Guidelines for Marking the Work of Students Who Have Dyslexia

Student Enabling Centre

Dyslexia Assessment Policy

Table of Contents

1. Background information on dyslexia 2

2. Rationale for the introduction of these assessment guidelines 2

3. Circumstances under which special assessment guidelines should be applied 4

4. Identifying circumstances for applying the guidelines 5

5. Misuse of stickers issued to students with dyslexia 6

6. Assessing written coursework and written examination responses 6

7. Providing feedback on written assignments and written examination responses 7

8. Assessing oral presentations 8

9. Common errors related to dyslexia 9

10. Extensions for the submission of coursework 10

11. The right of students with dyslexia to appeal in accordance with these marking guidelines 11

12. Special examination arrangements for students with dyslexia 12

13. Confidentiality of information relating to students with dyslexia 13

1. Background information on dyslexia

Dyslexia is one of several conditions described as a specific learning difficulty, meaning that difficulties are present in particular areas of learning but that general intelligence is not adversely affected. Evidence suggests that there is a genetic explanation and researchers have also established that dyslexia has a neurological basis. Individuals may be born with the condition (developmental dyslexia) or may develop a form of dyslexia through head injury or neurological trauma (acquired dyslexia).

The ‘deficit model’ of dyslexia emphasises underlying problems with short-term memory, information processing and phonological awareness and focuses on associated difficulties with literacy and the recall of rote information. Equally important to consider, however, are the range of strengths and sophisticated skills that an individual with dyslexia may possess, such as lateral reasoning, creative thinking, three-dimensional visualisation and an intuitive, holistic approach to problem-solving.

Dyslexia is best understood as an unusual balance of strengths and difficulties that will not limit the opportunities of an individual if adjustments are made to reflect his/her different cognitive abilities. From an equal opportunities perspective, adjustments are required in methods of teaching, learning and assessment in order to develop and maintain an inclusive learning environment for students who have dyslexia.

2. Rationale for the introduction of these assessment guidelines

These guidelines help address recommendations within both the QAA Code of Practice and also Part 4 of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA). The QAA Code of Practice for the assurance of academic quality and standards in higher education gives higher education institutions clear guidance on provision for students with disabilities. The object of the code is to assist institutions in ensuring that students with disabilities have access to a learning experience comparable to that of their peers.

Part 4 of the DDA states that discrimination against disabled applicants or students can take place by either treating them ‘less favourably’ than others, or by failing to make a ‘reasonable adjustment’ when they are placed at a ‘substantial disadvantage’ compared to other students for a reason relating to their disability. A reasonable adjustment would involve taking action to alleviate a substantial disadvantage, which could mean changing standard institutional procedures. The Disability Rights Commission suggest a number of modifications for students with dyslexia, including the use of alternative assessment tasks, deadline extensions, the provision of additional technological and human support and considerate marking. These recommendations will require action to be taken by academic staff as well as by the Student Enabling Centre.

The Student Enabling Centre helps students with dyslexia to access various support mechanisms to alleviate their basic skills difficulties, such as the use of enabling equipment and specialist study skills tuition. However, there are variations and inconsistencies in the capacity for individuals to access these services. Some students are not eligible for funded support. Those students who are eligible may find the process of liaising with external agencies to complete the complicated process of accessing support takes several months. In addition, many students are identified as having dyslexia each year at the University of Wolverhampton and these students also have to wait for support to be arranged in accordance with the DfES funding system. Even students who receive equipment and specialist tuition may struggle to manage their time to make full use 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 free of errors on a consistent basis.

Staff within the Student Enabling Centre act as swiftly as possible when arranging support for disabled students, but external constraints exist due to the nature of the funding system. As difficulties with the accuracy of grammar, spelling and punctuation are directly related to the impairments associated with dyslexia and these place the student at a substantial disadvantage, a marking policy for students with dyslexia is conducive to offering these students equality of opportunity.

This policy is not intended to replace support currently available to students with dyslexia, but rather the Student Enabling Centre will continue to strive towards improved services for students. Nor is the policy intended to deliver favourable treatment to students with dyslexia in comparison to their non-dyslexic peers, but rather its purpose is to offer a reasonable adjustment to standard assessment procedures to take account of the reality of their disability. Furthermore, this policy is not intended to enforce the lowering of academic standards within the university. In accordance with Part 4 of the DDA, this policy allows academic standards, in this case relating to the quality of basic skills, to be upheld where necessary.

The rationale for the introduction of this policy is to maintain equality of opportunity for students with dyslexia in respect to the assessment of coursework.

3. Circumstances under which special assessment guidelines should be applied

1. This marking policy should be applied to the assessment of all submitted written work and examination or test scripts that are produced by a student who you have been informed has dyslexia. There is also an aspect of this policy that should be applied to the assessment of an oral presentation.

2. The only circumstance that overrides point 1 above is when a core requirement has been established as a necessary learning outcome for assessment and this core requirement conflicts with the ability to follow certain guidelines in this document. However, these guidelines should still be followed as closely as possible, only excluding recommendations within this document that conflict with specified core requirements.

3. If a core requirement exists that conflicts with this marking policy, this should be detailed within the module specification template and both the relevant dyslexic student and the Special Needs Tutor for the school should be made aware of this circumstance.

4. Decisions to specify a core requirement that disallows students with dyslexia access to certain marking concessions outlined in this document should be clarified with caution. There should be clear, justifiable reasons that relate to academic standards and that could not be seen as discriminatory practice. For example, if an issue of professional training or competency is considered a reason for upholding basic skills as a core requirement, it is advisable to check that the relevant professional body actively supports this decision.

5. Ideally, the relevant dyslexic student and the Special Needs Tutor for the school should be made aware of the conflict detailed in point 3 above at the time an assignment brief is issued and both parties should be made aware of which exclusions are to be applied.

6. Written feedback provided for the assignment or examination script should clearly state why these marking guidelines were only partially applied and should clearly state the exclusions that were made in accordance with the core requirements for the assessment of the written work in question.

4. Identifying circumstances for applying the guidelines:

1. The student has attached a sticker to an assignment that has been submitted. Students who wish to ensure discretion when handing in work may 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 you have verified the accuracy of this information by contacting the Special Needs Tutor for the school.

3. The Special Needs Tutor for the school has informed you that the student has dyslexia.

4. A member of staff from the Assessment & Conferment Unit has informed you that the student has dyslexia.

5. A member of staff from the Student Enabling Centre has informed you that the student has dyslexia.

6. The student has enclosed a Tutor Awareness Sheet with the assignment or 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 the marking guidelines should still be applied. In practice, there may be an interim period where information about the introduction of the sticker system has not been disseminated to every student with dyslexia within the university. Special Needs tutors and academic staff can help raise awareness by recommending that students within categories 4.2 – 4.5 above, should contact the Student Enabling Centre to obtain stickers for their future assignments.

5. Misuse of stickers issued to students with dyslexia

1. Students will only be able to obtain stickers from the Student Enabling Centre. A sheet of stickers will be issued upon request from a student who has submitted a valid assessment report for dyslexia. Students with dyslexia who have identified themselves to the Student Enabling Centre will be issued with information on accessing all services from the Student Enabling Centre, including stickers for the submission of written work.

2. A serial number will be visible on each sticker that can be traced to the student who was issued with the stickers but if you have any concerns about authenticity, the Student Enabling Centre will be able to verify that the student in question has dyslexia.

3. If you suspect a student who does not have dyslexia has inappropriately used a sticker upon submitted work, this can be investigated by the academic staff within the school who can decide upon the appropriate action to take. It will be possible to trace the student who provided the misused stickers through the serial number, which will be registered within the Student Enabling Centre.

4.  When issued with stickers, students will be informed that misuse of these stickers will be considered academic misconduct and that their academic school may take action under these circumstances. However, only students with significant basic skills difficulties are likely to benefit through the use of these stickers, which may make misuse unlikely.

6. Assessing written coursework and written examination responses

1. The purpose of assessing the written work of dyslexic students is to avoid penalising him/her for mistakes made with grammar, spelling and punctuation.

2. Establish the learning outcomes for the assignment in question. Mark the work with the intention of giving credit for the student’s achievements in meeting these learning outcomes by focusing on the content and understanding of the topic rather than concentrating on written expression. Reading the student’s work quickly can sometimes increase the ability to focus 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 significantly from the content of the work, it may be appropriate to begin marking by proof-reading the assignment and making necessary corrections to spelling, grammar and punctuation. It is preferable to use pencil or black ink for these corrections. To avoid over-emphasising mistakes, only correct repetitive errors for part of the work. (To gain further details on areas this should encompass, see Section 9: Common errors related to dyslexia.)

4. Mark the student’s work using a different colour of ink without penalising for 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 making written comments upon a students’ actual assignment, this should also apply to work submitted by a student with dyslexia.

6. It is recognised that in some instances, the grammatical construction or written style of expression may obscure the clarity of the student’s ideas. In these cases, decide whether the intended content can be understood and give credit accordingly for this aspect of the work.

7.  In the event that a student with dyslexia is still experiencing a significant disadvantage in producing written coursework in spite of the above concessions, an alternative assignment method may be appropriate for the module assessment. A student can discuss this issue with his or her Special Needs Tutor, who will liaise with the relevant academic staff to discuss suitable arrangements. This will take account of the individual course and allow consideration for the maintenance of academic standards.

7. Providing feedback on written assignments and written examination responses

1. Written feedback should be provided considerately to avoid damaging the student’s self-esteem. Students with dyslexia can sometimes perceive any criticism of their written work as disparaging and negative feedback provided for assignments can be more distressing to these students than the actual mark awarded for the work. Comment as far as possible on the strengths of the student’s work and try the ‘sandwich technique’ when providing feedback (positive comments/constructive advice for improvement/positive comments).

2. Students with dyslexia often have difficulty reading cursive script, so aim to keep handwriting as legible as possible. Alternatively, feedback can be word processed and attached to the student’s work.

3. Certain symbols used for marking can be perceived as critical and can confuse students with dyslexia, for example, crosses, question marks and exclamation marks when used without sufficient explanations to establish the reason for their use.

4.  If any core requirements have been established that conflict with the ability to fully apply these marking guidelines, this should be stated in the feedback that is provided on an assignment or examination script.

8. Assessing oral presentations