Memory Aids as Accommodations
What is a memory aid or “cue sheet?”
A memory aid, or cue sheet, is a testing accommodation used to support students who have a well-documented disability that specifically impacts their memory. It is a tool used to trigger information that a student has studied but may have difficulty recalling due to cognitive processing deficits associated with memory and recall. The cue sheet allows the student to demonstrate knowledge of course material by helping prompt the student’s memory, not by providing the answer. It does not replace the need to study or master a learning outcome.
What does a memory aid / cue sheet look like?
Styles of memory aids may vary. Generally, they can be written or typed in a standard-sized font (11-12) on a large index card, or up to one side of an 8 ½” x 11” sheet of paper.
At the discretion of the instructor, a memory aid/cue sheet could potentially contain acronyms/mnemonic devices, short phrases, pictures, schematic diagrams, formulas, definitions, tables, key terms, or words charts.
A cue sheet is not meant to record all the information or processes being tested. This means that a cue sheet should generally NOT:
- Exceed one page (single sided)
- Include specific examples of how formulas are used
- Include full course notes or all information that is being evaluated on the test/exam
- Serve as a substitute for studying (because a proper cue sheet will not help if a student has not studied the material)
Instructor considerations
This accommodation is not intended to reduce academic requirements or alter the standards by which academic performance is assessed. If a faculty member is concerned this accommodation is unreasonable because it will lower standards or compromise an essential learning outcome, these concerns should be addressed to DAR upon receiving the student’s “Disability accommodation notification” email. The determination that an accommodation is unreasonable is an institutional decision that should be made within legal parameters and in consultation with DAR.
The contents of a cue sheet are at the instructor’s discretion and should not run contrary to the essential requirements of the course. It is essential to consider whether the course’s learning outcome is for students to memorize or apply the material. It is possible that the use of a memory aid will be appropriate for some exams and not others, even within the same course. There are some courses that do not lend themselves to the use of cue sheets.
Cue sheets should be reviewed and approved by the instructor prior to the exam. Instructors may remove memory triggers that are deemed to compromise essential learning objectives for the course. For example:
- If one of the learning objectives is to recall a formula from memory, the formula should not be allowed on the cue sheet; however, if the learning objective is to demonstrate the ability to apply the formula, then it could be allowed on the cue sheet.
- If the purpose of a test is to determine whether the student can define certain terms, having the definitions of those terms on a cue sheet would make it an “answer sheet” and therefore not acceptable (but including the terms alone may be allowable).
Process
- Once a student has been approved for a memory aid by DAR, the accommodation will be included on the student’s accommodation letter for the course.
- The instructor emails or meets with the student to provide general guidance regarding the content that may be allowable on a cue sheet for this particular course or a specific exam.
- For each exam, the student may prepare a cue sheet that is no larger than a single-sided 8.5” x 11” page, written by hand or using a standard-sized font (11-12). A double-sided index card may be used instead. Please note: A student with a visual impairment may need a larger cue sheet with the same number of characters in a larger font.
- The student provides the cue sheet to the instructor for editing and final approval at least 2 business days prior to the test/exam.
- Instructor reviews the cue sheet and removes or redacts information that is not allowable, according to the criteria discussed above. Instructor returns the edited/approved cue sheet to the student at least one day prior to the exam.
- Once the student completes the exam, both the test and the cue sheet are returned to the instructor.