Disability support in computer-based assessment

http://www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/case-studies/tangible/nottingham/index_html1/view

Main issues
-the move towards increased online assessment could exacerbate any potential disadvantages for individuals with certain forms of disability.
- need to focus on the measurement of subject matter understanding rather than a students' ability to interact with a particular assessment format.

Requirements
- a system that accommodates different needs( depending on the disability)
- a system that can be used quickly
- and that works on any computer


Use of Touchstone which allows the customisation An extra table within the main system has been added; it has the advantage that accommodations can be 'distributed' to any client machine that the candidate sits at for an exam and is easy to centrally administer. A new simple interface has been added to the system to allow non-technical staff to easily set student preferences.

Users can change a number of different colours that are used: font size, background, foreground, headings, number of marks, and notes, time allowed.

Benefits
- system caters for several disabilities
- can be centrally controlled through the creation of personal profiles within the system
- Touchstone caters for students who cannot use a mouse
- the system calculates the extra time and display this to users


Disadvantages
- upfront development time to alter the CAA system to be more flexible
- IT support personnel must work closely together to ensure that students are made aware of what adjustments can be made, what would be most suitable for them, and then to ensure that any that are performed work as intended