Granting Extended Time & Multiple Attempts
It is a campus goal and aspiration for most instructors to make UC Berkeley course materials broadly accessible, ensuring that all students can access and utilize course materials. The bCourses Ally tool helps instructors and students in this effort. However, there are special considerations and legal obligations for students with a Letter of Accommodation (LOA). Students with Letters of Accommodation from the Disabled Students’ Program (DSP) must have documented accommodations for all exams, quizzes, and assignments administered via bCourses. Several features in bCourses allow for these accommodations, which are described below.
If you have general questions about LOAs and accommodation requirements, review DSP’s Faculty Overview, FAQ for Faculty, and Resources for Faculty pages. For questions about how to apply accommodations listed in a specific student’s LOA, contact the student's DSP Specialist, listed at the bottom of the LOA.
This guide contains instructions for a few common scenarios but is not exhaustive. If you have specific questions about accommodations in bCourses, please contact bcourseshelp@berkeley.edu or schedule a 1:1 consultation.
Quizzes and Exams
Extended Time
One of the most common accommodations is extra time on quizzes and exams, usually described as getting "time and a half (150%)" or “double time (200%).” In bCourses, you can adjust the time on a quiz for a specific student by "moderating" it. Get step-by-step instructions on how to set up extended time in a quiz in the KB article: Student Accommodations for Quizzes & Assignments in bCourses.
Multiple or Additional Attempts
Another common accommodation is to support the requirements in a student’s LOA by providing multiple attempts on a quiz or exam or providing an additional attempt on a quiz or exam (e.g. if their extended time wasn’t appropriately added). Get step-by-step instructions on setting up additional quiz attempts in the KB article: Student Accommodations for Quizzes & Assignments in bCourses.
Assignments
Extending Deadlines
Another common accommodation is extended due dates on assignments. These accommodations are not standardized, and the instructor and GSIs are responsible for working with the student to determine an appropriate extension window. The extension length will vary by student and assignment. Get step-by-step instructions on how to extend deadlines for assignments in the KB article: Student Accommodations for Quizzes & Assignments in bCourses.
Please note: Groups should not be created to support students who need accommodations in bCourses. Groups in bCourses are for collaborative work, and therefore, all group members can see and interact with the other members of their group. It is not FERPA-compliant to create Groups where students can see other students placed in the group due to accommodation needs. Instead, consider creating a custom section and adding students who you want to assign extended time or additional attempts.