How Amanuensis Can Help Students With Exams
Whilst working at a university I was trained to do Amanuensis and learned how this can really help students with their exams. Most students find the process of taking exams nerve-wracking and stressful. However, with the help of an amanuensis, this process can be much easier.
What is Amanuensis Meaning In English?
An amanuensis is a type of personal assistant who helps students prepare for and take exams. It’s a person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.
They can provide crucial support and guidance, which can make all the difference when it comes to performing well on exams.
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Exam help for dyslexia
In this blog post, we’ll discuss how an amanuensis can help students succeed in their academic years.
WHAT IS AMANUENSIS?
For assessment, an amanuensis is someone who writes down, types or word processes a candidate’s dictated answers to a question. It should also be noted that an amanuensis might have to read the test back to students.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SCRIBING AND NOTE-TAKING?
An amanuensis is someone who takes down lecture notes for a student unable to do this. The process of scribing requires that they accurately record only what the dictated words are, without any interpretation required (as with note-taking).
A note-taker is someone who takes down lecture notes for another student. The process of scribing, however, requires that you accurately record only the words dictated by their client-no interpretation required!
WHO NEEDS AMANUENSIS?
In some cases, students with permanent disabilities are recommended to take an amanuensis for completion of written examinations.
Students who might need an amanuensis include:
ELIGIBILITY FOR AN AMANUENSIS
Students must have a Needs Assessment recommending the use of an amanuensis. A Needs Assessment is an official assessment of a student’s needs.
It is usually undertaken by an expert assessor affiliated to one f the many Regional Access Centres, or by assessors of other recognised bodies such as RNIB or RNID.
Students who do not have a Needs Assessment (eg overseas students or students not on an H.E course, such as UAC students) will be eligible for an amanuensis if their psychological/neurological/diagnostic or medical report recommends it.
WHAT TYPE OF SUPPORT IS RECOMMENDED?
Physical Impairment
A communication Board – a movement-activated board, eg. Blists Symbolic Picture Board Maker – gives pictures and words or other types giving words and pictures.
Voice-activated Computers – using specialist software, such as Dragon Dictate
Scribe
Rest Break
Dyslexia
Voice-Activated Computer – using specialist software, such as Dragon Dictate
Computers – memory needs checking
Scribe
Reader
Reader/Scribe
Occasionally Rest Break
Visual Impairment
Braille
Voice-Activated Computer
Computer with screen reading software, such as JAWS
Reader
Hearing Impairment
Scribe
Sign Language Interpreter
Note Taker
Acquired Head Injury
Any of the above depending on the need
Rest break
Epileptic
Prompters (especially for those with absent seizures – momentary lapses in concentration) – Also available for Narcoleptics
Coloured screen filtered may be needed
Rest Break
ADD/ADHD & Aspergers Syndrome/Autism
Prompters
Reader
Scribe
Rest Break
Medical Conditions
Any of the above depending on the need
Extra Time Allocation
Extra time (25%) can be recommended for all the above, but especially so for students with dyslexia, ADD/ADHD, physical disability or certain medical conditions, such as Chronic Fatigue Syndrom (ME)
GENERAL PRINCIPLE FOR USING AN AMANUENSIS
The use of an amanuensis in an examination should neither advantage nor disadvantage the student. The guiding principle should be everyone has a fair and equal chance of succeeding.
THE ADVANTAGES OF USING AMANUENSIS
- Provides an option for students with disabilities and medical conditions to complete an exam in a written format.
- Relives the student of the burden of writing during the actual exam
- Does not aggravate or further damage existing medical conditions or permanent injuries
- Ensures legibility of the written paper
- Enables the exam to be completed at the same sitting as other students
- Can be used in a wide range of assessment situations other than exams, eg lab work, or where answers must be recorded on the spot.
THE DISADVANTAGES OF USING AMANUENSIS
- The time it takes to train the amanuensis
- It removes immediate control of the writing process from the students and hence they are often hesitant to use this method
- The process relies on the student’s ability to use an amanuensis effectively and efficiently to reproduce their understanding of a topic in a written or typed form.
- It relies on the ability of the amanuensis to write down or type dictated information accurately, efficiently and legibly.
- Scribing can have a number of problems, eg. structuring and keeping track of thoughts, the stop/start nature of dictation and unfamiliarity with the method.
It should be noted that many of these difficulties can be overcome by preparation and practice for the amanuensis and the student.
DYSLEXIA AND ADHD STUDY UNI AIDS
Did you know that there is something else that can help? Yellow paper! Yep, the yellow paper has been shown to help dyslexic students read better, but the dyslexia reading aids for uni students that stood out to me was the C-Pen Reader. See the details below.
C-PEN READER
- Hear individual words and lines of text read aloud. Completely self-contained, NO computer or Wi-Fi required to use reading function
- Multiple built-in dictionaries to search definitions including the Oxford Primary Dictionary
- Scans in multiple English accents and languages, including French and Spanish, Record audio to review later, helping people with a limited working memory
- Optionally scan and transfer text to PC or Mac, directly via USB or from the 8GB storage, with no additional software required
WHAT SKILLS DO YOU NEED TO BE AN AMANUENSIS?
The most important skills that are required are:
Writing/typing speed
Legibility (if writing)
Accuracy
Interpersonal skills and ethical considerations
WRITING/TYPING SPEED
An amanuensis is required to write/type information quickly for long periods of time. The student will suffer if they have to continually stop to wait for the amanuensis to catch up.
LEGIBILITY (IF WRITING)
Legibility needs to be maintained throughout.
ACCURACY
Accurate transcription is important. The amanuensis should not re-word, restructure, fill out or augment what is dictated, even if it is technically or grammatically incorrect. Spell checkers and proofreading can amend general spelling errors, but words that are technical and subject-specific should be spelt out to the amanuensis by the student.
INTERPERSONAL SKILLS
It is important to maintain good communication between the amanuensis and the student, making the student feel at ease.
ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS
The amanuensis must demonstrate an understanding of the need for confidentiality and the maintenance of proper ethical standards during the exam process and exam rules and regulations. The amanuensis should at no time act in such a way as t imply information to the student.
Practice with the particular student for which the scribing is taking place is very important
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