Rethinking student placement to enhance efficiency and student agency

Abstract

Placement tests are used to support a particular need in a local context—to determine the best starting place for a student entering a specific programme of language study. This brief report will focus on the development of an innovative placement test with self-directed elements for our local needs at a university in Canada for students studying English or French as a second language. Our goals are to produce a more efficient assessment instrument while allowing students more agency through the process. We hope that sharing these details will encourage others to consider the potential of incorporating self-directed elements in low-stakes placement decision-making.