For many teachers, coursework poses a difficult dilemma. You want to support your learners but have strict guidelines on exactly what support is allowed.

This balancing act can be even more tricky for learners who need extra help with writing.

If students are allowed to use word processors, DocsPlus is a fantastic tool for those who find the prospect of writing lengthy essays daunting. Plus, it can be used in Exam Mode to comply with any exam board requirements.*

In this blog, we’ll explore how DocsPlus can ensure students approach coursework with the tools they need to succeed.

*please always check exam board guidelines before using any assistive technology. 

Using DocsPlus tools to support writing

DocsPlus comes equipped with tools to support learners with longer pieces of writing.

Our speech feedback tool reads back learners’ work once any end of sentence punctuation is inputted. Students find that hearing their work read back encourages self-editing and proofreading as they can instantly hear errors read aloud.

We also have a talking Spell Check, which provides immediate spelling corrections, including phonetically plausible spelling suggestions.

Our Predictor tool is fantastic for learners who struggle with the notorious ‘blank page syndrome’. The tool uses open documents, WorkSpaces, and Wordbars to suggest appropriate and grammatically correct next words. This is a huge help for students with spelling and writing anxiety.

Lastly, we have our Voice Note tool. Learners can use the Voice Notes to capture ideas verbally in preparation for writing, or teachers can use the Voice Notes to add pointers and areas for improvement for learners to work on.

Personalising DocsPlus

For many learners, a coloured background or contrasting font can make all the difference. DocsPlus allows you to personalise the background of the screen and opens documents/PDFs/PowerPoints with the same colour. You can also choose the size, colour and font type. (We have a fantastic font designed to support learners with Dyslexia called ‘dyslexie’).

DocsPlus also allows you to use a voice that suits your learner. You can choose from child and adult voices, male and female, with a variety of accents. DocsPlus enables you to personalise the speed of the voice to allow learners with slow processing to tailor their experience and maximise their cognitive understanding.

Reviewing supporting documents

When producing coursework, students are typically allowed to use supporting documents or teacher PowerPoints to aid the production of their writing.

The DocReader is a built-in reader that enables students to utilise the speech feedback to listen to any documents/PDFs/PowerPoints as many times as they need. Students can choose to have the document read aloud in its entirety or simply select the words or paragraph they want to hear.

The DocReader also has a ‘split screen’ function which allows the student to have any document open alongside the word processor. This means the student can make notes as they read or record ideas using the keyboard or Voice Note tool.

Planning using WorkSpaces

Coursework requires careful planning and organisation. DocsPlus’ WorkSpaces are a fantastic resource that students can use to mind map, flow chart, and order and chunk writing into manageable and sensible plans.

Students can use premade WorkSpaces as templates to adapt or make their own from scratch to suit their bespoke needs. Tabs on the right-hand side offer students the opportunity to have one WorkSpace with multiple plans. Our ‘export’ feature means that students can also export their plans to the word processor as a diagram, text or Wordbar – removing that additional task of copying information from plans.

Editing, feedback, drafting

DocsPlus offers opportunities for students and teachers to provide and respond to feedback. With coursework, teachers are often limited to what feedback they can provide, but DocsPlus offers help with this.

Firstly, DocsPlus promotes self-editing and feedback; the built-in tools such as Spell Check, the Predictor and Voice Notes are all tools to aid this. For teachers, utilising the Voice Note feature to provide bespoke feedback is another option.

Teachers can also create bespoke WorkSpaces and Wordbars for students to work from (providing key vocabulary, key structural information and general content guidance) without directly informing or directing the writing process, allowing students to act autonomously.

Teachers can also use Analytics to check student work. This feature gives time stamps for time spent on the work; offers insight into what tools have been used, what WorkSpaces and Wordbars have been used, and helpfully, if any work has been copied and pasted from external sources.

To learn more about using DocsPlus for exams and coursework, you can read our blogs:

• How DocsPlus helps students tackle revision and exam stress
  
  
• How DocsPlus can support SENCos with the new JCQ updates
  
  
• Using DocsPlus as a computer reader: Essential exam setup tips