Speaker at the Annual Learning and Teaching Conference

Description of Activity

Presentation entitled: Inclusive, Not Compromised

Practical assessments such as OSCEs present particular challenges when considering reasonable adjustments — especially when clinical competence, safety, and timing are core to the assessment criteria. This interactive session explores the tension between inclusivity and assessment validity, drawing on emerging guidance developed within the Faculty of Science and Health in collaboration with Disability Services, academic staff, and professional services.

Using anonymised case-based scenarios, participants will discuss real-world examples of adjustment requests (e.g. extra time for time-limited OSCE stations), the rationale for accepting or declining such requests, and the alternative supports that may be more appropriate — such as preparatory skills sessions, simulation time, or scaffolding during formative assessment. We will reflect on the distinction between ‘levelling the playing field’ and unintentionally altering what the assessment is designed to measure.

The session shares key principles from recent guidance and a framework to support consistent and defensible decision-making. Participants will be encouraged to share their own challenges and consider how these approaches might translate into other disciplines with high-stakes practical or performance-based assessment. We will explore how policy, pedagogy, and inclusion intersect — and how academic and professional services can work together to navigate complexity.

The session is structured as a short overview followed by structured discussion in small groups, then plenary feedback.

Period	26 Jun 2025
Event title	Annual Learning and Teaching Conference: Teach Well, Consistently Well
Event type	Conference
Location	Portsmouth, United KingdomShow on map
Degree of Recognition	Local