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Ensuring universal access to quality education is one of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. By increasing the flexibility and reach of teaching and learning, digital transformation has strengthened the education sector’s capacity to provide equal opportunities to students across the globe. As international student migration to anglophone universities continues to rise, English proficiency tests play an important role in maximising students’ opportunities for advancement and success.
Virtual language assessments are the newest development in an industry that has so far been dominated by standardised, invigilated tests that take place in person. This is a welcome change for Patience Adesominu, an international student at VinUniversity in Vietnam. Hailing from Nigeria, Adesominu took the Duolingo English Test (DET) while she was preparing to apply to colleges abroad.
Adesominu was a candidate for Rise, an international programme that provides mentoring and need-based scholarships to young individuals from around the world who demonstrate talent in various disciplines. Adesominu says she was excited when she received a fee waiver for the DET as a Rise finalist, which allowed her to take the language proficiency test at no cost and from the comfort of her home. “I had seen a lot of buzz around the Duolingo English Test,” she says, “I decided, yes, this is my chance.”
She was apprehensive about travelling far from home to take an on-site English proficiency test due to safety concerns and financial constraints. “I live on the outskirts of my country so I can’t really travel to places where they usually have traditional, in-person English tests.”
Adesominu thinks virtual language assessments like the DET are crucial in ensuring students from all parts of the world have equal opportunities. “There could be so many things going on in your country. If, because of safety reasons, you don’t want to travel far, you can do it from the comfort of your home,” she says, speaking of the remote and flexible nature of the DET.
For Adesominu, the DET was a more convenient alternative and helped her avoid the drawbacks of traditional language tests, such as the stress of travel and associated costs. “It is quick, and you get your results shortly after taking the test,” she adds.
A unique feature of the DET is its adaptive nature, which means the order and difficulty of the questions changes based on the responses given by each test taker. While Adesominu was initially sceptical about this aspect of the test, she believes that the test’s adaptability makes it more credible.
The way the questions are structured caters to every test-taker and adds to the accuracy of the results, says Adesominu. “That’s a feature of this exam that I feel like is going to help a lot of students. It’s one thing to just give 100 students one exam at the same level. This feature is very helpful and unique to each individual taking the test,” she says.
Even though preparatory resources for digital-first assessments are accessible, they are not as commonly used as traditional preparatory tools such as in-person coaching and paper practice tests. As a result, some students might anticipate feeling confused when they take online tests like the DET for the first time. Adesominu prepared for the DET by taking practice tests on the Duolingo website. “I was just really relaxed,” she says, adding that she experienced no stress throughout the duration of the test. By resolving accessibility challenges and introducing a flexible approach, virtual language assessments such as the DET eliminate barriers for a wider student population around the globe.
Find out more about the Duolingo English Test.
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