the
library that should be your first port of call. Have you also got the
disabled students handbook that they publish? These are available here:
http://portal.surrey.ac.uk/portal/page?_pageid=734,319664&_dad=portal&_s
chema=PORTAL Interestingly the section on guidance for staff is still
under construction.
If you get no joy there, or if you want some initial then I suggest you
contact SKILL which is the National Bureau for Students with
Disabilities and they have a free helpline - by phone or email, and
there are details on their website http://www.skill.org.uk/
An alternative is to seek advice from the Disability Rights Commission
http://www.drc-gb.org/ which has an area which allows you to ask
questions and to view others questions and answers.
They also have available a range of publications, one of which is a good
practice guide on examinations and assessment
http://www.drc-gb.org/publicationsandreports/publicationhtml.asp?id=200&
docsect=0§ion=0
The British Dyslexia Association aldso have a helpline - send an email
to [log in to unmask]
The National Disablity Team website (which is for anyone interested in
supported students with a disability in higher education) also has an
area of the site where you can submit a question, and has general
information and advice http://www.natdisteam.ac.uk/
The Quality Assurance Agency sets down precepts for institutions to
follow (and against which they are jusdged during any inspections or
audits). The precepts relating to students with disabilities can be
found at
http://www.qaa.ac.uk/academicinfrastructure/codeOfPractice/section3/defa
ult.asp and I would particularly draw your attention to Precept 13
which relates to examination and assessment.
There really are a lot of resources now which have been generated to
help Institutions, course managers and individual lecturers to ensiure
that they are complying with legislation and are not disadvantaging
students regarded as having a disability, although much of the research
and literature has moved on to talk more of 'inclusive' teaching,
learning and assessment methods - that is that adjustments that are made
because they are desirable forsay, dyslexic students, often make an
improvement for all students and make it less likely that lots of
individual adjustments to learning and teaching methods would be
necessary.
At Oxford Brookes there are a number of resources on line for staff and
students. Here is the link to the Equal Opportunities and Diversity,
Disability page
http://www.brookes.ac.uk/services/hr/eod/disability/index.html
You might also like to look at the funding council's (HEFCE) advice to
institutions on base level provision for students with disabilities
http://www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/hefce/1999/99_04.htm
The Higher Education Academy Subject ntwork for Hospitality, Leisure
Sport and Tourism has some articles which address issues of assessment
for students with dyslexia. See inparticular issues of LINK numbers 3
and 10, available at this link:
http://www.hlst.heacademy.ac.uk/resources/publications.html or to see
all the resources on dyslexia go to:
http://search2.openobjects.com/kbroker/hea/hlst/search.sim?qt=dyslexia&s
r=0&nh=10&cs=iso-8859-1&sc=hea-hlst&sm=0&ha=493&mt=1&to=0&x=21&y=6
Lastly, I am currently a partner in a project, funded by HEFCE, to
develop inclusive assessments particularly focussed on enabling students
to use their creative abilities (or to discover them!) an area where
students with dyslexia often excel. Our webiste is not yet running but
you can find some information on the project (we are at the research
stage) here
http://www.brookes.ac.uk/services/ocsd/teachingnews/bibbings.html
There really is masses of information and support out there - so do not
despair! I should be very happy to give your any further information if
you need it. Please email or ring me.
With best wishes
Lyn
Lyn Bibbings
PL and Teaching Fellow
Oxford Brookes University
[log in to unmask]
01865 484325
-----Original Message-----
From: The Disability-Research Discussion List
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Jeremy Wickins
Sent: 19 July 2005 09:11
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Yellow stickers
Dear Frank,
I think the reply David Dillard has sent is a very good place to start.
I'm thinking about how to address the problem practically, but in the
interim I thought you might like to know how we do this in Sheffield.
The range of benefits for someone assessed with extra requirements,
other than not being in a room with lots of other people (see below),
include extra time, a reader, or a scribe (or a combination of these
things). I regularly scribe for a dyslexic who gets an extra 15 minutes
per hour in recognition of his extra requirements, for instance. These
requirements, externally assessed, should have the effect of "levelling
the playing field" in a more objective way than leaving it up to the
individual marker to put whatever weight on the yellow sticker they feel
appropriate. There is no specific way of identifying a student with
specific needs when it comes to marking papers, but anyone with
(recognised) extra requirements sits the exam in a different building to
everyone else. The exam hall used is on the front of the paper for basic
identification, so it is possible for the marker to see where the
student sat, and make inferences from that. Technically, it shouldn't
make any difference to the marking, because of other reasons I will come
to in a moment, but it does for some markers.
I suspect that you need to add another question to your list - "What are
you putting in place to ensure any extra needs are properly met?"
I hope this helps.
Jeremy.
--
Jeremy Wickins,
PhD Researcher, Biometrics and Social Exclusion, Sheffield Institute of
Biotechnological Law and Ethics (SIBLE), Department of Law, University
of Sheffield, 169/171, Northumberland Road, Crookesmoor, Sheffield. S10
1DF UK.
Tel: +44 (0)114 222 6881
Fax: +44 (0)114 222 6886
Quoting Frank Clement-Lorford <[log in to unmask]>:
> I had posted the below to another list, but it has been suggested to
> me that I should also post to this, does anyone have an opinion.
>
> I am a mature student at Surrey and am considered to be multi-disabled
>
> being severely dyslexic, being one of them. For several years Surrey
> has
>
> offered disabled students who needed them a 'yellow sticker' which was
>
> attached to essays and exams. These were to make aware to the tutor or
>
> marker that the student had a specific learning difficulty (terrible
>
> expression) and to take that into consideration when marking the piece
> as
>
> far as grammar and spelling was concerned.
>
>
> From next semester Surry has decided to withdraw this scheme, they
> have
>
> used various arguments. I can accept that with all the enabling
> software
>
> and hardware including asking a friend to glance over your written
> work,
>
> there was no need for 'yellow stickers'. However the withdrawal in the
>
> exam room leaves me feeling disadvantaged, like others my writing
> speed
>
> and reading speed is impaired by my dyslexia. We all know how one
> minute
>
> you can spell a word and then you can't. I also forget words and their
>
> meanings. Therefore because I could apply a yellow sticker my writing
>
> speed was less impeded. Now it is.
>
>
>
> No one at Surry has been able to tell me how the withdrawal of this
> scheme
>
> does not now put me at a disadvantage. Therefore making me feel more
>
> disabled than previously. When I saw the Dean of Students about this
>
> matter, I asked two questions. One why? And the other how many
> disabled
>
> students were consulted before you made the decision to withdraw the
>
> yellow stickers. To this he answered that the Student Union was
> involved
>
> with the subject and they would have asked various students. I found
> out
>
> today from them not one student was consulted. On the why, he answered
>
> that employers should be able to expect that all students underwent
> the
>
> same criteria in obtaining their qualifications. However he did not
> answer
>
> when I asked if all disabled people applying to join the armed forces
>
> would be expected to go over the assault course.
>
>
>
> (At long last I am there, the point I need advice) When I asked
> Students
>
> Union how to make a complaint on this matter they directed me to
>
> university complaints system which is personal tutor - student
>
> representative - head of school - dean of students. However I think
> this
>
> is a disability matter. And I have already involved most of the listed
>
> members. I therefore wonder and asking others how to proceed with this
>
> matter, also do I have a point. It is very difficult to find other
>
> students like me to ask their opinion as Data protection is always
> thrown
>
> up. I am looking to send an all asking email to all students through
> my
>
> university email account, but IT is not being very helpful.
>
>
> Sorry this is long winded but any advice will be appreciated, many
> thanks;
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Regards Frank
>
> ________________End of message______________________
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