[nabs-l] taking quizzes and tests

Mon Feb 4 02:27:59 UTC 2013

Hi,
I really don't understand why a professor would require you to take a
test/quiz in the dss office rather than in class. Giving it to you as
an option yes, but a requirement? You should at least have the option
of completing the test/quiz in class at the same time as everyone
else.
Just my thoughts,
Danielle

On 2/3/13, Jewel <herekittykat2 at gmail.com> wrote:
> I have a late response that I would like to add, but it's not an
> affirmation, so please forgive me for that.
>
> In my time in college as a blind student, the only quizzes I have
> taken in class were of two categories: 1) pop quizzes that were given
> orally or 2) foreign language quizzes that had an oral component.
>
> In the first example, I would open word while everyone else took out
> paper and pencil, and I would type as they wrote. I would then turn in
> my saved document on a flash drive designated for that class, and the
> professor would return it after grading. In the second instance, the
> quiz/test was given to me as a word document as everyone got settled
> so I would have it open and ready when she began. I would then
> complete the oral section at the same time as everyone else (either at
> the beginning, or at a teacher-designated time in the quiz/test). Then
> I would complete the rest of the quiz/test and save the document on
> the flash drive designated for that class. The professor would take up
> the flash drive when she takes up everyone's quiz/test, then return
> the flash drive after grading.
>
> I think it is within a professor's right to require a student to take
> a quiz at the DSS office if it's not a pop quiz or has an oral
> component. For example, last semester's biology class (and this
> semester's biology class) require a 10-minute lab quiz every week. Lab
> is on Tuesday, so I take this lab quiz on Monday afternoons. I get
> double time, so twenty minutes. I don't normally need the full double
> time, but last week's quiz, there was an issue with calculators not
> working and I had to use a calculator I wasn't familiar with, so it
> took me longer to answer those questions I needed the calculator for.
> Issues like this can only be dealt with at the disability support
> services office. If I had been taking the quiz in the class and my
> talking calculator stopped working like that, the teacher could
> provide only a regular non-talking calculator, so I would be stuck
> without access to a calculator that was an easy solution at the DSS
> office.
>
> I don't feel that taking the lab quiz at DSS is too much trouble for
> me or for my professor. My professor e-mails the quiz to DSS to be
> checked for accessibility, and I get her to fill out a quiz form
> during her office hours. I take the quiz after school on Monday and
> plug my phone into earbuds and listen to music or play on an app while
> everyone else is taking the lab quiz in-class. It's not a big issue,
> and it worked last semester and is working just fine this semester.
>
> If your professor insists that you take the short quiz at the
> disability support services office, maybe this is something you should
> accept as part of requiring specialized equipment. Sure, it's nice to
> take the test in class with everyone else, but what happens when your
> technology stops working in the middle of the test? DSS isn't there to
> see you complete the test on another computer, get another talking
> calculator, or have a reader/scribe assist you. And in the class, you
> can forget about extra time. That's not fair to the other students if
> the professor has something planned for after the quiz. Why should
> they have to wait extra time because of your disability? Is that
> accommodating or reverse-discrimination?
>
> My two cents,
> Jewel
>
>
> On 2/3/13, Ashley Bramlett <bookwormahb at earthlink.net> wrote:
>> Kaiti,
>> thanks. I will chat with her again and we will see.
>> I agree its easier to hand me the quiz electronically rather than me
>> going
>> way to the testing center and having her send it there and pick it up
>> there.
>>
>> Hopefully, she will change her mind and I won't be inconvenienced andshe
>> will see its not a big deal.
>> Ashley
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Kaiti Shelton
>> Sent: Saturday, February 02, 2013 5:45 PM
>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] taking quizzes and tests
>>
>> Hi,
>>
>> Good idea beating your prof to the punch by telling the counselor
>> first.  I thought about mentioning that in a previous email but didn't
>> want to get too into it without knowing all the details.
>>
>> Sounds to me like your teacher is just uncomfortable, although I don't
>> really see the reason why.  It's really odd because giving you a
>> microsoft word file on a flashdrive would probably be easier than
>> sending her test to the testing center and filling out paperwork or
>> whatever for it, especially as most professors make up their tests and
>> quizzes in word anyway.
>>
>> I would keep trying to nicely convince the prof to let you take the
>> quiz in class.  Probably all she'll need is one time to see that it's
>> really not a big deal at all and then you won't really have an issue
>> like this with her again.
>>
>> HTH
>>
>> On 2/2/13, Ashley Bramlett <bookwormahb at earthlink.net> wrote:
>>> Kaiti,
>>>
>>> Thanks. I feel the same way; it’s a hastle and silly to go out of my way
>>> to
>>>
>>> a testing center in another building when I could just take the quiz
>>> there.
>>> I'm afraid though I won't be able to. When I asked my professor about
>>> taking
>>>
>>> class quizzes, she was hesistant. She said the quiz was not online;
>>> I explained it did not have to be and that if she put it on a flash
>>> drive,
>>>
>>> I
>>>
>>> could read it.
>>> Then she said, "I think I'll get guidance from the disability office."
>>> Gee!
>>>
>>> If she involves them, they will say that I take quizzes and tests in the
>>> darn testhing center.
>>>
>>> I also want to take quizzes my way because I can ask her questions about
>>> questions if it does not make sense just as other students do.
>>> I think this may be helpful as I've seen her practice quizzes online so
>>> I
>>> know how they are worded.
>>>
>>> Well, then, I'm glad my idea isn't an unheard one. I proposed taking the
>>> quiz after class because I need extra time for the quiz. However, I
>>> might
>>> need only five or six minutes more so if there is no class after ours, I
>>> could just take it in class. I could check on that. I'll note that I
>>> read
>>>
>>> my
>>>
>>> memo of accomodations. Under testing accomodations, it says that I can
>>> make
>>>
>>> other arrangements. Yay.
>>> It says
>>> Systems include:
>>> Use of testing center  or disability facilities, double time, oral
>>> administration,  , computer, typed answers as opposed to scantron sheet.
>>>
>>> The clause "Includes" means these accomodations are included; I reread
>>> it
>>> and therefore its broad. It does not say these are the only
>>> accomodations
>>>
>>> I
>>>
>>> can use. So IMO, its open to interpretation and other arrangements. So,
>>> I
>>> think this sheet is on my side.
>>>
>>> My counselor wrote me when we were discussing class quiz accomodations;
>>> I
>>> had to give her a heads up as the professor indicated she'd go to the
>>> counselor and I wanted to tell the counselor first.She said, I assume
>>> you're
>>>
>>> going to the testing center? I replied that actually I wished to take
>>> these
>>>
>>> short quizzes in her office and explained why. I said that it would take
>>> longer to walk to the testing center and turn on jaws and the pc than
>>> simply
>>>
>>> taking the short quiz in the building.
>>>
>>> So, we will see what they decide; I hope in my favor. I've  been to the
>>> professor's office and she has extra room and plenty of chairs for me to
>>> sit
>>>
>>> down and take it. So space won't be an issue as it is i in some offices.
>>> That is great some professors let you use your own equipment in class.
>>> IMO,
>>>
>>> it makes it
>>> easier on both parties. You don' have to go to a separate place for
>>> quizzes
>>>
>>> then which can be a hastle.
>>>
>>> Ashley
>>>
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Kaiti Shelton
>>> Sent: Saturday, February 02, 2013 1:26 AM
>>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] taking quizzes and tests
>>>
>>> Hi,
>>>
>>> Absolutely, it wouldn't make sense to go through the hassle for
>>> something that small.  I typically take all my quizzes in class except
>>> for midterms, finals, and anything math related because that's a
>>> different matter entirely.
>>> Your testing rooms and procedures sound pretty similar to the ones at
>>> my university in that you're on your own unless you request a scribe
>>> or reader and they provide a computer with JAWS for you.  However, I
>>> agree that using these things for a quiz would be silly.
>>>
>>> My only question is why not take the quiz at the same time as everyone
>>> else?  If you do get your teacher to put the quiz on a flashdrive to
>>> put on your BrailleNote why not just take it in class at the regular
>>> time and give her back the flashdrive when you're done?  It will save
>>> you time after class.
>>>
>>> On 2/1/13, Ashley Bramlett <bookwormahb at earthlink.net> wrote:
>>>> Hi all,
>>>>
>>>> How do you go about taking quizzes and tests?
>>>> Every school seems a bit different in rules to administer tests to
>>>> disabled
>>>> students.
>>>>
>>>> At Marymount university, MU, I went to the learning center where
>>>> students
>>>> got tutored and took either make up or regular tests.
>>>> I signed the honor code pledge and then completed the test with a
>>>> reader
>>>> usually, a student reader they provided. I could use the pc as well if
>>>> it
>>>> was an essay exam.
>>>>
>>>> At nova, community college, they have a testing center. you take it
>>>> there
>>>>
>>>> in
>>>> a room alone. You can get a reader as well if you need that.
>>>> They have jaws on a pc at the testing center,so I can use it there if I
>>>> opt
>>>> to read it on the pc.
>>>>
>>>> Do you go through the formal disability office procedure and take exams
>>>> in
>>>>
>>>> a
>>>> separate building and whatever place for test takers with disabilities?
>>>> I usually have done it unless my professor wants to work something else
>>>> out;
>>>> for instance, giving me short quizzes orally after class.
>>>>
>>>> Have you taken exams or quizzes in professor’s offices using your own
>>>> equipment or in class? Do you work out other arrangements out with
>>>> professors such as this rather than going to the designated testing
>>>> office.
>>>>
>>>> I ask because I want to do this for a short quiz. Why go over to the
>>>> testing
>>>> center on the other side of campus when I feel I can take the quiz
>>>> right
>>>> there in the building? I’d either read the quiz via my notetaker or
>>>> bring
>>>>
>>>> a
>>>> laptop. My professor seemed unsure about this idea. She said, I’ll ask
>>>> the
>>>> disability counseling center about this.
>>>> I said, if you do, they will just say I take them in the testing
>>>> center;
>>>> this is the default arrangement unless we work out something else. I
>>>> get
>>>> the
>>>> sense she is uncomfortable with me taking the quiz after class. Note
>>>> that
>>>> that her office hours are right after class and her office is in that
>>>> building. Its so much more convenient to take the quiz there rather
>>>> than
>>>> walk way to the testing center for a 10 question quiz.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> She said its not online; I explained that I could read it in Word
>>>> format
>>>> electronically on a flash drive; so it did not need to be online for me
>>>> to
>>>> take it on a electronic device.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Anyway, just wondered what others have done. Hope my idea also sounds
>>>> reasonable. to me it seems fair. I’d still be supervised while taking
>>>> the
>>>> quiz and would not have to go to the testing center.
>>>>
>>>> Ashley
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>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Kaiti
>>>
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>>
>>
>> --
>> Kaiti
>>
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