Read all of the pages in the resource Creating accessible examinations and assessments for disabled students (Teachability, 2004).
The material is written with reference to UK legislation but the principles should be applicable to other countries with similar disability laws or to any other context.
Carry out the Evaluating Practice exercise in Section 4. If it is difficult to relate this to your context, choose an imaginary context; for example, that of a student support officer in a small college of further education. If you don't know the information yourself, make notes on which people you would need to discuss this with.
Three important points are noted in the Introduction:
- whether particular assessments or examinations are core to the course
There are no particular examinations, but there are assessments for the students, for example in Maths, Science, Greek, Geography, History etc. Usually, these assessments are printed materials and are given to the students to solve, compare, write or critique a piece of information or a particular chapter in their books.
- what adjustments are permissible within particular assessments or examinations without compromise to academic, or other prescribed, standards, such as competences required by professional bodies
There are no such kind of adjustments that are permissible without compromising to academic, or other prescribed standards because they are all referring either to academic or professional bodies. Everything has to be supported by standards if they exist or by academics. However, there are occasions that the teachers can make adjustments that are concerning their practices as far as their students are concerned, i.e. when the student has a particular disability that affects the time needed to complete a test then the teacher can leave more time the student to finish it.
- whether the successful achievement of the highest grades and awards, based on performance in examinations and other assessments, is equally attainable by disabled students.
Yes this is something that can be maintained in a classroom. Especially when non disabled students respect and appreciate their colleagues who are disabled, they even help them and this is very positive as there are collaborative assessments too.
Would you have emphasised the same three points?
The above points are critical in offering a course and when a Body or organization, school or university is not able to provide to disabled students the necessary adjustments in order to make them feel comfortable and able to have the same opportunities as non-disabled students.
Are there any positive or negative aspects of online assessment for disabled students?
It can always be used as an alternative type of assessment where disabled students can use assistive technology in order to help them during the assessment. One negative aspect is whether the assessment held online is accessible. There need to be different programs and software to be installed on particular assessments.