LSUA DISTANCE LEARNING

Faculty Guide

Adding Extended Time (Time-and-a-Half) Accommodations in Moodle

This guide walks faculty through granting an individual student extended time on a timed Moodle quiz using a User Override — the method LSUA uses to apply documented testing accommodations without changing the timing for the rest of the class.

Before You Begin

• Confirm the accommodation is documented. Only apply extended time after receiving official notification from the Office of Disability Services (or the appropriate accommodations office) — not directly from a student.
• Identify every timed quiz in the course. Extended time must be applied separately to each timed quiz activity; it does not carry over automatically to new quizzes you create later.
• Note the original time limit for each quiz so you can calculate the adjusted time (see the table below).

Calculating Time and a Half

Multiply the original time limit by 1.5. When the result isn't a whole number, round up to the nearest minute so the student is never given less than the full accommodation.

Step-by-Step: Adding a User Override

1. Open the course and click on the quiz that needs the accommodation.
2. Click the gear icon (⚙) in the top right to open the Quiz administration menu, then select "User overrides."
3. Click "Add user override."
4. In the "Override user" field, start typing the student's name and select them from the list. Double-check you have the correct student — override lists can include similarly named students.
5. Locate the "Timing" section. Check the box next to "Time limit" to activate the override field.
6. Enter the new, adjusted time limit (in minutes) using the calculation above.
7. Leave all other fields unchanged unless the student's accommodation letter specifies additional adjustments (e.g., extra attempts, adjusted open/close dates).
8. Click "Save" (or "Save and enter another override" if you have more students to add for the same quiz).
9. Confirm the override appears in the "User overrides" list, showing the student's name and the new time limit.

Applying the Accommodation to Multiple Quizzes

There is no bulk-apply option across quizzes in Moodle 4.5 — the User Override steps above must be repeated for each timed quiz in the course. A few tips to make this manageable:

• Keep a running note (outside Moodle) of which students have accommodations and their adjusted times, so you can move quickly through each new quiz.
• If several students share the same accommodation and the same quiz, consider a Group Override instead: create a Moodle group (e.g., "Extended Time"), add the students to it, and set one override for the whole group under "Group overrides" in the same Quiz administration menu.
• Group overrides are especially useful in courses with many timed quizzes throughout the term, since you only manage group membership once per course rather than re-entering names on every quiz.

Confidentiality Best Practices

• Do not reference a student's disability, diagnosis, or accommodation type in any Moodle-visible field, announcement, or gradebook comment.
• If using a Group Override, name the group neutrally in any faculty-facing documentation you keep, and avoid discussing group membership in venues students can see (e.g., don't mention it in a class-wide announcement).
• Store accommodation letters and related correspondence per your institution's retention and privacy guidance — not as Moodle file uploads visible to the class.

Troubleshooting

• Override option is missing: Confirm the activity is a Quiz (not an Assignment) — overrides for timing are a quiz-specific feature. For timed Assignment submissions, use "Edit settings" > "Extend duration" for that individual student instead, or grant a personal due-date/cut-off extension.
• Student says they still see the original timer: Have them log out and back in, or clear the quiz attempt if one was started before the override was saved — overrides only apply to attempts started after the override is in place.
• Override saved but time didn't change: Double-check the "Time limit" checkbox was ticked before entering the new value; an unchecked box is ignored even if a number is present.
• Need to remove or edit an override: Return to "User overrides," click the student's row, adjust or delete, and save.

Need Help?

Contact the LSUA Distance Learning team for assistance building overrides, setting up an Extended Time group, or interpreting an accommodation letter's timing requirements.