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

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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
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Page 5 and 6: should clearly state the exclusions
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Guidelines for Marking the work of Students who - University of ...

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