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Web Accessibility Case Study: “Alternative Test Formats”

[Another in our series of case studies from the FAME (Faculty & Administrator Modules in Higher Education) training modules: see how a few modifications in test formatting can make a big difference in student performance!]

Lydia is registered in your American history class for the spring semester. Lydia was in a motor vehicle accident 2 years ago. As a result, she had a brain injury that has affected her ability to walk and her neurological processing. Lydia has an atypical gait and uses a single crutch on her left side. Her neurological limitations result in slurred speech and severely limited short-term memory, such that memorizing the simplest facts is difficult. At the time she was injured, she was classified as a second semester sophomore. Her academic progress since her accident has been very slow, with 15 credit hours passed in the last 4 semesters.

Lydia presents a letter from the DSS office requesting the following accommodations:

    * Extended time on all tests, quizzes and examinations up to double-time

    * Testing in a reduced distraction environment

    * Substitution of essay or oral testing for multiple choice tests where appropriate

    * Tape recorder during lectures
 
After discussing these accommodations with both Lydia and your DSS office, you learn that Lydia has great difficulty with multiple-choice tests because of her inability to recall facts due to her memory deficits. After several weeks of class, you learn that Lydia is quite capable of synthesis of ideas and understands the relationships of different historical aspects rather well. But she does seem to have extreme difficulty with recalling facts.

300 out of 550 points in your class are the result of three multiple-choice tests. One reason you use multiple-choice tests is because you are currently teaching four sections with a combined total of 480 students. The tests rely heavily on the memorization of facts. The remaining 250 points are the result of two writing assignments to emphasize assimilation of knowledge and writing across the general curriculum.

You wonder if Lydia will be able to be successful in your class. So after consideration and consultation with the DSS office, you come up with several possible solutions. Which solution would work best for both you and Lydia? Review Instructor Profile

Case Responses

Response 2: Give Lydia an oral test.

Response 3: Alter your grading scale for Lydia so that not so much emphasis is placed on the multiple-choice tests.

To find out which is the best response, click here!