A decade of transforming University English through speaking assessment
How assessing foundational skills strengthens teaching, learning, outreach and research
In the Department of Global Communication at Kobe Gakuin University, all English program students complete a one-semester study placement abroad in their third year. This makes it essential to establish a strong foundation in communication skills during the first and second years. For the past ten years, the Versant by Pearson English Speaking and Listening Test has provided an efficient, objective way to assess students, supporting their learning and contributing to continuous improvement in their communication abilities.
Organization: Kobe Gakuin University Industry: Education Location: Japan Solution: Versant by Pearson English Speaking and Listening Test
Challenge
Finding an efficient, objective method to assess students at scale
The English program at Kobe Gakuin University needed to measure speaking performance and learning outcomes consistently across 240 students, before they went on a study placement abroad.
Traditional paper tests and face to face evaluations were resource intensive and couldn’t ensure fairness and reliability.
Solution
Moving from final exams to regular, flexible and fair testing
Since the program’s launch ten years ago, Versant by Pearson has been a core assessment tool. First-year students take the test three times across the year and second-year students take it twice.
Versant by Pearson replaces the final exam, with scores contributing 10% of the overall English Conversation course grade. The option to take the test on a mobile device or from home makes it easier to manage absences and retakes, while helping reduce the risk of cheating.
Results
Benefits across student goal-setting, teaching practices, outreach and research
Regular sharing of assessment results has made learning outcomes clearer, simplified goal setting and boosted student motivation. It has also facilitated the exchange of effective teaching practices between instructors.
By analyzing trends in the assessment results of incoming students, the University was able to adjust its curriculum design and materials selection to better meet learner needs.
The introduction of Versant by Pearson has allowed us to objectively and continuously track each student’s speaking skills. Its versatility – spanning grading, class improvement, student goal‑setting, research and outreach – is a major strength. Versant by Pearson has now become an indispensable tool supporting our university’s English education.
Noriko Nakanishi, Kobe Gakuin University
10
10 years continuous implementation of Versant by Pearson
240
240 first- and second-year students assessed every year
4.2/5
Scored 4.2/5 for "Usefulness of the test" in course evaluations (Spring 2021)
"Seeing my scores go up helps me feel my growth." "The achievements of alumni were motivating."
Feedback from students, Kobe Gakuin University