Accommodating Special Needs in Online Classes

Disability Support Services provides assistance to students with special needs. One common concern that online instructors face is accommdating a time extension for online students taking online tests.  Listed below are a number of options that instructors can employ to grant one students in a class extra time to complete a test:

• New Exam Folder. Create another folder (e.g. Test 1, version B), copy and paste the exam into it setting the time for that folder to double time. Instructors may password protect that folder and give the password only to those students who require extended time.
• Disable Timer. Use a timer but ask Blackboard not to shut the window down after the time expires. Inform students that they will penalized if they exceed the time allowed. Privately tell DSS students with extended time how much time they are allowed.
• Set Special Exam Time.Have the DSS student wait until all students have completed the exam with the exception of the student needing accommodation and then extend the time for them by making an arrangement with the student on a particular day/time.
• Note: DSS advises that it is discriminatory to require students with a disability to travel to campus and take a paper pencil test when their classmates are not required to do the same.