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Using Personalized Assessments to Respond to the Needs of Multilingual Learners: Teacher Insights

Sun, April 27, 8:00 to 9:30am MDT (8:00 to 9:30am MDT), The Colorado Convention Center, Floor: Meeting Room Level, Room 103

Abstract

Objectives

Multilingual learners in U.S. K-12 public schools are a diverse group of students, with varying language and academic needs. Recent research underscores the pressing need for personalized assessments that mirror the diverse linguistic abilities of multilingual learners. These students face unique challenges in their academic journey, and our goal is to aid teachers in supporting their students’ language and academic development by researching innovative classroom assessment solutions that are adaptable to each student’s unique characteristics, abilities, needs, interests, and preferences.

Theoretical Framework

This project draws upon work on caring assessments for diverse learners (Lehman et al., 2024), and asset-based pedagogies that have historically capitalized on multilingual learners’ cultural and linguistic funds of knowledge (Moll et al., 1992), culturally relevant pedagogy (Ladson‐Billings, 1995) and culturally responsive teaching (Gay, 2000). These pedagogies have numerous benefits when incorporated into schools, including helping all students feel more included and valued in the classroom.

Methods

We conducted three rounds of one-on-one interviews with ESL and content area teachers in public U.S. schools to understand their needs and challenges when supporting multilingual learners in their classrooms. In the first round, we interviewed five middle school teachers, and in the second, six elementary school teachers. In the last round, we ideated and co-designed some AI-enhanced personalized assessment solutions with four teachers and interviewed them to investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of these solutions.

Results

Teachers’ needs and challenges included a need for knowledge of learners’ previous learning experiences, a lack of resources to support different language backgrounds, and the task of simultaneously supporting language learners at different proficiency levels. Together, we co-created personalized assessment solutions that included gathering information about students’ characteristics and experiences and using this information to provide personalized content and feedback. We will present the teacher’s perceptions of the personalized assessment solutions and their insights into how these solutions address their students' needs.

Significance

By engaging directly with the teachers in co-design and collaboration, we better understand their needs and the needs of their students. The findings from the present research not only provide insights into the use of innovative AI-based personalized learning and assessment solutions but also pave the way for a more inclusive and equitable assessments. These inclusive solutions can offer all students, including multilingual learners, different ways to access and process information, thus creating equitable opportunities to showcase what they know and can do.

Authors