Jen Gilbert is a STEM specialist, LEGO Education Ambassador, and iRobot Education Advisor. Jen is an ardent proponent of inclusive science education, and throughout her career, has pursued opportunities to enhance her ability to provide meaningful, engaging instruction to students of all ages and abilities. This led her to earn a Masters in Science Education as well as certifications in Early Childhood Technology and Engineering Education. Jen blogs at www.msgilbertrocks.com and shares via @msgilbertrocks on both Twitter and Instagram.
As a middle school special education teacher, I always look to provide more depth on testing than traditional options, like multiple choice questions. Assessing understanding, particularly for my STEM students with language-based learning disabilities, can be challenging in conventional formats. Fortunately, Quizizz is a powerful tool for teachers to bring accessibility and student voice into the classroom, and close achievement gaps. Here are some features teachers can explore on Quizizz to make activities more inclusive for students with language-based learning disabilities:
1. Audio Responses
Spelling words orally when given a voice prompt of the word recorded by the teacher is a great way to promote student voice on Quizizz. This option can help learners with dyslexia and other reading difficulties to engage with spelling tests in a more accessible way. Here's how the simple process looks like from the teacher side:
- In my classroom: I use the Wilson Reading System 'Just Words' program for structured reading, so spelling is a significant component of instruction. Quizizz provides a quick and straightforward setup for teachers to record and duplicate each question, and enable Audio responses from the class. Using Quizizz for this method fostered several success stories, like one of my students who increased their score from 73% to 94%, allowing them to pass the unit with this quick second round of assessment.
- Check out my audio/video-enhanced ‘Just Words’ Unit 10 Review on Quizizz.
- Bonus tip: Here’s a helpful video to learn more about Quizizz for spelling tests.
2. Audio Questions
Listening to a voice prompt of a word and recording a response for a spelling test is another way to utilize Quizizz Audio/Video tools. This option nurtures listening skills to support proper spelling, which can be especially helpful for students with dyslexia. Take a peek at my students in action!
- In my classroom: As the teacher, the advantage for me here is that I can skip reading the words repeatedly in case of a student's absence, or I can ask students to practice high-frequency words throughout the units. Like the phrasing format for the ‘Just Words’ high-frequency word spelling tests, I recorded the full audio for the question number, word, sentence using the word, and repetition of the word. I saved significant time creating the 32-word recording on Quizizz, and when a student was absent, they just needed to log in to the platform to take the test the following day. Note: Due to using the ‘Just Words’ program, my students hand-recorded their responses, but if you’re not, all of this can be done directly on Quizizz!
- Check out my ‘Just Words’ Units 11-14 High-Frequency Pre-Test on Quizizz!
3. Image-Based Questions with Audio Responses
Students who struggle with multiple choice often have no way to show their true understanding of the content. Responding to a picture and text-based prompt with a Quizizz Audio or Video response can be an excellent outlet for these students to provide evidence and explain answers, while also helping teachers see their unique grasp and perspective on the material. This option can enhance accessibility for students with reading difficulties, as they’ll be better able to engage with visual prompts and express themselves more freely and effectively. If teachers decide to weight the Audio responses higher than multiple choice, this can also have a great impact on the scores. Check out this sample question:
- In my classroom: After seeing the visuals I included from the Quizizz built-in image search, my students provided Audio answers such as, “The shape of the bug allows it to look like it is part of the tree, which allows it to stay alive,” and “The walking bug can blend in with the trees so predators can’t get it because it’s camouflaging in with the sticks. That’s how it’s disguising itself to protect itself.” Adding this layer to the Quiz takes teachers relatively no time, and the responses represent much more profound detail than multiple choice or even traditional written responses. Hooray for differentiation on Quizizz, from me and my students!
- Check out my Science Quiz, as well as our Lesson for our mini-lab on building bristlebots. Feel free to copy/edit to make it your own!
4. Video Responses
Using a video to show and explain notes taken in class can be an excellent opportunity for students to review class material. Teachers can also gain valuable feedback on which topics were understood and which were not.
- In my classroom: For our open-notes quiz on a traditional science textbook lesson, we incorporated the power of Quizizz Video so students could show their Writing Revolution notes. As the teacher, seeing their explanations provided vital feedback to help plan lessons more effectively for the future. As an alternative, teachers can also use a Quizizz Open-Ended question with the Show Your Work tool enabled so students can upload a picture of their notes to go along with a written response.
- Check out my Science Quiz using these Quizizz tools. Feel free to copy/edit to make it your own!
Overall, Quizizz provides tons of flexibility and customization options for teachers. By experimenting with different features, you can find the best combination to meet the needs of your students. I’ve used Quizizz with Basic access before enjoying the upgraded benefits on a School & District Plan, but the premium account features are well worth it to provide more accessibility and allow students to show what they know in various ways. Quizizz is one of my favorite edtech platforms to use in the classroom due to the built-in equity tools that only continue to grow and improve with every addition and update. I hope some of my ideas help you encourage stronger student voices in your classroom going forward!
Thanks for reading! Learn more here about each of the 10+ Question types on Quizizz. Feel free to share your experience on the platform with your community and ours: Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram
