Accessibility in the Psychology Undergraduate CurriculumA guide for Psychology undergraduates at Cardiff University

This document outlines components of the BSc and BSc with Professional Placement degree programmes, identifies some of the challenges that might be faced by students with various disabilities or personal circumstances in enrolling on and completing these undergraduate degree programmes, and describes practices that have been adopted by the School to make the programmes inclusive. Some topics are discussed in more detail than others.

Comments on this document can be sent to Todd Bailey (BaileyTM1@Cardiff.ac.uk) or Judy McPherson (McPherson@Cardiff.ac.uk).

Table of Contents1. Statutory duties regarding disability2. School procedures for students with a disability3. Admissions and enrolment processes4. Accommodation5. Curriculum

5.1. Orientation (Year 1)5.2. Reading5.3. Academic tutorials (Years 1-2)5.4. Lectures5.5. Research practicals (Years 1-2)5.6. Computing practicals/demonstrations (Years 1-2)5.7. Research participation (Years 1-2)5.8. Professional placement (optional Year 3)5.9. Project supervision (Final Year)5.10. Course-specific software5.11. Indicative calendar and timetables

6. Assessment and feedback6.1. Coursework6.2. Research project (Final Year)6.3. Examinations6.4. Extenuating circumstances

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This document can be made available in the following alternative formats: Braille, tape, large print, disc and on coloured paper. Please contact Judy McPherson (McPherson@Cardiff.ac.uk), School Administrator, Room 6.02 to request a copy in your chosen format.

1. Statutory duties regarding disabilityHigher education institutions are bound by a number of statutory duties regarding disability. In summary, higher education institutions are required:

not to treat disabled people less favourably, to make reasonable adjustments so disabled people are not substantially

disadvantaged as a result of their disability, and to anticipate the needs of disabled people and make adjustments in advance.

A person is considered disabled if they have a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. This includes impairments of vision or hearing, mental health difficulties, specific learning difficulties (e.g. dyslexia or dyspraxia), various physical conditions (e.g. paraplegia, cerebral palsy, repetitive strain injury, arthritis, ME), hidden disabilities (e.g. epilepsy, diabetes, asthma), and long-term medical conditions (e.g. cancer, HIV).

Academic standards, flexibility, and transparency. The content of the undergraduate psychology curriculum is highly constrained by accreditation requirements set by the British Psychological Society. Within that framework, our teaching, learning and assessment philosophy emphasizes the role of the learner, who is expected to access information in published books and journal articles, and be able to express topic-related ideas and arguments clearly.

Ultimately, it is the learning experience and qualification embodied by the degree programme which must be accessible. The formal parts of the curriculum are intended to assist the learner in various ways, but they are generally not ends (or requirements) in and of themselves. Where standard learning opportunities and assessments cannot be made fully accessible in a generic way, alternatives are considered on a case by case basis.

2. School procedures for students with a disabilityThis section discusses the procedures and decision-making processes within the School for working with disabled students.

2.1. Procedures for communication about disabled students’ needsIncoming students often declare a disability on their UCAS university application form. Other students declare a disability after beginning their undergraduate course (e.g. a student may discuss a hidden disability with his/her personal tutor and decide to declare the disability so that appropriate adjustments can be made). The School’s Disability Contacts liaise with the Dyslexia and Disability Service to track disabled students and agree on appropriate adjustments.

The School itself contacts all students over the summer with details about enrolment, along with an invitation for students to declare a disability if they have not already done so, and a request for incoming Year 1 students to notify the School if they anticipate difficulty using an ordinary computer so that appropriate adjustments can be made prior to induction.

Shortly before the start of each autumn semester Student Services sends the School a list of disabled students who are likely to enrol. After enrolment, students are assigned to personal tutors (with returning students generally being assigned to the same tutor they had the year before). The list of disabled students is matched up with the list of personal tutors, and personal tutors are notified of any disabilities their students have declared (subject, as always, to the student having given permission for us to share information about his/her disability on a need to know basis). Because the beginning of the academic year is very

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busy, personal tutors may not receive this information until the second or third week of the semester. Tutors and students should be aware that they are likely to have their first meeting before tutors have received top-down information about disabled students.

Student Services carries out a needs assessment for each disabled student (sometime during the academic year), and sends the School an Individual Support Arrangements Notification (ISAN). The Disability Contact then consults with appropriate members of the School (e.g. the Chair of the Board of Studies, the School’s Teaching & Learning Officer, etc.), the Disability and Dyslexia Service, and the student, as necessary to agree on appropriate arrangements the School can implement. Staff members within the School (tutors, lecturers, markers, etc.) are then advised, on a need-to-know basis, how they can help. A needs assessment may recommend flagging a particular student’s work for markers to identify the work as being from a student with disability-related writing difficulties. As explained below under Assessment, flagging is not applied to coursework in the School, but is applied where appropriate to exam scripts by the student him/herself before the scripts are passed to the School for marking.

2.2. Record-keeping and monitoring statisticsThe School maintains a list of current students who have declared a disability, with information about adjustments that have been agreed. Information about a student’s disability is kept in a sealed envelope in the student’s file, for access by staff members on a need to know basis. Along with most other details in the student file, this information is destroyed one year after the student leaves the School.

The School strives to provide a high-quality educational experience for each student, and responds flexibly as required to achieve that. Qualitative feedback from students is monitored closely, and the School continually updates its policies, procedures, and curriculum in an effort to improve the training that students receive. At the end of each academic year, all students are asked to evaluate the overall curriculum for the year they have just completed. The questionnaire asks about the adequacy of provisions for disabilities. Responses are monitored by Year Coordinators and by the Teaching & Learning Committee.

2.3. Personal tutoringThe personal tutor system is a central part of student support within the University. Personal tutors monitor the academic progress of their tutees, provide feedback and advice on academic and personal matters as they are able, and provide a first point of contact to the student support services provided by the University.

Personal tutors will generally be informed about disabilities that have been disclosed by their tutees (subject to the student’s permission). Personal tutors can help their tutees to make a disability disclosure. Personal tutors can also advise on when and how to report extenuating circumstances, or request a deadline extension, etc.

Students preparing to return from an Interruption of Study may contact their personal tutor for advice and support. A month prior to a student’s scheduled return, Registry asks the student whether they intend to return and to provide documentary evidence of fitness to do so.

Further details can be found in the Academic Regulations Handbook, and also in the School’s Student Handbooks.

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2.4. Coursework submission, extenuating circumstances and programme-related enquiriesThe School has an Extenuating Circumstances Administrator, and a Coursework Administrator. They are based in Room 6.01 (Tower Building). The Administrators coordinate the submission and return of all coursework, and collate documentation relating to student absences, extenuating circumstances and extension requests. They also deal with the EMS, Plagiarism and other student/programme related tasks. Students can also get replacement key cards here (for accessing student study rooms 1.01 and 1.07).

3. Admissions and enrolmentThis section covers tasks that students must complete to sign up for the degree programme (informational documents are identified in section 7.1). Admissions and enrolment includes the following activities:

Open Days Admissions Enrolment

Students who receive a conditional offer of admission are invited to attend one of the School’s Open Days. Alternatively, when a conditional offer is made, Registry invites disabled students to visit the University and meet with a disabilities adviser and an admissions tutor to discuss the requirements of the course and what arrangements might reasonably be made to minimize any academic disadvantage due to the student’s disability. Students who did this would not normally attend one of the Open Days as well, because it would offer them no new information.

Students complete central enrolment using an online process through SIMS Online, often before they arrive in Cardiff. Alternative arrangements are made for students who anticipate difficulty with this process.

4. AccommodationThe School of Psychology is housed primarily in a 12-story building. This section covers physical access to the School, including evacuation procedures for anyone unable to use the stairs. The following topics are discussed below:

Building access Lifts Getting to lectures Evacuation without lifts

Building access. The front entrance to the Psychology building is from a raised patio which is normally accessed by climbing a few steps from the pavement. There are two ways to access the building without navigating stairs.

There is a lift between the pavement and the front patio, but a key is required to operate the lift. Visitors can ring reception 029 2087 4007 to request access on a particular occasion. Students and staff who need to use the lift on a regular basis should contact the Technical Support Manager, Claudia Calder.

There is a side door at the top of a driveway that slopes up from the street. This door opens automatically. The slope of the driveway might be too steep for some wheelchair users.

Lifts. Inside the building, two lifts facilitate access to the upper floors. A key is required to get the lift to stop on floors 1 and 2 (which house a large lecture theatre, the undergraduate computing lab 1.07 and the interactive common room 1.01 , and a number of offices and research labs). The receptionist in the foyer has a lift key and can use it to facilitate

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occasional access to floors 1 and 2, but students with a mobility impairment will generally be issued their own lift key (this is arranged through the Technical Support Manager, Claudia Calder, 029 2087 9446).

Getting to lectures. Most Psychology lectures take place within the Psychology building itself. The recommended wheelchair access to the large lecture theatre, SPLT, is on floor 2, and the doors to the lecture theatre on that floor can be opened by pressing a button on the wall nearby. Some lectures take place in nearby buildings, and students with mobility impairments may need to use the lifts in those buildings. For those lifts that require a key, the same key that operates the Psychology lift operates the lifts in nearby buildings, too.

Most lecture theatres have doors that could be hard for some people to open (e.g. someone in a wheelchair). Usually, others going to the same lecture (including the instructor) will be available and glad to offer assistance if necessary. Failing that, the porter/receptionist in the foyer of the relevant building would be able to help.

Evacuation without lifts. The lifts cannot be used in the event of a fire alarm, so alternative arrangements must be made to evacuate people who are unable to use the stairs. The School’s Safety Officer (John Culling) contacts students with mobility impairments to draw up an individual evacuation plan. For example, the evacuation plan might recommend retreating to a designated stairwell to wait for assistance.

5. CurriculumThis section considers components of the curriculum. The degree programme is organized as a three-year full-time course of study (with an optional additional placement year for the Professional Placement programme). Students are required to complete all modules of each year before progressing to the following year.

Teaching sessions take place on week days (Monday to Friday), usually between 10.00am and 4.00pm, with a few beginning as early as 9am or ending as late as 5pm. There are about 10-12 hours of scheduled teaching each week. In addition to formal classes, students are expected to use their own time to study material supplementary to lectures, participate in research, and complete coursework assignments. An average student should normally plan to spend a total of about 40 hours per week on their studies.

5.1. OrientationOrientation for incoming students includes the following activities during the week prior to the beginning of the formal autumn teaching semester:

Meeting with personal tutor Welcome and introduction Introduction to computing facilities Introduction to research Improving financial capability International student meeting Personal development planning, career planning Research participation and ethics Seminars and tutorials Library facilities

As part of the introductory talk, one of the School’s Disability Contacts is introduced.

Generally, these orientation activities present few unique issues for disabled students that are not already discussed elsewhere in this document.

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Introduction to computing facilities. Some disabilities make it difficult to use a standard computer (e.g. limited vision or manual dexterity). In many cases, special hardware or software can be obtained to accommodate particular needs, but we must make arrangements in advance if the affected students are to participate fully in the introduction to computing facilities during orientation. When information about orientation is sent to students during the summer, we ask students to let us know if they have a disability that makes it difficult for them to use an ordinary computer. Our IT technicians then liaise with individual students and with the University Disability & Dyslexia Service to arrange special hardware or software as appropriate to accommodate the needs of the student. Ideally, these arrangements are put in place in time for Orientation, so that all students can participate fully in the Introduction to Computing Facilities.

Flexibility. Alternative arrangements can be made, if necessary, for any component of orientation.

5.2. ReadingThe School’s Teaching, Learning and Assessment policy is that learners play the leading role in their own training. Readings are the primary source of information at all levels of the degree programme, beginning primarily with textbook chapters in Year 1, and progressing to an emphasis on original research articles in academic journals in the Final Year.

Most reading materials are accessed either from the library (books, journal articles, and photocopy items) or the internet (email, online library catalogue, journal articles, e-books, Learning Central, PSYCH web pages, lecture notes, student handbooks, etc.). Issues relevant specifically to the internet and to lecture materials are discussed farther below.

5.2.1. Alternative formatsSome students are able to access paper-based readings, but only slowly. Other students have difficulty accessing paper-based readings in their original format. In principle, readings can be converted to alternative formats (Braille, large font, electronic, audio). Diagrams are sometimes harder to convert to useful alternative formats, but textual descriptions or tactile diagrams can often be helpful substitutes. The “Core Graphics Pack: Psychology” (available from the School’s Disability Contact, Todd Bailey) has tactile versions of some key psychology diagrams, along with textual and Braille descriptions of those diagrams and more. The Dyslexia and Disability Service provides good practical advice on the best option for a particular student and how to make it happen. The School’s Disability Contact liaises with instructors and with the Dyslexia and Disability Service to arrange for readings to be converted to alternative formats as appropriate for particular students.

5.2.2. Reading speedStudents using alternative formats almost always require more time to cover the same amount of material. The marking criteria index the amount of independent learning exhibited (so higher marks are awarded to students who know more). The choice, then, is for students to take the time required to access the “readings”, or receive lower marks.

5.2.3. Advance readingsThe potential value of preparatory reading varies with the purpose and content of a lecture. Given that readings are intended to be the primary source of information for students, and given that lectures are generally a poor way to convey information, instructors often use lectures to motivate interest in a topic, to outline the range of topics students are expected to learn, to demonstrate classic experiments with audio-visual aids, and/or to direct active learning exercises or discussions. For some of these types of activities, advance reading might not be important to all students.

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Nevertheless, advance reading is an effective way for students to prepare for informational lectures, and this may be particularly important for students who have some difficulty extracting auditory or visual information from lectures on the fly (e.g. a student who is lip-reading cannot watch slides on the screen and the instructor at the same time). Moreover, for any type of lecture there is almost certainly some potential student who would benefit from a relevant advance reading (e.g. to identify technical vocabulary so that a deaf student and sign interpreter could agree on appropriate signs). Useful advance readings might take the form of book chapters, journal articles, lecture notes, key points, or just a list of technical vocabulary.

Module descriptions include indicative reading lists for lectures, and these are prepared for Registry every spring. These are available far in advance of the related lectures, but the weakness of these lists is that they are very general. During the course of the term, instructors typically suggest specific readings within or in addition to those published in the module descriptions. Some instructors provide detailed reading lists at or even before the start of term. Other instructors list readings on handouts given out in lecture, which may not be available in advance except by prior arrangement. Individual instructors choose whether or not to identify a few specific readings for all students in advance of lectures. Where not identified for all students, advance readings can be identified for specific students on a case by case basis (where this is recommended by a needs assessment).

5.2.4. PrioritizingReading lists generally distinguish between core readings and supplementary ones, with the expectation that students should focus first on core readings before delving into a selection of secondary readings. The indicative reading lists given in module descriptions make this distinction, and the library stocks books in different numbers based on the module descriptions.

The School’s marking criteria state that a first class piece of work must show evidence of independent learning. Reading lists for specific lectures often list more supplementary readings than most students will be able to do, and students are also expected to be able to identify further relevant readings on their own (e.g. by following up referenced papers, or searching online databases of journal articles). Thus, the ability to prioritize potential readings is an important skill that students are expected to develop. This skill is assessed indirectly, by how well students do overall in their written assessments (including essays, practical reports, and essay exams).

There is a trade-off between time spent practising prioritizing skills and time spent learning the target material itself. Generally, prioritizing various supplementary readings will be more difficult when the speed of information access is slow, because it will take students longer to evaluate each potential reading (e.g. by skimming abstracts, or whatever). This will be the case for some students using paper-based readings (e.g. dyslexic students), and also for students using alternative formats. Such students might benefit from more specific advice on reading priorities.

5.2.5. Online materialsStudents access a variety of reading materials online, including databases of published research, online journal articles, library information, course handouts and lecture slides, and email. Standard computers can be hard to operate for people with limited manual dexterity or limited vision. The Disability & Dyslexia Service is very helpful in identifying and obtaining hardware and software relevant to particular disabilities, which is often installed on the student’s own laptop. We have sometimes installed special software on some of the computers in the undergraduate computing lab, e.g. using non-standard screen settings to obtain large print.

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5.2.6. Lecture materialsMany lectures are accompanied by electronic notes of some sort, according to the judgment of the instructor. Material might include copies of lecture slides, an outline of the lecture, key points and diagrams, detailed lecture notes, or some combination of these.

Like other readings, lecture materials must sometimes be provided in alternative formats. In practical terms, this often just means providing the student with an electronic version (which could be viewed at different levels of magnification, or read aloud by text-to-speech software, etc.). Lecture materials are routinely made available on the web via Learning Central, in advance of the lecture when possible.

Visual material (pictures, graphs, tables) is sometimes harder than straight text to convert to useful alternative formats. The “Core Graphics Pack: Psychology” (available from the School’s Disability Contact, Todd Bailey) has tactile versions of some key psychology diagrams, along with textual and Braille descriptions. Tactile versions of diagrams can be created if necessary (though with a longer lead time). The School’s Disability Contact liaises with instructors and with the Dyslexia and Disability Service to arrange for content to be converted to alternative formats as appropriate for particular students.

Lecture materials are sometimes not available in advance. The specific content of lectures often changes from year to year, for a variety of reasons (changes in the curriculum, changes in lecturing staff, new developments in psychology, changes in teaching strategy based on critical reflection, etc.). Specific readings can sometimes be an appropriate substitute when lecture materials cannot be made available in advance (e.g. to identify key concepts and vocabulary).

5.3. Academic tutorialsStudents in Years 1 and 2 attend weekly small-group tutorials, covering topics related to lectures as well as feedback on coursework.

Year 1 tutorials usually take place in seminar rooms in the Psychology building, which are reasonably accessible. Some tutorials take place in the student’s Personal Tutor’s office (see below).

Year 2 tutorials usually take place in the tutor’s office.

Most tutors are located in the Psychology building, which is reasonably accessible. A few tutors have offices in other buildings. Some of these offices may be difficult to reach for students with mobility impairments. If there is a difficulty for a particular student in getting to the tutor’s office, alternative arrangements are made (e.g. the student might be assigned a different tutor, or tutorials might be held in a more accessible room).

Most staff offices in the Psychology building are very easy to find, since offices are just numbered down the single corridor on each floor. For example, room 7.10 will be on the 7th floor.

Deaf students might need to use a portable radio aid and microphone to amplify sound.

Flexibility. Students are ordinarily required to attend tutorials. However, this requirement might be waived where a reasonable justification exists (e.g. perhaps a student with a social phobia). Decisions about reasonable justification would normally be made by a student’s personal tutor in consultation with the Board of Studies and the Disability & Dyslexia Service.

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5.4. LecturesLectures support students in learning from their reading and their practical experiences. The focus of lectures changes across the three years of the degree programme, as stated in the School’s Teaching, Learning and Assessment Policy. Level 4 lectures (autumn of Year 1) supply a framework and structure from which students can guide their studies. Level 5 lectures (through Year 2) encourage students to question the process by which specific knowledge arose, and what research needs to be done in the future. Level 6 lectures (Final Year) highlight what is not known as well as what is, and devote more time to discussion and questioning.

Lectures are multimodal in the sense that they typically involve auditory information and visual information simultaneously. Sources of relevant auditory information include the lecturer, other students (asking questions or participating in discussion), and possibly recorded lecture material or sound demonstrations. Sources of relevant visual information include anyone speaking to the class, whether lecturer or student, lecture slides or other visual presentation, and possibly lecture materials that have been made available in advance on Learning Central.

Lecturers will ordinarily be informed ahead of time about students in their class with a declared disability that might interfere with the student’s ability to follow a lecture (e.g. a hearing or visual impairment).

A deaf student might ask a lecturer to wear a mic for their own portable hearing aid system.

Students are sometimes advised that they might benefit by tape-recording lectures. Although we are sceptical about the value (or indeed, the intelligibility) of recordings obtained by placing an audio recorder at the front of a classroom, the School’s policy is to cooperate when this has been recommended by the Dyslexia and Disability Service. In that case, the student is advised to approach individual instructors and ask their permission (the School would normally advise the relevant instructors ahead of time, as well).

The Dyslexia and Disability Service arranges note-takers or translators for students where necessary.

Induction loops. Most lecture theatres in the University have an induction loop system that helps deaf people who use a hearing aid or loop listener hear sounds more clearly. These systems have a mic located on a wall or ceiling. The sound signal from the mic is amplified and sent through a cable that loops around the room. The loop produces a magnetic field, and a hearing aid switched to the ‘T’ setting will pick up it up. This will reproduce the original sound for the listener, but with background noise greatly reduced. More information on induction loops can be found on the RNID fact sheet at http://snipurl.com/qj35 .

Lecture recordings.Most lectures are recorded and made available to students online to support learning. These recordings can be an important aid to learning for all students, and may be particularly important for students with certain disabilities or for students who unavoidably miss a lecture.

Students who ask questions during a lecture are welcome to ask that their contribution be removed from the recording.

Lecture recordings are for use by students on the course, for course-related learning. Students do not have the right to edit or distribute lecture recordings.

Students are advised that a lecture is an introduction to a topic, and should not be taken as a definitive statement. Moreover, a lecture recording may contain accidental mistakes.

Lecture recordings usually capture lecture slides and accompanying audio (i.e. the spoken

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lecture). Lecture participants are generally not captured on film.

Slides.Lecture slides are ordinarily available online 24 hours or more in advance of lectures, though they are occasionally not available until some time after the lecture is delivered.

Handouts. Handouts are not usually provided within lectures, but may be made available online along with lecture slides. The type of information provided on handouts for lectures varies widely depending on the module and the instructor (e.g. nothing, copies of slides, key points and diagrams, detailed lecture notes, or some combination of these). Accessibility issues related to lecture materials are discussed above in the section on the Curriculum.

Lecture notes. Instructors have freedom over the content and format of their lectures, including the potential to conduct spontaneous or interactive sessions. Lectures do not necessarily follow a rigid plan fixed in advance, and lecturers do not necessarily prepare or follow detailed written notes.

We often receive requests from the Dyslexia and Disability Service to provide “lecture notes” in advance to specific students who are likely to have difficulty processing or remembering interactive audio-visual information from lectures (e.g. dyslexic students and others might take longer than other students to read what’s on slides during a lecture; a deaf student and an interpreter might need to agree in advance on appropriate signs for technical vocabulary). Usually, what is required is for at least the main issues and specialized vocabulary to be identified in advance. Often, a specific advance reading will suffice. Lecturers are not expected to prepare bespoke detailed notes.

Flexibility. Attendance at lectures is not an aim in and of itself, and is not monitored. Although lecture content is relevant to assessments (coursework as well as exams), in most cases the assessed portion of lecture content will be a subset of the relevant content from recommended readings and lecture materials. In this sense, lectures support the readings. If a particular lecture covers material not in the recommended readings, and if the lecture itself cannot be made accessible to a particular student (e.g. through a lecture recording, or by providing a note-taker, or a translator, etc.), alternative arrangements can usually be made (e.g. by identifying a suitable set of readings, or providing a personal tutorial).

5.5. Research practicalsStudents in Years 1 and 2 participate in research practicals, where they are introduced to classic psychology experiments, collect data from each other, then analyze and write up their own results in a report in the style of a journal article. Year 2 practicals often require students to design their own study.

Practicals typically involve group work, listening and viewing slides (simultaneously), computer work, and report writing.

Flexibility. Potentially a student could be allowed to work alone if necessary.

5.6. Computing practicalsStudents in Years 1 and 2 ordinarily attend weekly computing practicals in autumn semester as part of the Research Methods and Statistics modules. These practicals cover statistical analysis using IBM SPSS Statistics, along with supporting use of MS Excel and MS Word. Issues of manual dexterity and visual perception are salient, but these have been discussed above.

Flexibility. Whilst attendance at these practicals is ordinarily expected, the demonstrations

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and practice sessions are supported by appropriate readings and by handouts. Students may prefer to work independently with a textbook and their own computer configured with IBM SPSS Statistics and MS Office, and raise questions for the instructor outside of class as required.

5.7. Research participationAll single honours students in the School of Psychology are required to participate in the experimental work of the School. Students in Years 1 and 2 must complete 25 hours each year as human participants in the research conducted within the School. The allocation of hours across semesters can vary somewhat from year to year. In 2015-2016, students were required to do 10 participation hours in semester 1 and 15 in semester 2.

Participation gives students insight into the wide range of current academic research projects being run in the School. As participants, students become familiar with procedures used in real research and with the role of the research participant. This familiarity will prove valuable to students in their own research, both in practicals and final year projects.

Acting as a research participant provides a simple and efficient means of facilitating human research in the School. This integration of educational and research aims supports the School by helping to maintain its standing as a centre of research excellence. The School has attained the highest research rating in all previous research assessments, and students have played an important role in this achievement.

Perhaps most importantly for students, final year students are able to use the participant panel to secure participants for their own research projects.

Flexibility. Although it is usually up to students to sign up for studies at their convenience, if a student’s disability or other circumstances justify it, staff can help to arrange participation in studies that are best suited to the circumstances. Where research participation is impractical (e.g. if a mobility impairment makes it difficult for a student to efficiently navigate to research labs; if a perceptual impairment makes participation difficult; etc.), students can potentially be assigned essay topics relevant to Research Methods as an alternative to research participation.

5.8. Professional placementThere is an option for students to undertake a year’s Professional Placement as part of their degree course.

Students with a disability should seek advice from the Disability & Dyslexia Service when considering potential placements. Disability issues that arise on placement can differ from the issues that are relevant to academic study. Placements outside the UK may not offer the same level of support.

In any event, the student would be encouraged to disclose their disability to the placement organisation during the application process. Whilst the primary responsibility for making suitable adjustments for the placement period lies with the placement organisation, the School has many long-established contacts and good working relationships with placement organisations, enabling confidential discussion of an individual student's requirements. The University would also have a responsibility to ensure that no student who wished to undertake a placement was discriminated against or unnecessarily disadvantaged.

Students can also find further advice on Career Central at https://careercentral.cardiff.ac.uk/topics/you/for-students-with-disabilities/ (university login and password required).

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5.9. Project supervisionFinal year students consult with a project supervisor at all stages of their research project.

Supervisory meetings usually take place in the supervisor’s office, but if there is a difficulty for a particular student in getting to the supervisor’s office, a more accessible location can be agreed. Most supervisors are located in the Psychology building, which is reasonably accessible. A few supervisors might have offices in other buildings (e.g. CUBRIC or 63 Park Place, etc.).

Most staff offices in the Psychology building are very easy to find, since offices are just numbered down the single corridor on each floor. Whatever location is agreed for supervisory meetings, if it is hard to find, the supervisor can provide directions. These can be crucial for blind (or partially-sighted) students who will not be able to follow visual signage.

Deaf students might need to use a portable radio aid and microphone to amplify their supervisor’s voice. In that case, students might want to remind supervisors to take care not to turn away from the microphone or cover their mouths with their hands while talking.

5.10. Course-specific softwareMS Office. Coursework must generally be submitted electronically in the form of an MS Word document. MS Excel is generally used for graphing statistical results, and may also be used to organise data from experiments or for some simple analyses. MS Powerpoint is generally used for presentations that students may do in the context of tutorials as well as for the final year research project.

IBM SPSS Statistics is used for analyses in the Year 1 and Year 2 statistics courses, for research practicals, and often for the final year research project.

Final year research projects often use other software packages to present stimuli or collect data. These include MediaLab and DirectRT, among others, depending on the needs of the student’s project.

5.11. Indicative calendar and timetablesUndergraduate teaching begins in late September, as illustrated in the indicative calendar below. There are 11 weeks of teaching in each semester, followed by a revision week with no time-tabled teaching. Exams are spread across several weeks. The resit period in August provides an opportunity for missed or failed exams to be recovered before the start of the next session.

Semester Indicative Dates1 Duration ActivityAutumn 23 Sep 1 week Enrolment and induction2

30 Sep – 13 Dec 11 weeks

Teaching

16 Dec – 5 Jan 3 weeks Vacation6 Jan – 10 Jan 1 week Revision3

13 Jan – 24 Jan 2 weeks ExamsSpring 27 Jan – 11 April 11

weeksTeaching

14 Apr – 4 May 3 weeks Vacation4

5 May – 9 May 1 week Revision3

12 May – 14 Jun 5 weeks Exams

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15 Jun – 10 Aug Vacation11 Aug – 22 Aug 2 weeks Resit exams5

Notes: 1Dates are indicative only, and will vary from year to year. 2Induction applies to Year 1 undergraduates only. 3There is no time-tabled teaching during revision weeks. 4Spring vacation tracks Easter, and usually imposes a gap in the middle of spring semester teaching. 5Students who have passed all modules are not involved in resits.

Teaching sessions take place on week days (Monday to Friday), usually between 10.00am and 4.00pm, with a few beginning as early as 9am or ending as late as 5pm. Wednesday afternoon is reserved for students’ extra-curricular activities.

There are about 10-12 hours of scheduled teaching each week. Year 1 and Year 2 students complete an additional 25 hours of research participation across each year, by appointment. In addition to formal classes and research participation, students study and complete coursework assignments in their own time. In total, an average student should normally plan to spend about 40 hours per week on their studies.

The timetable changes from one year to the next, and also from one student to another. The indicative timetables below illustrate what a representative timetable could look like for an individual student during each semester of Years 1, 2 and 3. In addition, students on the Professional Placement programme would have a placement year sandwiched between Year 2 and the Final Year.

5.11.1. Sample timetable—Year 1 autumnTime MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY* THURSDAY FRIDAY

9.00

10.00PG TutorialWks 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11

PS1016 Introduction to Psychology

PS1015 Practical Psychology (Research Design)

PS1016 Introduction to PsychologyWks 10,11

11.10 PS1015 Practical Psychology (stats)

PS1014 Psychological Research

PS1014 Psychological Research

12.10PS1016 Introduction to Psychology

Personal / Academic Tutorial

Wks: 5, 8, 10, 11

Visiting Speaker (Optional)

Level 4 Exam & Exit Talk

Wk 10

1.10

2.10PS1015 Practical Psychology (Stats)

Practicals3.10 GTA Seminars

Wks 3-10

PS1015 Practical Psychology (Computing)

4.10

5.10

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5.11.2. Sample timetable—Year 1 spring Time MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY* THURSDAY FRIDAY

9.00

10.00PS2020 Language & Memory

PS2020 Language & Memory

PS2016 Social Psychology I

11.10 PS2017 Biological Psychology Practicals

Wks: 1,4,7

PS2017 Biological Psychology

12.10 PS2016 Social Psychology I

Personal Tutorial

Wks: 3, 11

Exit Talk

Wk 10

1.10

2.10 GTA SeminarsWks 2-10

3.10

4.10PG TutorialWks 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10

5.10

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5.11.3. Sample timetable—Year 2 autumnTime MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY* THURSDAY FRIDAY

9.00

10.00 PS2007 Social Psychology II

PS2019 Research Design, Statistics & Computing

PS2019 Research Design, Statistics & Computing

PS2011 Developmental Psychology

PS2019 Research Design, Statistics & Computing

11.10Academic Tutorial

Wks 7-11

PS2011 Developmental Psychology

PS2007 Social Psychology II

12.10 PracticalsWks 7-11

Visiting Speaker LT2 (Optional)

Academic Tutorial

Wks 2-6

1.10 CareersWks 4 – 8(Optional)

2.10PS2019 Research Design, Statistics & Computing

Placement IntroWk 2 (Optional)SPRint talkWk 8 (Optional)

3.10 Personal TutorialWks 1, 11

4.10 PracticalsWks 2-6

5.10

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5.11.4. Sample timetable—Year 2 springTime MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY* THURSDAY FRIDAY

9.00

10.00Academic Tutorial

Wks 2-6

PS2022 Thinking & consciousness in humans and machines

PS2021 Perception, Attention and Action

11.10Academic Tutorial

Wks 7-11

Personal TutorialWks 2 & 10

12.10 Visiting Speaker (Optional)

1.10 PracticalsWks 2-6

Exit TalkWk 8

2.10PS2022 Thinking & consciousness in humans and machines

3.10PS2021 Perception, Attention and Action

PracticalsWks 7-11

Project talk or placement briefingWk 8

4.10

5.10

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5.11.5. Sample timetable—Final Year autumnTime MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY* THURSDAY FRIDAY

9.00 PS3201 AnimalLearning &CognitionWks 1-4, 6-1010.00 PS3417 The

Development of Psychopathology & Criminality

PS3418 Attitudes & Attitude Change

PS3417 The Development of Psychopathology & Criminality11.10

Participant Panel Introductory TalkWk 3

12.10Research Skills ClinicWk 4

1.10

2.10PS3418 Attitudes & Attitude Change

PS3202 Neuroscience of learning & memory

Personal TutorialWks 1 & 11

3.10 Place’t f’back (Wk 2) Present

poster (Wk 3)4.10

5.10

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5.11.6. Sample timetable—Final Year springTime MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY* THURSDAY FRIDAY

9.00 PS3208 Memory Processes & Memory Disorders10.00

Personal Tutorial

Wks 3 & 11 PS3209 Structural & Functional Neuroimaging

PS3313* Speech Communication

11.10PS3314 Vision & Action

12.10Degree exit seminar

Wk 10

1.10

2.10PS3314 Vision & Action (Workshops)Wks 1-3 & 5-10

3.10 PS3000 Project PresentationWk 6 or 7

4.10

PS3314 Vision & Action (Journal Club)Wks 2, 3, 6, 7, 9 &10

PS3313 Speech Communication(Discussion forums)

5.10

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6. Assessment and feedbackAssessment ordinarily takes the form of either written coursework or written examinations. See the Teaching, Learning and Assessment Policy for a description and rationale of assessment in the various years of the degree programme.

The School’s assessment policy on written expression is:Students are expected to achieve learning outcomes related to accuracy and correctness of written language independent of the content of written work. However, it is not essential that they demonstrate skills relating to accuracy and correctness of written language under examination conditions.

6.1. CourseworkCoursework primarily takes the form of written essays, practical reports, and (in Final Year) a project report. In Years 1 and 2, essays and practical reports provide an opportunity for students to put their knowledge to practice and to receive feedback. These contribute only a modest percentage to module marks. There are also critical reviews, computing assignments and statistics assignments. The final year research project is considered separately below.

All students are expected to produce coursework to a high standard of written language (English or Welsh), with appropriate support as necessary for disabled students. This policy helps students develop effective strategies for producing written language to a high standard regardless of any disability they might have, and also allows our students to tell potential employers that their university marks reflect what they can actually do with appropriate support, since the marks are not inflated by markers making allowances. If students have concerns about the level of support they receive, or if they feel they are nevertheless at a disadvantage, they are advised to consult the School’s Disability Contact or the Disability and Dyslexia Service for further advice.

Flexibility. Students who have trouble using ordinary computers can often complete their written coursework on their own laptops, equipped with special software and/or hardware. Other students may require the aid of a typist. Adjustments of this sort are typically arranged through the Disability and Dyslexia Service. There are also a number of specially accessible computers in the library equipped with special hardware and/or software to accommodate various disabilities that ordinarily make it difficult to use a computer.

Alternative coursework formats can be arranged where justified. Deadlines for coursework can be extended where this is a reasonable adjustment, though moving one deadline usually impacts on the time available for the next piece of coursework. Requests for extensions should be made to the nominated officer of the School’s Examining Board.

For coursework, the School has an optional cover sheet that deaf or dyslexic students may choose to attach to their assignments (after their need is established via the Disability and Dyslexia Service). The cover sheet calls the marker’s attention to the fact that the piece of coursework comes from a student with a disability that affects the ability to produce written language, so that the marker is better able to give appropriate feedback. However, the same standards are expected for all students, and clarity of written expression is a learning outcome that all students are expected to achieve. Students have numerous opportunities to practice these skills, and markers provide feedback on the form (organisation, style, grammar, spelling, etc.) as well as the content of students’ coursework. The presence of the cover sheet has no effect on the mark assigned to the work – its purpose is solely to inform feedback.

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6.2. Research projectFinal year students design and conduct a research project, resulting in a written report in the style of a journal article. Issues of reading speed may be relevant, and possibly writing and/or typing speed.

Flexibility. Much flexibility is already built into the research project, since the project topic is negotiated between the student and the supervisor. Additional flexibility can be offered by providing assistance with accessing readings, in taking notes, or typing up the report, etc., as necessary. Also, the deadline can be altered in cases where it is appropriate to allow additional time to complete the project.

We do not anticipate any circumstances under which an alternative to a written report would be appropriate.

6.3. ExaminationsA large proportion of the assessment is carried out via unseen written examination, including various combinations of multiple choice questions, short answer questions, and essay questions. The emphasis on written exams is documented in the Teaching, Learning and Assessment Policy which is included in Student Handbooks.

Accuracy and correctness of written expression is not assessed via examination. Assessment criteria for examinations refer to knowledge, understanding, evidence of reading and study, and so forth. Minor errors of spelling and grammar are discounted (though errors that render the content ambiguous or incorrect are not).

Flexibility. There is flexibility in terms of location, timing and format of exams. For example, students with particular needs often take exams in an alternative venue; some students require rest breaks during an exam, or extra time to complete an exam; exams can be postponed from one exam period to a later one; an exam could be divided into smaller units to be taken at different times; a reader/scribe can be provided to read out questions and write down answers; and so on.

A needs assessment may recommend flagging a particular student’s work for markers to identify the work as being from a student with a disability that affects the production of written language (e.g. dyslexia or deafness). Exam scripts are flagged where appropriate by by the student, using a sticker provided by Registry, before the scripts are passed to the School for marking (subject to the wishes of the student, and without disclosing the student’s identity to markers). Instructions circulated with the scripts remind markers to discount minor errors of spelling and grammar on flagged scripts (though errors that render the content ambiguous or incorrect are not to be ignored). Markers should be discounting minor errors of spelling and grammar on all scripts anyway, since accuracy and correctness of written expression is not intended to be assessed by exams, but flagging may serve as a useful reminder to markers and ensure that those students are not disadvantaged.

Limits of flexibility. In general, alternative methods of assessment must have the same levels of validity and reliability as the standard forms of assessment, and must assess the same learning outcomes. The School believes that oral examinations do not generally meet these criteria, and are therefore not appropriate substitutes for written examinations.

The School will not substitute coursework for examinations because there is no way to verify that work done outside is that of the student submitting it.

6.4. Extenuating circumstancesInevitably students sometimes experience personal circumstances that impact on their

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studies. Such extenuating circumstances should be reported as soon as possible and before the deadline published by the School. Forms for reporting extenuating circumstances can be found on Learning Central. General information about extenuating circumstances can be found at:

http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/regis/sfs/studentcases/extenuatingcircumstances.html

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