I would have to disagree. Each student learns at different pace. Some students may pick up information quickly and can move on right along to the next subject while others may have to spend more time on certain areas and spend extra time outside the classroom to better grasp the subject. More is not always better.
Joseph,
This time, you are just plain wrong. There is LOTS of evidence to show that extra time is not a benefit for students without disabilities (it will depend on the test). And you are suggesting that students with disabilities should get the extra time because we feel sorry for them and are trying to make it up to them -- to give them an advantage to offset the disadvantage created by their disability. That isn't the case at all. Perhaps you should go back and review this discussion in the lesson again.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
There is zero doubt that more students would do better with extended time. The arguement lies in who needs that extra time. Many would argue that fairness plays a factor, however that is just what we are giving those with these special needs. They dont function as most and need extra time for some of the same things others take for granted. Therefore, it all works out in the end if we understand what this extra time is for.
Hi Jennifer,
As I was reading your response I found myself nodding to a lot of what you shared. I believe that any student, regardless of disability, can experience anxiety about test taking. When I was in elementary and junior high school I experienced anxiety around test taking myself but was a straight A student and could orally give the answers to tests quite easily. The "time" to take the test is what gave me the anxiety, and probably of picking the wrong answer. The challenge with providing extra time is that it can impact staying on schedule in order to provide additional learning opportunities. I also think that having extra time could result in students who normally may do well on a test, doing poorly because they have too much time to second guess their responses. I don't know what the right resolution is for this situation and believe that the "right" amount of time is a tricky balance between too little and too much time.
Michael,
I think you may have missed the point of extended time. Everyone has the same amount of time to study -- but for some students with disabilities it takes longer to demonstrate what they have learned. The extra time isn't assigned to give them more chance to study, just more time to respond.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
A test or class assignment should have the same amount of allotted time regardless of disability. Again if students was covering material as needed then this should be fair. Just because one hadn't studied it wouldn't be fair to the ones that did their work.
phillip,
I am not sure I follow you here. Extended time on a paper-and-pencil assessment doesn't translate to either needing the same accommodation in a hands-on activity, or to having that hands-on activity completed within a set time period. You seem to be equating speed with quality. I don't think that holds in the real world.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
Being that we offer career-focused education, it is important to make sure that we are setting students up with success not only for thier college experience but for thier field as well. If I had extended time to complete tasks at work with no real reason behind that, it would affect the workload that I was able to produce. It is important to focus on this when explaining the solution to this concern to students.
Extending time will not help a person with a disability if he is has no knowledge of the subject matter. A person with a problem such as dyslexia could benefit from extended time if he know the material on the test but is slow to read and comprehend it.
Candis,
Again, I am not sure what you are saying here. Are you saying that you let all students stay as long as they like (even after the class ends) to finish your tests? That would be fine. But if you are saying that you give students with disabilities who have been cleared for extra time until the end of the class period, even though most students don't need that much -- that is NOT extra time. I'm confused by your description.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
I think that it is still a good idea to allow ample time to finish work. I generally allow a certain amount of time towards the end of class this way a person can work at their own pace. When they are done their work they are free to go and this way I don't take any time away from anyone.
David,
I don't disagree with you -- there are some students for whom having too much time may be detrimental. But I wonder if the students I would put in that category are the same students YOU would put in that category!?!
Dr. Jane Jarrow
Susan,
Time limits and time pressure are two different things. The fact that there are time limits on an activity generally helps us gauge how much time is practical to spend on any one element of that activity. That means the typical student knows when they should be half done with the test, etc. But for students with disabilities, who KNOW it takes them longer to do what everyone else does, asking them to stay within the standard time frame is putting tremendous pressure on completion. When we give extended time, it is just that -- extended time, not unlimited time. The student still faces time limits -- but (hopefully) without the pressure.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
Well with certain students extended time may actually hurt a students performance. Some students do need additional time and that time should be granted to them if needed.
I think it really all depends on how each individual student tests. I think there can be pros and cons both ways on whether more time is really advantageous. I have been in situations in which I felt like I could have used more time and I have also felt like if I had more time, I probably would just continue to confuse myself too. I have never really taken a test where there was no time pressure though. Usually there is always an established start and end time. Thanks for your feedback!
Chelsea,
I think you said something you didn't mean. You suggest that, normally, extra time would be beneficial to students that have not properly studied. But we know that isn't likely to be the case. If you don't know the answer, all the extra time in the world isn't going to help you.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
Susan,
Sometimes we provide extended time to students with disabilities so that time pressure will not be an issue in their performance. There is a tendency, among all of us, to go for the QUICK answer (whether or not it is the right answer) when we are pressed for time. When the time pressure is relieved, students are more likely to focus on content, instead of on "finishing."
Dr. Jane Jarrow
Tests should be designed so that the average student that has adequetely studied the material can finish the exam in the alotted time. Extra time would normally only be beneficial to students that have not properly studied the material. However, the test may not be designed for a student with a learning disability to finish in the alotted time, and it would therefore, be beneficial for them to receive extra time, but no more beneficial than an average student receiving the normal time.
Sometimes more time just means more opportunity to agonize over the answers you really don't know and sometimes you just need a few more minutes to finish processing the answer. Ultimately, students are told in advance how much time they will have to complete a quiz/test. It is up to students with and without disabilities to be aware of the time constraints and prepare accordingly. Sometimes students with disabilities are provided with extra time, but in my experience, some of these students do not even need it. Again, I think this is more of teaching students with or without disabilities to be responsible and accountable for the time they are allotted in various circumstances. Also, it's generally been my experience that the students without disabilities who complained about not having enough time on a quiz/test generally did not prepare well and disagree with the outcome.
Ryan,
Ouch! I agree with your idea (that extra time is just leveling the playing field), but I am not thrilled with your phrasing. To refer to some students as "fully functional" kind of makes the other students -- students with disabilities -- sound defective in some way. The way we talk about people DOES make a difference in the way we think about people. See if you can think of a more positive way to describe such things.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
