Note from Arnold:

Hi Lilian,

Here is the sort piece you asked for reflecting some of my life experience at the uni. It is over 500 words, because I made it in like an essay format since I believe showing you a more detailed document is more beneficial than a short one(so it 2000 words). For instance, I have made sections on lectures, seminars and assessments, each detailing my experience through the years, highlighting adaptations made by the uni and current struggles during this pandemic. Plus, I wrote it without Grammarly, and I have not checked he grammar or anything. Since I want you and others who may read it to have a better picture. I can improve it if you want.

Best,

Arnold

(Headings below have been added to aid reading. No other edits have taken place as per Arnold’s wish to convey his dyslexia.)

University experience

This short piece of writing will be detailing my academic experience whist suffering from dyslexia has been during my time at university. Firstly, I will be detailing my experience of lectures, this will be detailing my experience since the first year of my undergraduate degree until present time. Therefore, highlighting how I have adapted and how the introduction of lecture recordings and captions have greatly improved my learning experience and possible might explain why my grades have improved. Moving on, to explaining my experience with seminars, in the same ontological fashion, detailing how my experience differs between the academic years and highlighting the learning issues experienced during the current online learning format. Following from this, a relativity small section on my personal experience of examinations and how organise material works for assessed essays. Concluding, that during my time at university, I had to personal learn and adapt to new learning styles in order to benefit from the teaching.

Note taking

During my time at university, my experience and ease of notetaking and understanding the content have improved. initially during my tenure, it was near impossible to utilise lecturers. For instance, during my first year, it was extremely difficult to take notes during face to face sessions, this caused me to rotate between using an iPad, written notes and using laptops. However, none of the forms I used was on any use since either the writing was unreadable or due to the problem with keeping pace with the lecturer, the notes were not understandable. Therefore, my first-year grades suffered immensely, especially when considering that I did not diagnosed with dyslexia until after Christmas in my first year, so I had no Student Support Plan. However, it is problematic to account all my shortcomings in the first year solely due to dyslexia. For example, first year is always difficult to adjust to the new learning environment and academic standard required of students and I had to facilitate my new learning commitments to my personal life of being a young carer.

How recordings help

Although, has expressed in the previous paragraph that it is problematic to account all shortcomings to dyslexia. However, once I received support to purchase Sonocent Audio Notetaker an application for computers and a portable voice recorder. These two pieces of learning adaptations allow the recording and transliterating of audio. My learning experience and academic grades starting to improve upon using these products. Because, they enabled me to study at my own pace, accumulate all the lecture in its entirety allowing me to complete insightful and comprehensible notes. Although these were beneficial to me, the university improved the learning experience. By introducing recorded lectures which allows them to be accessed at home, however when they were first introduced some/most lecturers opted out of this format due to unconvincing arguments. Although this was a slight problem during the 2019/20 year, during my initial second year until I took a year of absence due to mental breakdown. For instance, due to some problematic lecturers it made me to still attend face to face sessions during the peak of my illness which swayed my decision to take time off. This may be swaying from the topic of conversation; however, I believe that context is important to understand a more complete view of developments.

Moving on, I returned to university in 2019/20 academic year. By then the university introduced recorded lectures as a mandatory. This pleased me and increased my motivation for study, since it allowed me to attend live lectures without the stress of note taking or the quality of making my own recording. The implications of this can be argued to have improved my academic work and my interest in my degree. However, has noted previously with my caring issues and mental health, one can presume that both would negative affect on my education. Yes, they did, for 2019/20 year both were not stable and to include the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic did not help. The provision of a SSP allows for extensions on my work, which did benefit me to limited level. Allowing my personal obligations to steady themselves to a manageable level. However, the pandemic and the disaster that caused for everyone cannot be underestimated. Consequently, my grades were not brilliant but, I obtained 60.25 for that year and the York Leaders award. So, comparing it to my first year which I obtained a mark of 52, which didn’t have the learning experience, nor the provision of recorded lectures and other provisions such has SSP. It can be argued that during my return from L.O.A my grades improved due to the new provisions to my learning experience.

Seminars

Seminars just like my experiences with lectures have improved over time and with the provision of equipment. My experience with seminars before the provision of recording equipment were not useful and I found it hard to keep up with note taking. In addition , to the increased volume of reading required at university level, it was difficult to accommodate time and effort. However, I have since learned to not construct any notes for seminars or to answer the questions provided in preparation for the classes. This may look ill advertised and unproductive, however, I used the time to instead focus more on the reading and to make some notes upon the documents and to highlight important passages. So, the increased time committed to reading, increased my understanding and familiarity with the information which allowed to be proactive in the classes and to answer all the questions without written notes. Furthermore, by audio recording the seminars, it allows me to revisit the lesion and take detailed notes at a later stage. The benefits to this allow me to absorb more of the information in and after class, therefore increases my knowledge of the subject. By conducting my seminars through this way, it provides me with more information and confidence for assessments and allows me to be a proactive contributor to sessions.

Online seminar

However, it be uninformative if I did not mention my experience with online seminars. They have been to be honest, very useless. This is not the fault of anyone but the realities of pandemic life and online learning. The sessions have been reduced by thirty minutes, class discussions are less organised and participation by students are diminished. Therefore, I have not taken any notes thoughout the course of the pandemic and relied on my own ability and understand. Because, I have noticed that I am predominantly the main contributor to sessions and therefore, instead I just write up my answers thoughout the session.

Exams and assessments

Moving on, to mention examinations and assessed essays, these have improved over time and may be the only positive change in assessment during the pandemic. For instance, before the pandemic closed exams were taking in like a 2-hour format. This makes it extremely problematic to completed even with the additional time provided by the SSP. This is due to the amount of revision needed and to organise my thoughts correctly onto paper. Therefore, my exam results in my first year were dramatically lower than my exam results during the online open exams in the pandemic. The introduction of the online format, allows me to collect find the relevant articles, make notes and conduct proper research similar to that of an essay. The increased time provided allows for myself to have consistent breaks, therefore reducing stress levels and allowing me to understand the content of work better. My work in exams and my grades have improved, however since it is still an exam and don’t have the flexibilities of an assessed essays my grades due no match. However, this introduction is a welcomed one, it does increase the stress levels on the day and reduces my ability. Although, the benefit is increased absorption of the information and a more cocreate set of work. Furthermore, the online format allows me to use the application Grammarly which corrects grammar and other literature mistake. This application has been a life saver, I have used it in all my assed essays, day to day life and even have it on my phone. However, one my be right to question if I am not using this to write this document. If so, then you are correct, I chose not to use the application so the reader can directly see issues with grammar etc. Therefore, they can for their own analysis and interpretation whatever that may be.

Assessed essays

Lastly, and most shortly is my experience with assessed essays. These have remained the same format and experience thoughout my stay at the university. My grades have improved since my abilities, understanding and heath have improved. The introduction of exceptional circumstances by requesting more time to complete the work has benefited me and allowed me to complete the work to a decent standing thoughout my time at university. In this current year, I have only requested one provision of extra time since my health and my personal life is more stable than in previous years. Therefore, it is easy to link this to my performances in my work since the impact of my dyslexia is reduced. My preparation for assessed essays have changed since I first started. Formally I used to stick to one weeks leaning access on the VLE which matches the assessed question. Now, I use multiple weeks and are more confident to seek out sources by using the library and online formats. The method in which I construct an essay remains the same.

Writing essays

Firstly, I read online sources, or look in library. I then proceed to print of the relevant articles etc, this allows me to separate the articles in subsections on the floor. The purpose of this is to have specific articles for each section of the essay. The next step is to read the articles, one by one, highlighting and making some notes and write some passages on the laptop. After I read one article, I read another and then discard pages and so the notes include that are not relevant to the, arguments I am formulating in my head. This process repeats throughout my undertaking of each section of my assessed essay, creating smaller piles of hard copies, allowing me to map them on the floor, linking one article to another, one argument to another, one idea to another etc. After a period of time, I would have completed a first draft of my essay and then it is only forming and consolidating my work into proper arguments and making it a proper piece of academic work.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I have faced numerous struggles thoughout my stay at the university which have negativity affected my dyslexia in some form. However, with the increased easiness of online lectures in addition the provision of recording devices and my own adapting to new personal learning styles. My battle with dyslexia is turning into a positive victory, my grades now average above 67 and my confidence in writing and conducting work have improved. However, this year had been more precarious than anticipated due to the ongoing pandemic. Therefore, the teaching of seminars online and the lack of actually human interaction have increased my personal disruptions with dyslexia. Causing my to change how I prepare and contribute during seminar sessions, relaying evermore on my own abilities and only turning up to sessions just for attendance purposes. Since, I am predominantly the only contributor in a reduced learning environment due to teacher oversight, lack of student interaction and reduced time in sessions. Overall, my impression is that if the pandemic and online learning did not occur, I may stayed with my original preparations for seminars.

(words:2000)