JTI Adjusts Assessments To Meet Students’ Needs

The Justice Training Institute (JTI) is making it easier for students to do their assessments amid the challenges caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Speaking with JIS News, Director Principal of the JTI, Karen Campbell Bascoe, said that the move is part of efforts to improve programme delivery to better cater to students’ needs.

“There is fatigue for everybody in terms of this ongoing pandemic [and dealing with technology]. In this regard, to meet [our students] in this time of uncertainty, we apply much flexibility in our delivery, scheduling, and even in our methods of assessment, but we do so without sacrificing the quality of our programmes,” she said.

She explained that the JTI has incorporated more alternative methods in its assessments instead of the usual face-to-face or paper-based examinations.

“We’ve changed the types of assessments and looked at how we deliver it to the students. We’ve set it up so that persons with varying learning abilities can manage, including persons who don’t know how to use the technology as well as they should. We have built that into our scheduling and submission timing. We also look at group projects, and tell them [students] to collaborate virtually, because they can pull on the strengths from other colleagues, where they have their own weakness,” she pointed out.

Mrs. Campbell Bascoe noted further that “simple things such as allowing extra time for submission [of work] for those who type a little bit slower, helps to minimise the level of anxiety that may come with dealing with the online modality.”

In terms of support, she said that students can have one-on-one discussions with administrators and facilitators outside of the classroom.

“They interact by phone, through WhatsApp, and by email. This has increased the level of attention and communication. That increased level of availability, I believe, has been providing much of the support that students need to get to succeed and complete their programmes,” she said.

Courses offered at the JTI include the Diploma in Steno-Typewriting, Diploma in Paralegal Studies (with specialisation in Legal Administration or Criminal Justice Studies), the Deputy Clerk’s Qualifying Course, Financial Crimes Investigation Course, the Jamaican Sign Language (Introductory and Intermediate) Course and Spanish (Introductory and Intermediate).