Guidelines for Marking the work of Students who - University of ...

Student Enabling Centre: Dyslexia UnitDyslexia Assessment PolicyTable of Contents1. Background information on dyslexia...........................................................22. Rationale for the introduction of these assessment guidelines ................23. Circumstances under which special assessment guidelines should beapplied .................................................................................................................44. Identifying circumstances for applying the guidelines ..............................55. Misuse of stickers issued to students with dyslexia ..................................66. Assessing written coursework and written examination responses ........67. Providing feedback on written assignments and written examinationresponses............................................................................................................78. Assessing oral presentations......................................................................89. Common errors related to dyslexia.............................................................910. Extensions for the submission of coursework ........................................1011. The right of students with dyslexia to appeal in accordance with thesemarking guidelines ..........................................................................................1112. Special examination arrangements for students with dyslexia ..............1213. Confidentiality of information relating to students with dyslexia...........13Page 1 of 13

1. Background information on dyslexiaDyslexia is one of several conditions described as a specific learning difficulty,meaning that difficulties are present in particular areas of learning but thatgeneral intelligence is not adversely affected. Evidence suggests that there is agenetic explanation and researchers have also established that dyslexia has aneurological basis. Individuals may be born with the condition (developmentaldyslexia) or may develop a form of dyslexia through head injury or neurologicaltrauma (acquired dyslexia).The ‘deficit model’ of dyslexia emphasises underlying problems with short-termmemory, information processing and phonological awareness and focuses onassociated difficulties with literacy and the recall of rote information. Equallyimportant to consider, however, are the range of strengths and sophisticatedskills that an individual with dyslexia may possess, such as lateral reasoning,creative thinking, three-dimensional visualisation and an intuitive, holisticapproach to problem-solving.Dyslexia is best understood as an unusual balance of strengths and difficultiesthat will not limit the opportunities of an individual if adjustments are made toreflect his/her different cognitive abilities. From an equal opportunitiesperspective, adjustments are required in methods of teaching, learning andassessment in order to develop and maintain an inclusive learning environmentfor students who have dyslexia.2. Rationale for the introduction of these assessmentguidelinesThese guidelines help address recommendations within both the QAA Code ofPractice and also Part 4 of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA). The QAACode of Practice for the assurance of academic quality and standards in highereducation gives higher education institutions clear guidance on provision forstudents with disabilities. The object of the code is to assist institutions inensuring that students with disabilities have access to a learning experiencecomparable to that of their peers.Part 4 of the DDA states that discrimination against disabled applicants orstudents can take place by either treating them ‘less favourably’ than others, orPage 2 of 13

y failing to make a ‘reasonable adjustment’ when they are placed at a‘substantial disadvantage’ compared to other students for a reason relating totheir disability. A reasonable adjustment would involve taking action to alleviate asubstantial disadvantage, which could mean changing standard institutionalprocedures. The Disability Rights Commission suggest a number ofmodifications for students with dyslexia, including the use of alternativeassessment tasks, deadline extensions, the provision of additional technologicaland human support and considerate marking. These recommendations willrequire action to be taken by academic staff as well as by the Student EnablingCentre.The Student Enabling Centre helps students with dyslexia to access varioussupport mechanisms to alleviate their basic skills difficulties, such as the use ofenabling equipment and specialist study skills tuition. However, there arevariations and inconsistencies in the capacity for individuals to access theseservices. Some students are not eligible for funded support. Those students whoare eligible may find the process of liaising with external agencies to completethe complicated process of accessing support takes several months. In addition,many students are identified as having dyslexia each year at the University ofWolverhampton and these students also have to wait for support to be arrangedin accordance with the DfES funding system. Even students who receiveequipment and specialist tuition may struggle to manage their time to make fulluse of these mechanisms for proof reading assignments. It is likely, therefore,that some students with dyslexia will be unable to submit written work that is freeof errors on a consistent basis.Staff within the Student Enabling Centre act as swiftly as possible whenarranging support for disabled students, but external constraints exist due to thenature of the funding system. As difficulties with the accuracy of grammar,spelling and punctuation are directly related to the impairments associated withdyslexia and these place the student at a substantial disadvantage, a markingpolicy for students with dyslexia is conducive to offering these students equalityof opportunity.This policy is not intended to replace support currently available to students withdyslexia, but rather the Student Enabling Centre will continue to strive towardsimproved services for students. Nor is the policy intended to deliver favourabletreatment to students with dyslexia in comparison to their non-dyslexic peers, butrather its purpose is to offer a reasonable adjustment to standard assessmentprocedures to take account of the reality of their disability. Furthermore, thispolicy is not intended to enforce the lowering of academic standards within theuniversity. In accordance with Part 4 of the DDA, this policy allows academicstandards, in this case relating to the quality of basic skills, to be upheld wherenecessary.Page 3 of 13

The rationale for the introduction of this policy is to maintain equality ofopportunity for students with dyslexia in respect to the assessment ofcoursework.3. Circumstances under which special assessmentguidelines should be applied1. This marking policy should be applied to the assessment of all submittedwritten work and examination or test scripts that are produced by astudent who you have been informed has dyslexia. There is also anaspect of this policy that should be applied to the assessment of an oralpresentation.2. The only circumstance that overrides point 1 above is when a corerequirement has been established as a necessary learning outcome forassessment and this core requirement conflicts with the ability to followcertain guidelines in this document. However, these guidelines should stillbe followed as closely as possible, only excluding recommendations withinthis document that conflict with specified core requirements.3. If a core requirement exists that conflicts with this marking policy, thisshould be detailed within the module specification template and both therelevant dyslexic student and the Special Needs Tutor for the schoolshould be made aware of this circumstance.4. Decisions to specify a core requirement that disallows students withdyslexia access to certain marking concessions outlined in this documentshould be clarified with caution. There should be clear, justifiable reasonsthat relate to academic standards and that could not be seen asdiscriminatory practice. For example, if an issue of professional training orcompetency is considered a reason for upholding basic skills as a corerequirement, it is advisable to check that the relevant professional bodyactively supports this decision.5. Ideally, the relevant dyslexic student and the Special Needs Tutor for theschool should be made aware of the conflict detailed in point 3 above atthe time an assignment brief is issued and both parties should be madeaware of which exclusions are to be applied.6. Written feedback provided for the assignment or examination script shouldclearly state why these marking guidelines were only partially applied andPage 4 of 13

should clearly state the exclusions that were made in accordance with thecore requirements for the assessment of the written work in question.4. Identifying circumstances for applying theguidelines:1. The student has attached a sticker to an assignment that has beensubmitted. Students who wish to ensure discretion when handing in workmay place this sticker inside the assignment. The sticker will state,‘Please refer to the Dyslexia Assessment Policy when marking this work.’2. The student has verbally informed you that s/he has dyslexia and youhave verified the accuracy of this information by contacting the SpecialNeeds Tutor for the school.3. The Special Needs Tutor for the school has informed you that the studenthas dyslexia.4. A member of staff from the Assessment & Conferment Unit has informedyou that the student has dyslexia.5. A member of staff from the Student Enabling Centre has informed you thatthe student has dyslexia.6. The student has enclosed a Tutor Awareness Sheet with the assignmentor has previously handed you a copy of this document.7. Please note that in the circumstances outlined in sections 4.2 – 4.5 above,a sticker may not have been used to identify the students’ work but themarking guidelines should still be applied. In practice, there may be aninterim period where information about the introduction of the stickersystem has not been disseminated to every student with dyslexia withinthe university. Special Needs tutors and academic staff can help raiseawareness by recommending that students within categories 4.2 – 4.5above, should contact the Student Enabling Centre to obtain stickers fortheir future assignments.Page 5 of 13

5. Misuse of stickers issued to students with dyslexia1. Students will only be able to obtain stickers from the Student EnablingCentre. A sheet of stickers will be issued upon request from a studentwho has submitted a valid assessment report for dyslexia. Students withdyslexia who have identified themselves to the Student Enabling Centrewill be issued with information on accessing all services from the StudentEnabling Centre, including stickers for the submission of written work.2. A serial number will be visible on each sticker that can be traced to thestudent who was issued with the stickers but if you have any concernsabout authenticity, the Student Enabling Centre will be able to verify thatthe student in question has dyslexia.3. If you suspect a student who does not have dyslexia has inappropriatelyused a sticker upon submitted work, this can be investigated by theacademic staff within the school who can decide upon the appropriateaction to take. It will be possible to trace the student who provided themisused stickers through the serial number, which will be registered withinthe Student Enabling Centre.4. When issued with stickers, students will be informed that misuse of thesestickers will be considered academic misconduct and that their academicschool may take action under these circumstances. However, onlystudents with significant basic skills difficulties are likely to benefit throughthe use of these stickers, which may make misuse unlikely.6. Assessing written coursework and writtenexamination responses1. The purpose of assessing the written work of dyslexic students is to avoidpenalising him/her for mistakes made with grammar, spelling andpunctuation.2. Establish the learning outcomes for the assignment in question. Mark thework with the intention of giving credit for the student’s achievements inmeeting these learning outcomes by focusing on the content andunderstanding of the topic rather than concentrating on written expression.Page 6 of 13

Reading the student’s work quickly can sometimes increase the ability tofocus on content rather than errors.3. It is not necessary to proof-read and correct the student’s work. However,if the spelling, punctuation and grammatical mistakes detract significantlyfrom the content of the work, it may be appropriate to begin marking byproof-reading the assignment and making necessary corrections tospelling, grammar and punctuation. It is preferable to use pencil or blackink for these corrections. To avoid over-emphasising mistakes, onlycorrect repetitive errors for part of the work. (To gain further details onareas this should encompass, see Section 9: Common errors related todyslexia.)4. Mark the student’s work using a different colour of ink without penalisingfor any mistakes that have been corrected in black ink or pencil.5. If the general policy or practice within a certain course is to avoid makingwritten comments upon a students’ actual assignment, this should alsoapply to work submitted by a student with dyslexia.6. It is recognised that in some instances, the grammatical construction orwritten style of expression may obscure the clarity of the student’s ideas.In these cases, decide whether the intended content can be understoodand give credit accordingly for this aspect of the work.7. In the event that a student with dyslexia is still experiencing a significantdisadvantage in producing written coursework in spite of the aboveconcessions, an alternative assignment method may be appropriate forthe module assessment. A student can discuss this issue with his or herSpecial Needs Tutor, who will liaise with the relevant academic staff todiscuss suitable arrangements. This will take account of the individualcourse and allow consideration for the maintenance of academicstandards.7. Providing feedback on written assignments andwritten examination responses1. Written feedback should be provided considerately to avoid damaging thestudent’s self-esteem. Students with dyslexia can sometimes perceiveany criticism of their written work as disparaging and negative feedbackprovided for assignments can be more distressing to these students thanthe actual mark awarded for the work. Comment as far as possible on thePage 7 of 13

strengths of the student’s work and try the ‘sandwich technique’ whenproviding feedback (positive comments/constructive advice forimprovement/positive comments).2. Students with dyslexia often have difficulty reading cursive script, so aimto keep handwriting as legible as possible. Alternatively, feedback can beword processed and attached to the student’s work.3. Certain symbols used for marking can be perceived as critical and canconfuse students with dyslexia, for example, crosses, question marks andexclamation marks when used without sufficient explanations to establishthe reason for their use.4. If any core requirements have been established that conflict with the abilityto fully apply these marking guidelines, this should be stated in thefeedback that is provided on an assignment or examination script.8. Assessing oral presentations1. The purpose of assessing oral presentations by dyslexic students is toavoid penalising him/her for mistakes made with grammar, spelling andpunctuation or with speech production.2. Establish the learning outcomes for the oral presentation in question.Mark the work with the intention of giving credit for the student’sachievements in meeting these learning outcomes by focusing on thecontent and understanding of the topic. Avoid penalising the student formistakes with the pronunciation of words, for misreading from the visualaids or for basic skills errors on visual aids or handouts.3. Although some students with dyslexia favour oral presentations as anassessment method, others experience anxiety or even phobic reactions.Where these negative feelings occur, they can sometimes be linked tohumiliating experiences of reading aloud at school.4. Where a student with dyslexia has a significantly high level of anxiety overoral presentations, offer support and reassurance where possible. Inextreme cases of anxiety or phobia, alternative methods can be explored,such as allowing the student to submit a video recording of his or herpresentation or allowing the presentation to be made directly to thelecturer without other students present. This can be considered an interimPage 8 of 13

measure if the student is willing to participate fully once his or herconfidence has increased.9. Common errors related to dyslexia1. Although the primary aim of this marking policy is to avoid penalisingstudents for mistakes made with spelling, punctuation and grammar, otherdyslexia-related errors can also impair the quality of a student’s writtenwork. The main difficulties are presented here to allow you to recogniseerrors that may be dyslexia-related. A service for screening andassessing students for dyslexia is available in the Student Enabling Centreand it may be appropriate to inform students of this provision where theirerrors fall into the categories below.2. Spelling errors are often evident and may include: erratic and inconsistentspelling where words can be spelt in several different ways in the samedocument; inappropriate use of phonetic spelling choices (eny/anyordeance/audience); misuse of spell check facility leading to incorrectlyselected words (sublimely perception instead of subliminal perception);misspelling proper names such as the names of researchers; telescopingpolysyllabic words (rembered/remembered); misuse of homophones(to/too), and letter reversals (dose/does).3. Punctuation and grammatical mistakes can be present in written work andmay include: misuse or omission of punctuation marks; failure to identifysentence boundaries with possible overuse of conjunctions; short,unsophisticated sentences lacking in complexity, and inappropriategrammatical constructions4. General presentation skills may be poor even when work has beenproduced through the use of computer packages.5. The following problems can be present with handwritten work: untidyhandwriting or the inability to use cursive style; confusion of visuallysimilar letters (b/d, p/q), and the misuse of capital letters which issometimes used as a strategy to select b/d correctly (consiDeraBle). Anyadditional pressures with time or stress, such as writing quickly in lecturesor an examination situation, can cause handwriting to deteriorate further.6. There may be difficulties in expressing ideas in a conventional academicstyle of writing and written constructions may be unsophisticated.Page 9 of 13

7. Students with dyslexia may digress from the assignment topic by eitherincluding information that is irrelevant or expanding unnecessarily onpoints of minor importance. Sometimes unusual links between topics aremade that reflect a student’s lateral and creative thinking skills but do notmeet the learning outcomes. Even though it will not be possible to awardmarks for such digressions, it can be supportive to acknowledge thestudent’s research attempts when providing written feedback.8. Written work can lack structure at the level of both sentences andparagraphs leading to a repetition of information in different parts of thework and a failure to develop a sustained and detailed discussion.9. A student with dyslexia may find it difficult to express his/her ideas in aconventional academic written format and may find it difficult to attain therecommended word limit.10. Students with dyslexia often spend considerably more time on assignmentproduction than their non-dyslexic peers, but this effort is not alwaysreflected in their written work. Sometimes there may be a markeddifference between the student’s abilities as demonstrated in oraldiscussions and that indicated by written expression.11. Students with dyslexia can have speech and language difficulties thataffect the pronunciation of words. Some experience a stammer whenunder pressure and this can cause high levels anxiety in formal speakingsituations, such as oral presentations.10. Extensions for the submission of coursework1. It is recommended that wherever possible lecturers give consideration torequests for extensions for the submission of coursework from studentswith dyslexia.2. The length of the extension is at the lecturer’s discretion and should takeaccount of the student’s individual circumstances although, as a guideline,an extension ranging from 7 – 14 days could be considered reasonable.3. When a student with dyslexia requests an extension on a submissiondeadline, it is recommended that lecturers consider granting the extensionwhere the student has made reasonable efforts to meet the deadline andwhere there appears a genuine reason for non-submission. The generalPage 10 of 13

difficulties with time management and study skills that are characteristic ofdyslexia may be considered a sufficient reason to grant an extension, ifthe student has demonstrated that he or she has made reasonable effortstowards completing the assignment. Any supporting evidence from otherindividuals such as the student’s dyslexia study skills tutor (if s/he hasone) or the special needs tutor can be taken into account. However, alecturer can refuse to grant an extension if there does not appear to be areasonable excuse for missing the deadline.4. A student with dyslexia should apply for an extension by completing thestandard form and may choose to attach a sticker to verify s/he hasdyslexia. Wherever possible, however, the lecturer should inform thestudent that this is the correct procedure.11. The right of students with dyslexia to appeal inaccordance with these marking guidelines1. If a student who has dyslexia believes his/her work has not been markedin accordance with the guidelines outlined in this document, s/he canfollow the normal procedures for requesting second-marking by a differentmember of academic staff.2. A dyslexic student will not have the right to appeal against penalisation forfailing to meet core requirements that have been established as markingcriteria and of which the student has been informed within the writtenfeedback for the assessment.3. These assessment guidelines only apply from the date on which theybecame formally introduced. Students with dyslexia do not have the rightto request re-marking or re-grading of work marked prior to theintroduction of these guidelines.4. Students who are identified as having dyslexia through formal assessmentwhilst studying at the university are not entitled to have coursework remarkedthat they submitted before their dyslexia was identified. However,if such a student submits a claim for extenuating circumstances, it isappropriate to take into account that s/he has been studying withunidentified dyslexia and has therefore not received relevant support.Page 11 of 13

12. Special examination arrangements for studentswith dyslexia1. A student with dyslexia may have recommendations for specialexamination arrangements, such as additional time, a reader/amanuensisor the use of a word processor.2. Where a support worker acts as a reader/amanuensis, the student withdyslexia should be placed in a separate room from other candidates. Forexaminations that take place in the main examination weeks, theAssessment and Conferment Unit will arrange for invigilators to bepresent. For internal tests or examinations, it is the responsibility of themodule tutor to ensure s/he is satisfied that appropriate examinationconditions have been arranged. It should be noted that a support workercould not be expected to take a dual role and also act as an invigilator.3. When extra time is granted, this will usually be 25%, which is equivalent toan extra 15 minutes for each hour.4. If possible, a student with dyslexia who is receiving extra time should beplaced in a room separate from main candidates to avoid the distraction ofothers leaving the examination room. It is permissible for several studentsreceiving extra time to be placed in a room together and this is anarrangement frequently made by the Assessment and Conferment Unit. Ifit is not possible to provide a separate room, a further 10 minutes shouldbe added to the total examination time in addition to the 25% extra time.This will help compensate for the noise and distraction caused when maincandidates leave the examination room. The member of staff invigilatingshould not draw attention to the fact that a student with dyslexia willremain in the examination room, to ensure that a student’s dyslexia is notdisclosed to other students.5. A student with dyslexia may find his or her examination lasts an usuallylong time, due to the additional time that has been added. For this reason,s/he can request a rest break during an examination that is due to lastlonger than 4½ hours. On arrival at the examination venue, the studentshould alert the invigilator to the fact that a rest break may be requestedduring the examination and discuss how the invigilator can be alerted tothis (for example, by the student raising his or her hand). Providing morethan one invigilator is present for the examination, It would be appropriatefor an invigilator to accompany a student who wishes to leave the room toensure that examination conditions continue to be met.Page 12 of 13

5. In the event that a student with dyslexia is still experiencing a significantdisadvantage in undertaking examinations in spite of the aboveconcessions, an alternative assignment method may be appropriate forthe module assessment. A student can discuss this issue with his or herSpecial Needs Tutor, who will liaise with the relevant academic staff todiscuss suitable arrangements. This will take account of the individualcourse and allow consideration for the maintenance of academicstandards.13. Confidentiality of information relating to studentswith dyslexia1. If a student informs you that s/he has dyslexia, establish whether s/he hasmade contact with the Student Enabling Centre. Whether or not s/he has,it is your responsibility under Part 4 of the Disability Discrimination Act toact upon your knowledge of the student’s disability. It is appropriate toexplain this to the student and identify him/her to the Student EnablingCentre. If the student objects to you informing anyone of his/her dyslexia,it is advisable that you obtain this statement in writing with the student’ssignature for the legal protection of yourself and the University ofWolverhampton. It will then be permissible to treat the information inconfidence. If you are in any doubt, speak to a member of staff within theStudent Enabling Centre without revealing the student’s identity.2. The fact that a student has dyslexia must not be revealed to any otherstudent within the university. It is particularly important to be wary ofdiscussing the student’s needs casually in public places where otherstudents may overhear. Nor should facts about special provision for thestudent be mentioned in any situation where other students are present(for example, informing a student with dyslexia during a lecture that s/hecan have extra time for an examination), as this will effectively reveal thespecial needs to other students.3. If you need to discuss issues relating to the student’s dyslexia with othermembers of staff, inform the student that you propose to do this andconfirm that s/he is in agreement. If the student is not in agreement, thenconfidentiality can only be broken if a health and safety issue is at stake.Where circumstances allow, it may be appropriate to discuss the issuewithout revealing the student’s identity.Page 13 of 13