|
Adjustment |
Barrier it addresses |
What the teacher does |
What to avoid |
|
Alternative to spontaneous verbal participation |
Being put on the spot triggers acute anxiety that blocks engagement |
Offer written or small-group alternatives to open discussion |
Cold-call without warning |
|
Recorded lectures |
Anxiety or a difficult day can make attending in person harder on a given occasion |
Make recordings available consistently, not only on request |
Treat recording access as a special, individually-negotiated favour |
|
Flexible deadlines |
High-stakes single deadlines increase pressure disproportionately |
Agree short, clear extensions in advance where needed |
Require a student to explain or justify their mental health in detail to get an extension |
|
Low-stakes formative options |
Single high-stakes assessment amplifies performance anxiety |
Build in ungraded or low-weight practice opportunities |
Rely solely on one high-stakes assessment point |
|
Permission to step out without penalty |
Acute anxiety can require a brief pause to regulate |
Allow a student to leave and return without explanation or penalty |
Question or comment on a student stepping out |
|
Clear expectations set early |
Ambiguity about what is required generates anticipatory anxiety before anything has gone wrong |
Publish marking criteria and participation expectations at the start of a module |
Leave expectations to be inferred over the course of the term |
|
Signposted support without required disclosure |
Students may need support without being ready to name a diagnosis |
Share how to access university counselling and wellbeing services as a routine part of induction |
Make signposting conditional on a student first disclosing a specific condition |
Adjustments should be offered as standard practice rather than something a student must request and justify each time — the burden of asking should not sit entirely with the student.