Viva-Altering Accommodations
Accommodations that change how vivas function for students, including timing adjustments, response format options, and recording controls.
Overview
Viva-altering accommodations modify the viva experience to support students with documented needs. Unlike visual or interface preferences (which students can set themselves), these accommodations require instructor configuration because they change how assessments function.
Important: Students cannot grant themselves extended time, re-recording, pause/resume, or text response options. These must be set by an instructor.
Per-Student vs Viva-Wide
VivaEdu offers two ways to configure viva-altering accommodations:
Per-Student (Permanent)
- Set in the student's profile
- Applies to ALL future viva sessions
- Follows the student across assignments
- Ideal for documented, ongoing needs
Viva-Wide (This Viva Only)
- Set in Step 5 of the assignment wizard
- Applies to ALL students on that viva
- Does not carry to other assignments
- Useful for practice vivas or flexibility
How they combine: Student-level accommodations and viva-wide settings work together. If a student has pause/resume enabled permanently, they will have it even if the viva-wide setting is off. The most permissive setting wins.
Extended Time
Extended time increases both the preparation and recording durations by a percentage. This is particularly helpful for students with processing difficulties, anxiety, or those who need additional time to formulate responses.
How It Works
- None (0%): Standard time limits apply
- 25%: A 60-second prep becomes 75 seconds
- 50%: A 60-second prep becomes 90 seconds
- 100%: A 60-second prep becomes 120 seconds (double time)
When to Use
- Students with documented learning disabilities
- Non-native speakers needing processing time
- Students with anxiety that affects timed assessments
- Any student with an approved extended time accommodation
Interface
From the Accommodations modal (per-student configuration):
Timing
Prep and record durations are increased by the selected percentage.
Multiple Recording Attempts
This accommodation allows students to re-record their response before submitting. Rather than feeling locked into their first attempt, students can review and try again if they are not satisfied with their answer.
How It Works
- Students see a "Re-record" button after completing a recording
- Clicking it discards the current recording and starts fresh
- The re-record budget is shared across ALL questions in the viva
- Students can spend multiple attempts on the same question
Maximum cap: The maximum number of re-record attempts is capped at 20 per viva session. This is a hard limit in the system.
When to Use
- Students with speech difficulties who may need multiple attempts
- Anxious students who perform better knowing they can retry
- Practice vivas where students are learning the format
- Any situation where first-attempt pressure is counterproductive
Per-Student Toggle
From the Accommodations modal (enables re-recording for this student on all vivas):
Enable re-recording to reduce anxiety or correct mistakes.
Viva-Wide Control
From Step 5 of the assignment wizard (enables for all students, with configurable max):
Max Attempts Control
When viva-wide re-recording is enabled, you can set the maximum attempts:
Use the +/- buttons to adjust, or click MAX to set it to 20. The number input allows direct entry within the 1-20 range.
Pause/Resume
Pause/resume allows students to temporarily pause their recording and resume when ready. This is essential for students who may need breaks during the recording process.
How It Works
- A pause button appears next to the stop button during recording
- Pausing stops the recording and the timer
- Resuming continues from where the student left off
- The final recording is seamless (no audible pause)
When to Use
- Students who need medical breaks
- Students with attention difficulties who need to refocus
- Students with anxiety who may need calming moments
- Any student with a documented need for breaks during assessments
Interface
From the Accommodations modal:
Permit pausing during recording to accommodate breaks.
Text Response
Text response allows students to type their answer instead of recording audio. This is a significant accommodation that changes the fundamental mode of response.
How It Works
- Instead of a recording interface, students see a text input area
- They type their response within the allocated time
- The typed response is submitted and visible to the instructor
- No audio or video is captured for that question
When to Use
- Students with speech impairments
- Students with severe anxiety about speaking aloud
- Students with hearing impairments who communicate primarily through writing
- Any student with a documented need for written assessment
Note: Text response changes the nature of the oral assessment. Use this accommodation thoughtfully based on the student's documented needs and the learning outcomes being assessed.
Interface
From the Accommodations modal:
Student may type instead of recording audio.
Complete Response Options Panel
In the Accommodations modal, all three response-related toggles appear together in the "Response options" section:
Response options
Student may type instead of recording audio.
Enable re-recording to reduce anxiety or correct mistakes.
Permit pausing during recording to accommodate breaks.
Important Notes
Changes Apply to New Sessions Only
When you save accommodation changes, they only affect viva sessions created after that point. Existing sessions are not modified. If a student needs accommodations on an active viva, you may need to grant a re-do.
Re-record Budget is Per-Session
The maximum re-record attempts applies to the entire viva session, not per question. If you set a max of 5 attempts and the viva has 10 questions, students cannot re-record all 10 questions. The budget can be spent flexibly across questions.
Hard Cap on Re-records
The system enforces a maximum of 20 re-record attempts regardless of any settings. This prevents accidental configuration of unlimited retries and ensures reasonable assessment integrity.
Where to Configure
| Location | Scope | Available Accommodations |
|---|---|---|
| Student Profile → Accommodations | Per-student, permanent | All four (extended time, re-record, pause, text) |
| Assignment Wizard Step 5 | Viva-wide (all students) | Pause/resume, re-record (with max) |
| Viva Verification Config | Per-verification | All four (applies to that verification only) |
Related Documentation
- Visual & Interface Accommodations — High contrast, large buttons, keyboard shortcuts
- Extensions & Re-dos — Granting extra time or allowing fresh attempts
- Multilingual Support — Language settings and translation options
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