LEARNER DEVELOPMENT

STUDENT SERVICES

STUDENT AND ACADEMIC SERVICES

Information for Students using Scribes

Frequently asked questions

What is a Scribe?

A scribe writes down, either manually or by word processing, a student’s dictated answers to questions in an examination. Another name for a scribe is an amanuensis.

At ManchesterMetropolitanUniversity, scribes are expected to manually write the answers to questions. In exceptional circumstances a scribe may be expected to word process the answers. If this is the case, the scribe will be made aware of this requirement at the time of booking.

Neither the scribe nor the student can choose to use a word processor instead of manually writing the answers.

When are scribes used?

Scribes are recommended for students who would be disadvantaged in an exam if they had to handwrite their own paper. This could be due to injury, handwriting speed or other factors identified by a Learning Development Adviser.

The use of a scribe in such circumstances enables the student to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of a topic and places them on a par with their peers.

Can I nominate my own scribe?

No, students cannot choose their own scribe and under no circumstances must a friend or relative of the student be used. Staff in faculties will use scribes from a list provided by the Learner Development Service.

In exceptional circumstances, where a student has a significant communication difficulty, Learner Development will recommend the student’s support worker to act as a scribe.

Can I have a practice session with a scribe?

Some students are used to working with a scribe; for others this might be their first time. If you have been recommended a scribe in your Personal Learning Plan and have never used a scribe before, it is possible to arrange a one hour practice session by contacting Learner Development. Students should note that there is no guarantee the scribe used in a practice session will be the same scribe used in examinations.

Students are also advised to practice dictation skills and refer to the “guidelines on good dictation practice” below.

Who is responsible for arranging my scribe?

The Student Life Office has overall responsibility for arranging the scribe and separate room for your exam, if recommended in your Personal Learning Plan. It is also your responsibility to check well in advance that the exams officer is aware of the necessary arrangements.

What should I do if I receive a letter from my Faculty regarding my exam arrangements?

If you receive a letter from the Student Life Office outlining scribe arrangements for your exams, it is essential that you respond to the letter by the deadline stated. If you fail to do so, the Faculty is likely to assume that you no longer wish to use a scribe.

What if I want to take my exam, but not use a scribe?

Please contact Learner Development as soon as possible so that your Personal Learning Plan can be updated and re-distributed. You should note that if you do not wish to use the scribe, the extra time recommended is likely to be reduced and the separate room recommendation may be removed from your Personal Learning Plan.

If you have upcoming exams, inform the Student Life Office that you do not wish to use a scribe so that they can allocate you a seat in the main examination venue

What arrangements will be made for the actual exam?

  1. A suitable room will be provided by the faculty and should be available 15 minutes before the exam begins.
  2. Copies of the examination paper should be made available to both you and the scribe.
  3. Extra time is allowed in examinations for students using a scribe as detailed in your Personal Learning Plan. You are responsible for managing your own time during the exam.

Prior to the examination

  • You should know exactly when and where the examination is taking place.
  • Bring a selection of pens with you. You may also need a pencil for diagrams and notes, etc.
  • Make sure that you are punctual; arrive at the venue 15 minutes before the examination. Use these 15 minutes to have a discussion with the scribe. For example, to decide:
  • How are planning notes to be made? By the scribe on the script, or, by yourself?
  • Do you want to give the main punctuation breaks, leaving the rest to the scribe, or would you rather dictate every punctuation mark?

During the examination

  • The scribe should fit in with your needs e.g. seating arrangements, dictation style.
  • The scribe will write down (or word process, if this is specifically recommended in your Personal Learning Plan) answers exactly as they are dictatedby you, including punctuation as stipulated by you.
  • You should be prepared to provide spelling of specialist or technical terms.
  • At your request, the scribe should read back what has been recorded and change the recorded material if you request a change.
  • If you are unable to draw or add to maps, diagrams, graphs or tables, the scribe will do this strictly in accordance with your instructions.
  • The scribe will be sensitive to your flow of thought and interrupt as little as possible.The scribe will only speak to you if there is a problem, for example, if the scribe did not hear your answer or you are speaking too quickly.
  • Report any concerns regarding the examination to the invigilator so that these can be noted.

The scribe will not:

  • Read the examination paper to you unless it has been specifically recommended in your Personal Learning Plan.
  • Give factual help to you nor offer any suggestions
  • Explain any questions or words
  • Suggest when to move on to the next question; you should manage your own time in the exam.
  • Emphasise correct answers (or incorrect answers) in any way, either by emphasis, gesture, hesitation, speech or the written word
  • Comment either way if you ask the scribe to verify if your answer is correct.

At the end of the examination:

  • It is your responsibility to ensure thatyour details are completed on the front of each answer book used and any loose pages and that all written work is handed in. Any rough work, which you do not wish to be marked, should be crossed through.
  • All discussions between the scribe and yourself are strictly confidential.
  • The scribe should ask you to sign the timesheet to verify the total number of hours worked (including the 15 minutes before the examination start). The scribe will require a counter signature, but this will be arranged by the scribe.

What if I am unable to or decide not to take the exam?

If you provide too little notice to inform us that you do not intend on sitting the exam or you simply do not turn up, the university still has to make a payment to the scribe.

If the reason for your absence is illness you may be required to provide medical evidence of this to the examinations officer.

It is therefore essential that you make contact with the Student Life Office within your faculty if you are unable to attend an exam and give as much notice as possible. The staff will then be able to establish whether or not the scribes for the remaining exam period need to be cancelled.

(Student Responsibility) – Please note:

If, after a scribe has been arranged, you do not turn up for the exam and have not provided the Student Life Office staff with a valid reason for non-attendance, all future scribes for that exam period may be cancelled. Do not assume that the scribe arrangements will remain in place for the rest of the exam period. The university will not fund scribes if there is no guarantee ofyouturning up.

What if I want to take my exam, but not use a scribe?

Please contact Learner Development as soon as possible so that your Personal Learning Plan can be updated and re-distributed. You should note that if you do not wish to use the scribe, the extra time recommended is likely to be reducedand the separate room recommendation may be removed from your Personal Learning Plan.

If you have upcoming exams, inform the Student Life Office that you do not wish to use a scribe so that they can allocate you a seat in the main examination venue.

Guidelines on good dictation practice

Dictation is the central aspect of scribing. Good dictation ensures that ideas are accurately transferred from thought into the written word. The main aspects of good dictation are clarity, punctuation and paragraphing. It may also be helpful for the student to prepare their own mind maps or notes prior to dictation.

Clarity of voice in dictation

  • Adopt a normal tone of voice
  • Be aware of how you articulate words – speak slowly and clearly to assist the scribe to distinguish words correctly and reduce need for interruptions.

Fluency

  • If stuck for a word, don’t panic: relax and concentrate on the idea you want to express.
  • If you lose your train of thought, you can ask the scribe to read back what has been written. Alternatively, you can ask to read what has been written yourself.
  • Try to be sure of what you want to say before you say it, but ask the scribe to make corrections if necessary.

Spelling

  • Spell all words that you want to ensure are correctly spelt, e.g. references.

Otherwise, wait until the scribe seeks clarification.

  • It is your responsibility to check for spelling errors and accuracy of references when you do the final reading.
  • If you have acknowledged spelling difficulties, explain this to your scribe; you are expected to spell technical words yourself.

Punctuation

  • Punctuation helps the structure and gives sense to the written work, so you should also learn to dictate punctuation.
  • You may wish to instruct your scribe to punctuate “as necessary”.

If you want to say…….Then say:

End a sentence“full stop”

End a paragraph“full stop, paragraph”

End a direct question“question mark”

Create a short pause“comma”

Start a quotation“quote”

End a quotation“unquote”

Introduce a list of items“colon”

For further information and advice, please contact:

Learner Development, , 0161 247 3491

IC/SP 25/10/11

Updated SP 27/11/12

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