General informations

Partial performance forms a central basis for human intellectual development. Weaknesses in these areas can arise early on in development and have a negative impact on motor and language skills, as well as later academic performance. Such impairments can lead to specific learning disorders such as dyslexia or dyscalculia. Specific learning disabilities therefore represent a significant challenge in both school and university settings, as they make it difficult to acquire typical skills. It is important to note that they are not caused by a lack of intelligence or acquired brain damage.

The term “specific learning disabilities” refers to basic cultural skills such as reading, writing, and arithmetic, as well as the underlying processing processes between the sensory organs, brain, and motor skills. Typical signs include difficulties in recognizing or distinguishing between similar letters and numbers. This term should not be confused with the so-called partial performance in courses that include examinations.

Specific learning disabilities are not limited to childhood or school age, but can also persist into adulthood or reappear later in life. Their severity varies from person to person and is influenced by numerous factors, such as previous support or neglect, choice of subject, stressful situations such as exams, or external conditions such as font, language, or writing materials.

Regardless of terminological differences or educational approaches, specific learning disabilities are recognized as impairments at the international level, for example by the United Nations. It is therefore of central importance in the higher education context to take them into account in the interests of barrier-free and equitable teaching and to provide appropriate support measures.

What are the challenges of studying?

Depending on their type and severity, specific learning disabilities can pose various challenges in everyday student life. It is important to note that specific learning disabilities exist independently of the intelligence of the individuals affected. Therefore, in the interests of accessibility, it is necessary to provide alternative forms of knowledge transfer and performance assessment, for example, if writing and graphics are affected, in order to ensure equal learning and study opportunities.

Possible difficulties include:

  • Spelling and grammar mistakes, often unconsciously caused by uncertainty in written expression.
  • Unclear or incomplete text structure, especially in independently written work.
  • Omitting, swapping, adding, or replacing words, parts of words, or characters; confusion within sentences.
  • Hesitant reading or reading aloud, as well as slowed reading speed
  • Loss of reading position, blurring of text passages, lines, or characters
  • Difficulty understanding text, especially under time pressure or with complex content
  • Difficulty reproducing read content, recognizing connections, or drawing conclusions
  • Use of general knowledge instead of information actually contained in the text when answering questions
  • Understanding of mathematical processes, but inability to adequately reproduce this understanding in writing
  • Impaired coordination when performing simultaneous controlled movements (e.g., of both arms or legs)
  • Impairments in the perception and representation of drawings or graphic elements

 

How can the university provide support?

The following measures can be helpful in supporting students with specific learning disabilities:

During the course

  • Audio and video recordings of the courses for follow-up work
  • Provision of learning and teaching materials, ideally in advance
  • Customized layout of documents according to individual requirements (e.g., font, font size, line spacing)
  • Extension of deadlines for written assignments or projects
     

During exams

  • Extra time for written or digital exams (at least 25% to a maximum of 50% extra time)
  • (If possible) Combination of written and oral exams (two-channel principle): This allows for oral testing of subject knowledge in addition to written presentation
  • Allowance of technical aids (computers with spell checkers, read-aloud or dictation programs)
  • Clear structuring and formatting (short sentences, changes to font size, contrast, line spacing, etc.)
  • Spelling or grammatical errors should be disregarded when assessing performance

Working on the computer

  • Use of spell check and grammar check
  • Flexible adjustment of layout (e.g., font size, line spacing, background color)
  • Illegible handwriting is not an assessment criterion
  • Use of a calculator, possibly with limited functions for basic arithmetic operations
  • Use of individually preferred fonts or layouts
  • Use of dictionaries or assistance systems
  • Spelling and grammar errors are not included in the performance assessment unless they are relevant to the exam