When faculty are using online tools for timed assessments, like quizzes or exams, the accommodations still need to be provided related to a student’s disability. Disability & Testing Services does not have access rights to courses for setting up these accommodations. Faculty need to add the time extension for the assessments or reach out to eLearning by phone 216-687-5050 and press 2 for Faculty Blackboard Support or e-mail elearning@csuohio.edu. If the content is being provided through the learning management software on a publisher’s platform, faculty would need to reach out to the support technicians for that publisher platform for assistance adding time extensions. Below is information that would be helpful in providing testing accommodations for timed assessments delivered online or remotely.

Verifying Accommodations

Faculty Notification Letters for students in your courses who are registered with ODS can be viewed via the AIM online portal: https://andes.accessiblelearning.com/CSUOhio/Instructor/.

Extended Time Testing

If you are giving timed assessments in Blackboard,, or any other course management product, please extend the time for individual students who qualify for 1.25x, 1.5x, or 2x. For most of our students providing this accommodation is simple in Blackboard. The Center for eLearning has recorded a video demonstrating how to Set Blackboard Test Availability Exceptions which shows how to do this and gives multiple scenarios for how to adjust settings. For technical assistance, you can also call 216-687-5050 and dial 2 for Blackboard Support.

Some faculty have been requiring students to submit their exam like an assignment in Blackboard where it starts at the beginning of a class time and ends at the end of class. This is often for exams where students need to write out problems like in math or accounting exams. If the exam is issued to students like an assignment through Blackboard the time extension would need to be setup using the Adaptive Release Rules for that exam assignment submission in Blackboard. The Center for eLearning has recorded a video to demonstrate Setting up Adaptive Release Options for Assignments.

Table for Time Extensions

Here is a list of the time extensions for common times that faculty give for exams. Times ar listed in minutes, because that is how they are input in the Time Availability Exception in Blackboard.

100

STOP THE CLOCK BREAKS

As there is no straightforward way to "pause the clock" within a Blackboard assessment, we recommend adjusting the time to permit students to briefly step away for purposes of disability management. For exams that are 30 minutes to an hour, please add 15 minutes. For exams which are over an hour, up to two 15-minute breaks is considered reasonable. For quizzes that are 30 minutes or shorter, please add 5-10 minutes to the total duration. Please note that this additional time is in addition to the students’ approved extended time accommodation.

ABILITY TO TAKE BREAKS

This accommodation refers to a student’s ability to take supervised breaks when in the testing center. The clock is not stopped; therefore, no additional consideration is needed for this accommodation in online delivery format outside of any time extension otherwise granted in the faculty notification letter.

REDUCED DISTRACTION OR PRIVATE ROOM TESTING

Students can select their own testing environment; therefore, usually additional consideration is not needed for this accommodation in the remote test delivery format. If you proctor tests online using Zoom it may be necessary to have the student in a separate breakout room so that they will not be distracted by the video and audio feeds of other students. There are also students who because of distractions in their living environment might benefit from taking assessments at times where they can have a more distraction reduced environment. If your exams require a student to take it at a specific date and time the student may need flexibility in order to get their distraction reduced or private space.

RESPONDUS LOCKDOWN BROWSER and HonorLock

Respondus can cause some difficulties for students who require software for dictation. If you are using Respondus Lockdown Browser for your exams and have students who have those listed in their faculty notification letter, a separate copy of the exam without Respondus needs to be created for the student to use. Respondus does not permit the use of common programs like Read&Write, Dragon, and ZoomText speech during an exam. For students who need text to speech we have made ReadSpeaker available for student use in all CSU exams through Blackboard and Respondus. Students who need software for dictation or Dragon Naturally Speaking cannot be required to use Respondus to take exams or quizzes. We cannot require students who cannot use Respondus, to enable their accommodations, to take their exam proctored on campus.

HonorLock is more customizable and works better with speech recognition applications like Dragon or text to speech applications like Read&Write and ZoomText. This is an acceptable alternative for proctoring when such applications are approved for accommodations. The test may need to be set to allow headphones or notes can be added for the proctors to understand the testing circumstances for if the artificial intelligence flags them.

If the student is approved for stop the clock breaks or ability to take breaks and is also approved for disability related restroom breaks or access to medications, the student may need to leave the space of the computer or room. This can flag online proctoring software like Respondus or HonorLock. Please make provisions in the settings for the exam or understand this is necessary when reviewing actions flagged by the proctoring service.

PEN AND PAPER EXAMS

The handling of this accommodation depends on the student. Faculty can reach out to ODS/Testing Services to review any pen and paper requests at testingservices@csuohio.edu.