From 10 to 14 June 2025, the University of Innsbruck reaffirmed its commitment to inclusion and academic pluralism through its Week of Diversity. Across disciplines, researchers and educators highlighted the richness of diverse ideas, theories, and methodologies, that shape contemporary research and pedagogy.
Our course on testing and assessment, co-taught by Kathrin Eberharter, Elisa Guggenbichler, Carmen Konzett-Firth, and Benjamin Kremmel, also participated in the initiative. Our contribution was a teaching unit taught by Elisa Guggenbichler that focused on the testing and assessment of neurodiverse learners in foreign language education.
🔍 Key themes included:
🔹The impact of specific learning difficulties on foreign language acquisition
🔹Accommodations and universal design in language assessments
🔹Considerations on test fairness and validity
🔹Legal and ethical frameworks supporting inclusive assessment
The session raised awareness around neurodiversity in foreign language teaching and equipped future teachers with practical tools for inclusive and fair assessment practices.