[nabs-l] Extended Time

[Arielle Silverman]

Hi all,
The last post about using extra time on quizzes got me thinking about
why we automatically get extra time to take tests and whether or not
this is a good idea. I think the extra time is intended to correct for
any issues with our accommodations or technology that make test-taking
slower; for example, it might make sense to use extra time if we have
to have a scribe write an essay for us or if we are using a reader and
asking them to repeat things or read answer choices a few times. Extra
time also seems appropriate if we have a problem with technology
breaking, files not downloading correctly, etc. But I question whether
extra time is really appropriate for online quizzes, for example, or
for Braille or large print tests.
As a Braille reader I used extended time only on a few occasions and I
found that I only "needed" it when, deep down, I didn't fully
understand the material I was being tested on. This happened a lot
when I had tactile diagrams to interpret since I have always been bad
with spatial mapping and understanding tactile images. So I would use
the extra time to agonize over test questions I didn't understand and
then eventually guess an answer. I really don't think the extra time
was helpful for either my test performance or my learning and I feel
it only acted as a Band-Aid covering up the real issue which was that
I didn't know how to interpret tactile images. Had I not been granted
extended time this might have become a more pressing issue for me to
deal with back in high school. Similarly, I worry that when Braille
readers are automatically granted double time across the board, it
allows teachers to grow complacent with slower Braille-reading speeds
than is desirable and almost sets up the expectation that Braille
reading is inherently slow. It might be appropriate to *temporarily*
grant an individual student extended time while they are still in the
process of building Braille fluency, but granting it to everybody who
reads Braille is something that bothers me. I also question the
implication that blind students just do things slower and that nothing
can or should be done about it so just let them take extra time. I
don't need to tell you that extended time is not granted in the job
world and this is becoming more real for me as I approach graduation
and employment myself.
I'm not trying to belittle anybody who uses extended time. I am just
proposing that we reflect a little on what the extra time is
specifically meant to accomplish, why we use it and whether or not it
is actually helpful. I would propose that we make mindful decisions
about when to accept extended time and that we aim to use it only when
it is truly necessary and beneficial. In order to grow as students
progressing toward employment, I think we should also be aware of why
we are finding ourselves needing extra time and see if there are skill
issues we might be able to address so that we need it less in the
future. In my own case my weakness with tactile diagrams probably
won't impact me much on the job, but a weakness in Braille reading
speed or Web navigation is something that can be addressed with
training and practice and addressing it can make a person much more
competitive on the job, and able to get the job done as efficiently as
sightedd colleagues.
Best,
Arielle