Exploring a compassionate approach to student placement in language classes

Abstract

The issue of how to place students into appropriate class levels in languages other than English is one that most higher education institutions struggle with in one way or another, often from both a pedagogical perspective as well as an administrative one. Many programs use a placement test of some sort, although their ability to place students correctly is not universal; at the same time, the logistics of administering such a test, often to large numbers of students, can be challenging. This paper presents the rationale for and process of evolving from a strict experience-based placement policy to a more compassionate one that allows students to choose their enrollment level, based on their own experiences and confidence. Data from before this change and after this change are analyzed in order to explore outcomes ranging from enrollment numbers to student success. Overall, results show that student outcomes are positive, and that the change did not result in additional challenges or problems for the program.