2 Build in additional time for activities and assessments

 

IMPORTANT: Strategies in this section may not be applicable when demonstrating knowledge or skills in a specific amount of time is part of a clearly defined industry-standard or an explicit course learning outcome.

Why is this important?

The purpose of assessments is to measure knowledge, skills and abilities. Even though the ability to complete a task within a given time is an important skill, it often is not part of the knowledge, skills, or abilities being measured[1]. Allowing additional time on assessments can help all students to complete the assessment with less anxiety related to time and provide a better reflection of their content knowledge. It will also reduce the need for the accommodation request for additional time for testing, which is one of the most commonly used accommodations for students with disabilities at Centennial College.

There are two different ways you can provide additional time for assessments:

Including additional time for all quizzes/tests/exams

To support as many students as possible, adding 100% additional time is recommended whenever appropriate. For instance, if you determine that the appropriate length of time for the assessment(s) is one hour, provide two hours for students to complete the assessment(s).

It is important to inform students that additional time has already been added. You can include a statement such as “The quizzes/tests/exams in this course have been designed using Universal Design for Learning guidelines and [the percentage] additional time has already been added to each quiz/test/exam in support of all students” in the course orientation module and wherever information about quizzes/tests/exams are provided.

Did you know?

Using open-book or take-home assessments without a time limit

Open-book or take-home assessments reduce the need for invigilation software such as lockdown browsers which can create many barriers, especially for assistive device users. It also allows students to find time and space free of distractions.

Open-book or take-home assessments are especially useful for evaluating a student’s higher-order thinking skills that require them to apply their knowledge to a specific context, problem or situation rather than simply recalling factual information.

Did you know? Promoting Academic Honesty while Teaching-at-a-Distance is a great resource to guide course and assessment design that promotes academic honesty.

 

  1. UDL On Campus: UDL and Assessment, http://udloncampus.cast.org/page/assessment_udl ↵

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