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Student-Specific Accommodations - Lessons & Assignments Platform

Written by Neta Raz Studnitski

Providing accommodations for students with differing needs is top of mind at Threads & Themes. While some accessibility tools - such as Line Reader or video closed captions - are available to all students across all assignments, student-specific accommodations require teachers to grant them to individual students at the global level, i.e. setting up the student-specific accommodation once and have it applied on every assignment.

Available accommodations:

  • Text to Speech

  • Time Limit Extension

  • Answer Choices Reduction

  • Translation

  • High Contrast

  • Masking

Set a Global Student-Specific Accommodation

  1. Access your Classes tab

  2. Click on the title of the class the student is a member of, to open the Student Management page

  3. Click the eye icon next to Accommodations

  4. Next to the student's name, click on the blue highlighted status (this can read "None" or showcase previously set accommodations)

  5. In the pop-up window, toggle on the desired accommodation and adjust settings if needed

  6. Select Update to confirm

If you need to set up the same accommodation for multiple students, you can take this action in bulk:

  1. From the same Student Management page - check mark the boxes next to all the students you'd like to set up the accommodation for

  2. Choose Set Accommodations from the menu at the bottom of the screen

  3. In the pop-up window, toggle-on the desired accommodation and adjust settings if needed

  4. Select Update to confirm

Once accommodations has been set for students, the status under Accommodations will change to include the selected ones on a regular basis.

To remove a global student-specific accommodation:

  1. Follow the same steps listed above

  2. Un-toggle the accommodation(s) you'd like to remove

  3. Select Update to confirm

NOTE:

Accommodations are set globally at the student level. This means that once accommodations have been set for a student, they will apply for that student across the board: on all assignments and in all Threads & Themes classes!
If a teacher changes or removes an accommodation from the 'classes' tab - it will effect the student's accommodations for all classes and other teachers as well.

Expand the sections below to learn more about each Accommodation.

Text to Speech

Once set up, the Text to Speech accommodation will go into effect whenever an assignment is assigned to the student with the accommodation. The student with the accommodation will have access to the Text to Speech play icon on all items* that support the feature.

*Text to Speech Compatible Items:

  1. Question prompts in all question types
    ​

  2. Answer choices for the following question types only:
    * Categorize
    * Drag & Drop
    * Dropdown
    * Match Table Grid (column & row headers)
    * Matching
    * Multiple Choice
    * Multiple Selection
    * True/False
    ​

  3. Student's Response to Free Response questions
    ​

  4. Hints

Text to Speech can pick up and read aloud the following elements:

  1. Text input

  2. Math input (typed in or entered using the in-app math keyboard)

  3. Hyperlink Text

  4. LaTex

  5. Subscripts and Superscripts

Note: Files such as PDF or Image, Video, Emoji, or embedded content are incompatible with Text to Speech.
​

🙋🏽 What happens if my assingment has items that are incompatible with Text to Speech?

Items that are incompatible with Text to Speech will not have the play icon next to them. These items will require a different method to read aloud such as the teacher recording themselves reading, or an aid reading to the student in real-time.

When assigning to a class that has students with a Text to Speech accommodation, a message will pop-up prompting you to re-check the assignment for compatibility with the Text to Speech feature.​

The Student's View

When students with a Text to Speech accommodation in place open an assignment, they will see the menu of Global Learning Tools on the right side of their screen, and the Text-to-speech icon will appear within this menu.

Students will click the Text-to-speech icon to turn the capability on, and expand the Text to Speech control bar. Then they will proceed to click on the text they wish to have read out loud. The reader will be able to read aloud all text items that are compatible.

When the reader is on, students will be able to use the Text to Speech control bar to pause and unpause, as well as stop the reader on the go.

To adjust the speed of the reader, students will clicking the speed adjustment button within the control bar and select their preferred speed from the dropdown.
​

Time Limit Extension

Once set up, the Time Limit Extension accommodation will go into effect whenever an assignment with a time limit is assigned to the student. The student will see only the corrected time limit when opening the assignment.

When toggling on a Time Limit Extension, teachers can choose between x1.5, x2, or set up a custom time limit extension (at 0.25 intervals). Teachers can adjust the extension at any time!

Note: a Time Limit must be set on the assignment FIRST for the students' Time Limit Extension accommodation to display.

Answer Choices Reduction

If enabled, students who have the Answer Choice Reduction accommodation will have an answer choice removed from any Multiple Choice / Multiple Selection question types on assignments that are assigned to them.

By default, only questions with 3 or more original incorrect answer choices will be effected by this accommodation, and the answer choice removed will be the first incorrect answer choice to appear on the list. If you wish to have a specific answer choice removed, please ensure your answer choices are ordered accordingly.

Translation

Teachers can provide a Translations accommodation to students both at the global level - setting up the accommodation once and have it applied thereafter for every assignment on which the Translator learning tool is enabled by the teacher; and at the assignment level - enabling translations for specific students on specific assignments only.

Once set up for a student globally, the Translations accommodation will go into effect whenever an assignment is assigned along with the Translator tool to the student, across all classes. The student with the accommodation will have access to the Translator's icon on all items* that support the feature, when opening the assignment.

If enabled at the assignment level, without setting a global accommodation, students will have access to the Translator tool only on that specific assignment.

*Translator can identify and translate all text within the assignment, including the following elements:

  1. Text input

  2. Math input (typed in or entered using the in-app math keyboard)

  3. Hyperlink Text

  4. Subscripts and Superscripts

Note: Files such as PDF, Image, Video, Emoji, or embedded content are incompatible with the Translator.

🙋🏽 What happens if my assignment has items that are incompatible with the Translator?

Items that are incompatible with the Translator will not be translated. These items will require a different method to get translated such as utilizing a 3rd party translation service outside of the Threads & Themes platform.

Assigning to students with Translator learning tool

Setting up the global accommodation on the student's account is only the first step. Setting the global accommodation will define what language the Translator will use, however teachers must also enable the Translator learning tool on the specific assignment they are assigning for students to be granted access to it.

Enable the Student Translator learning tool

  1. Select the class(es) to be assigned via the Assign button

  2. Access the Settings window (gear icon)

  3. Locate the Learning Tools row, and click into it

  4. Next, locate the Student Translator button within the list of learning tools, and toggle it ON

  5. Continue to select the rest of your preferred assign settings, and when ready click Assign

The Student Experience

When students with a Translations accommodation in place open an assignment that was assigned with the Student Translator learning tool enabled, they will see the menu of Global Learning Tools on the right side of their screen, and the Translator icon will appear within this menu.

Students will click the Translator icon, and then the button prompting them to switch to the language defined for them via the Translations accommodation. The assignment will be immediately translated.

To return to the assignment's original language, students will click the prompt to return to the original language, and the assignment will revert to the original.

High Contrast

If enabled, students who have the Color Contrast accommodation will have the ability to toggle between standard and high-contrast color themes while taking assignments and completing lessons. The tool improves accessibility for students with visual impairments or specific lighting needs.

Color Contrast selection made by the student on an assignment will be saved and persist across all other assignments the student will access - until changed by the student.

The Student's View

When students open an assignment they will see the menu of Global Learning Tools on the right side of their screen, and a Color Contrast icon will appear within it.

Clicking on the Color Contrast will open another menu, where students will be able to select between standard and high contrast.

Students will check mark their preferred option, and can then use the X at the top right corner of the menu or click the Color Contrast icon again to exit the menu.

Masking

If enabled, students with the Masking accommodation will have the ability to cover portions of the screen during a lesson or assignment, hiding distractions or non-essential content while they read a passage or work through an item.

This means students don't need to push through a cluttered or visually overwhelming page all at once - they can shield the parts they aren't using and keep their attention where it matters. They can hide a distracting block of text, reposition or resize a mask as they move down a passage, or layer it alongside the Line Reader for added focus, all without leaving the item they're working on.

The Student's View

When students with a Masking accommodation in place open an assignment, they will see the menu of Global Learning Tools on the right side of their screen, and a Focus Tools icon will appear within it.

Clicking on the Focus Tools will open another menu, where the Masking toggle button will be listed.

Students will toggle the Masking button ON to enable it, select Add new mask and click on the specific screen area where the masking pane will appear. Students will then proceed to re-size and drag the masking pane across their screen as needed.

Students can add multiple masking panes to cover multiple areas of their screen if needed.

FAQ & Troubleshooting

🙋🏽 A student's global accommodation doesn't apply to my assignment - what do I do?

If a student has an accommodation that doesn't apply to your assignment, you can disable it for the student at the assignment level, i.e. on any specific assignment you assign to the student, without affecting the accommodation on other assignments or classes. This can be achieved from the Assign Settings window, under: Student Management Settings > Accommodations (see full instructions below).


On your assignment's Assign Settings window, you will see the number of students with accommodations (in general) next to the Accommodations setting. Click on the carat to reveal the list of students along with their specific accommodations.

  1. Click the carat next to Accommodations to reveal the list of students and their accommodations (if applicable)

  2. Click the blue-highlighted accommodation status next to a student's name

  3. Toggle off the button next to the accommodation you'd like to disable on this assignment

  4. Click Update to save the changes for this specific assignment

🙋🏽‍♀️ Can I grant an accommodation to students without the global accommodation, for specific assignments only?

Yes! Teachers can grant a one-time, assignment-specific accommodation access to students even if they do not have a global accommodation set on their accounts.


When you access the assign settings window, you will see the number of students with accommodations (in general) next to the "Accommodations" setting. Click on the carat to reveal the list of students in your class. Students that have the global accommodation will be listed there along with their specific accommodations. You can add any accommodation to additional students at this time and they will have access to the accommodations your granted them for this assignment only.

  1. Click the carat next to Accommodations to reveal the list of students along with their respective global accommodations (if applicable)

  2. Click on the blue-highlighted accommodation status next to a student's name

  3. Toggle ON the desired accommodation for the student

  4. Click Update to save the changes for this specific assignment

  5. You can then proceed with assigning to the class

🙋🏽 The timer ran out while my student was recording audio/video responses and they failed to save

Since once the timer runs out the assignment automatically closes, any responses that are not fully added at that time will not be saved. This includes audio responses, video responses, or any other file uploads that have not yet finished to process and get added. Best practice would be to instruct your student to pay attention to the timer countdown and submit what they were able to record/upload a few seconds prior to the timer running out. You could re-open the assignment for the individual student after it closes to allow them to make changes and add any responses they didn't have time to complete.

🙋🏽‍♀️ I have a student with a Time Limit Extension who started the formative and needs to complete it at a different time - what do I do?

Assignments with a Time Limit can be paused both for the entire class, and for individual students. Please see our article on pausing assignments to learn how to pause the formative for your student(s)!

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