Author: Simon Wilkinson, simon.wilkinson@nottingham.ac.uk

Author: Heather Rai, heather.rai@nottingham.ac.uk

JISC e-Learning Activity Area: e-Assessment

Higher Education Academy Subject Centre: Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary Medicine

This case study illustrates...use of specialist software, an effect on exam results, student satisfaction with e-learning, innovation in learning and teaching, an influence on educational research, staff personal development, a positive effect on recruitment, a positive effect on retention, an influence on policy, use of resources, modifications to learning spaces, management of learning assets, an effect on social equality

Lessons Learned

Summary and Reflection

The key advantage of attempting to include as many accommodations as possible within the online system, aside from any legislative requirements, is to ensure that academic standards are maintained. The University of Nottingham utilises several image hotspot and labelling questions in summative examinations which do not directly translate into any paper question types. If an alternative question was written for paper is the academic challenge the same as the interactive computer-based question? The colours used with these interactive question types can be altered within TouchStone, the challenge for the next version is to provide full keyboard support for these questions that use Flash instead of standard HTML form objects.

The numbers of students requesting various accommodations has been low, there are only 30 currently, so no formal research has yet been conducted. However, informal discussions with several individuals have highlighted the acceptability of this customisation approach in the students eyes.

Konur, O. (2007) Computer-assisted teaching and assessment of disabled students in higher education: the interface between academic standards and disability rights. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, Vol 23. pp. 207-219.