Transcript Books for All - CALL Scotland

SQA Adapted Digital
Question Papers:
The story so far….
Paul D. Nisbet
CALL Scotland
University of Edinburgh
Adapted Digital Papers
2006
(pilot)
2007
(pilot)
2008
2009
Number of centres
8
12
46
73
Number of
candidates
34
80
204
422
Number of requests
65
265
514
1,167
Number of
candidates /
centre
4.25
6.67
4.27
5.78
Number of requests /
candidates
1.91
2.50
2.51
2.76
2010
1,962
Requests for Adapted Digital
Papers 2006-2010
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2009 requests by local authority
Authority
Requests Authority
Requests
Fife Council
149
The Moray Council
31
The City of Edinburgh
122
Highland Council
22
Falkirk
97
Shetland Islands Council
18
Dumfries and Galloway
89
North Ayrshire Council
16
Aberdeenshire
65
North Lanarkshire Council
15
Dundee City
62
Renfrewshire Council
13
South Ayrshire
60
East Dunbartonshire Council 7
Perth & Kinross
59
East Renfrewshire Council
4
Aberdeen City
52
Midlothian Council
4
West Lothian
45
Western Isles Council
2
City of Glasgow
42
East Ayrshire Council
1
Scottish Borders
41
South Lanarkshire Council
1
Argyll and Bute
38
Stirling
36
FE Colleges
21
Inverclyde
33
Independent Secondary
22
2009 requests by schools
2009 Centres
Requests Local Authority
Queen Anne High School
122
Fife
The Royal High School
82
City of Edinburgh
Bo'ness Academy
68
Stranraer Academy
62
Dumfries & Galloway
Prestwick Academy
60
South Ayrshire
Kinross High School
59
Perth & Kinross
Mintlaw Academy
48
Aberdeenshire
Ashcraig School
37
Glasgow City
Campbeltown Grammar School
37
Argyll & Bute
Peebles High School
35
Scottish Borders
Aboyne Academy
34
Aberdeenshire
St Columba's High School (Gourock)
33
Inverclyde
St Paul's RC Academy
32
Dundee City
Holy Rood High School
30
City of Edinburgh
Buckie High School
29
Moray
2009 requests by subject
(subjects with requests > 10)
Subject
English
Number of
requests
Subject
284 French
Number of
requests
39
Biology
98 Modern Studies
37
History
92 Physical Education
36
Computing Studies
91 Mathematics
29
Geography
76 Business Management
28
Chemistry
50 Drama
28
Craft & Design
50 Home Economics
22
Administration
Mathematics: Maths 1, 2
48 and 3
12
Physics
42 German
11
Reasons for requesting ADPs,
2009
Candidates' Difficulties
Learning Disability
38
Social Emotional
Behavioural
Difficulty 37
Autistic Spectrum
Condition 39
Language or
Speech Disorder
32
Visual Impairment
30
Physical Health
Problems 61
Other Moderate
Learning Difficulty
65
Physical or Motor
Impairment 143
Dyslexia 474
Other Specific
Learning Difficulty
244
Pupils’ comments 2006 & 2007
I would prefer to have split screens
so that I could see questions and
tables together instead of having to
refer to another page.
Enjoyed using it!
Easy to do. You can see both the
questions and the text at the same
time.
Pupils’ comments 2006 & 2007
Papers are simpler to use. You do not have to
fiddle about with different papers. By switching
windows, you can see both the question and the
text at the same time.
Because it is much easier to use than a
reader
Staff evaluations 2006 trials
Traditional papers
Digital Papers
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
Confidence
Independence
Motivation
Expertise
Pupils’ results with digital
papers

“Candidates’ results from digital papers are
similar to their teachers’ estimates”

“there appears to be little difference between
[marks awarded for] entries using digital papers
and the other entries sat by the same
candidates”
Nisbet, P.D., Shearer, N., Balfour, F., Aitken, S., (2006) SQA Adapted
Examination Papers in Digital Format: Feasibility Report 2005-2006.
www.adapteddigitalexams.org.uk
Reliability


“Digital exams were the only part of the 2007
diet which did not cause significant problems –
they simply worked. Probably this was assisted
by more stringent attention to detail, adequate
risk assessment, etc.”
“I personally would like to see digital exams as
the default choice for pupils with physical
disabilities, and paper, helpers, scribes etc as
options which would need to be specially
requested, because I believe they are
empowering, less difficult to administer and costeffective.”
Accommodation
“We had 2 rooms set up with
double sized tables to allow a
comfortable amount of room
for laptop and papers. Each
candidate was allocated a
table which was the same for
each exam. All tables were
numbered and we made use of
screen dividers which created
a booth effect and cut down
distractions and gave a certain
amount of privacy in the small
classroom. We had 9
candidates sitting the exam in
digital format and 2 writing in
the same room for the
Standard Grade English exam.
Candidates names and
numbers were on the desks,
and times.”
% of AA candidates using ADPs
(12 schools 2006-08)
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
2006
20%
2007
10%
2008
0%
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2008
2006
2008 requests to support writing
(46 centres using ADPs)
Transcription without
correction
Transcription with
correction
Calculator
PA Referral
Use of tape recorder
for responses
Candidate Signs
Responses
Digital Papers
Scribe
Use of ICT
“We really appreciate this format of exam paper. The pupils are generally much
happier to be independent rather than depend on scribes and readers. This
year all our S3 and S4s sat the SG English examination at the same time. If we
had had to provide readers and/or scribes for this we would not have been able
to staff it.”
Support for writing 2007-08
(12 centres using ADPs)
45%
40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
2008
0%
ADP
2007
ICT
Scribe
Support for reading
(data from 18 centres in 2008)
Reading support 2008
Enlarged Print, 63
Braille paper, 2
Question Paper
signed to
candidate, 1
Text reading
software, 71
Coloured Paper, 74
Reader, 894
Text-reading software
2007-2008
Use of text reading software 2007 - 2008
50%
45%
40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
2007
15%
2008
10%
5%
0%
ool
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ool
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Buck
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Cam
2008
2007
Use of readers 2007-2008
Use of readers 2007-2008
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
2007
30%
2008
20%
10%
0%
l
choo
S
g
i
a
r
demy
a
l
c
A
Ashc
ch o o
ick
S
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Pre
ie Hi
Scho
k
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Cam
2008
2007
Cost analysis:
School ‘H’ English Standard Grade, 5 pupils using ADPs
instead of reader/scribes
Rooms
Time
Reading
General
5
1 hour
Reader/scribe
time
5 hours
Reading
Credit
Writing F/G/C
5
1 hour
5 hours
5
1.5 hours
7.5 hours
15
3.5 hours/ pupil
17.5 hours
Total
School ‘H’ Standard Grade:
digital papers for 5 pupils
5
pupils, 5 computers, 1 room
 Preparation
time (SfL): 1 hour?
 Technician time:
2 hours?
 Running time (SfL):
3.15 hours?
 Total:
7.15 hours
School ‘H’
readers/scribes vs. digital
Readers /
scribes
Digital
Papers
Saving
Staff hours
17.5
7.15
10
hours
Staff cost @ £25/half day
£250
£143 *
£107
Staff cost @ £20/hour
£350
£143
£207
Staff cost @ £200/day
£1000
£143
£857
5
1
4 rooms
Rooms
School H buys in all readers/scribes at £25 per half day.
The school saved £1000 by using ADPs in 2008.
* Cost calculated at £20/hour
Costs of readers/scribes
16,554 reader requests; 14,197 scribe
requests
 ~ 30,000 individual exams
 ~ 60,000 hours
 Say average £20/hour for reader/scribe?

= £1,200,000

Say £10/hour for invigilator?
= £600,000

TOTAL = £1.8
m in Scotland per annum