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Writing instructions
Using plain English when writing exam questions and assignment instructions will help all students to demonstrate their knowledge. They have a better chance of understanding what is required of them when the instructions are clear.
Students with learning disabilities such as dyslexia and cognitive processing difficulties as well as those with visual impairment may have trouble reading printed text.
Similarly, students who are not fluent in English may also struggle with understanding some of the written content, particularly if the writing is grammatically complex and packed with demanding vocabulary.
These same groups of students may also have difficulties in following the content of lectures, the progress of tutorials, and verbal instructions and questions.
You can help students with learning disabilities as well as students without disabilities to understand your lectures and tutorials by planning carefully, having clear objectives and using plain English to communicate your ideas, instructions and questions. Assessment questions are successful, not when they are particularly interesting or amusing, but when they elicit the kinds of response desired in relation to the aims of the unit.
Ask yourself, are you testing their ability to understand complex questions or to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding?
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