An adaptive assessment platform that helps teachers identify student learning levels, review AI-generated recommendations, and make informed placement decisions—all in one workspace.
Follow a teacher through the placement process: create an adaptive test, assign it to a class, review the results, and confirm each student's placement.
Dashboard — The dashboard brings daily teaching tasks and placement progress together, so teachers can review results without switching to another tool.
Problem
Students in the same class have different learning needs
Teachers need to understand each student’s strengths and gaps before deciding on the right learning path.
Adaptive tests adjust question difficulty based on student responses, but teachers still need to assign assessments, interpret results, and decide placements. When these tasks happen across different tools, the process becomes harder to manage.
Bring test creation, assignment, result analysis, and student placement into one connected workflow—without taking the final decision away from teachers.
How might we
How might we help teachers turn adaptive assessment results into informed placement decisions without adding more work to their day?
Primary user · Teacher
Create an adaptive test, assign it to a class, and review the AI recommendation before placing each student.
Secondary user · Student
Complete the assigned placement test within the given time window through a simple, straightforward experience.
Approach
I focused on understanding the placement workflow, identifying gaps in existing tools, and designing a teacher-first experience where AI supports the decision rather than making it automatically.
Understanding the problem
The placement process has too many steps
I mapped the process into five stages:
01
Create
Set the adaptive test
02
Assign
Send it to a class
03
Complete
Students sit the test
04
Review
Read the path and suggestion
05
Place
Teacher confirms the class
Create → Assign → Complete → Review → Place
The key opportunity was to connect these stages so teachers could complete the process without switching between tools.
Competitive analysis
I explored three categories of products to understand how existing tools support the placement journey.
This was a self-initiated product concept based on desk research, workflow mapping, and competitive analysis. I did not conduct user interviews, surveys, or classroom testing.
Classroom LMS platforms
Examples: Google Classroom, Canvas
These tools support everyday teaching tasks such as managing classes, assignments, and grades. However, placement decisions may require additional steps outside the main workflow.
Adaptive assessment platforms
Examples: MAP Growth, i-Ready, Star
These tools focus on assessing student performance and reporting results. Teachers still need to translate those results into a placement decision.
Quiz builders
Examples: Google Forms, Quizizz
These tools make creating and assigning quizzes easier, but they do not provide the complete adaptive placement workflow proposed in EduNexus.
The opportunity isn’t just to improve the test. It’s to connect the test results to the teacher’s next decision.
EduNexus brings assessment and placement into the same workspace as everyday teaching tasks.
Key insights
01
A score is not enough
Teachers need to understand how a student performed across different skills and difficulty levels, not just see a final score.
Design implication: Show the score, performance summary, and suggested class together.
02
Recommend, don’t auto-place
A recommendation can help teachers make decisions, but automatically placing a student removes an important human checkpoint.
Design implication: Let teachers review, change, and confirm every suggested placement.
03
Placement belongs in the day
A separate placement tool creates another destination for teachers to check and manage.
Design implication: Keep placement alongside classes, grading, and other daily tasks.
Goals
· Make it easy to create one adaptive test instead of multiple static versions.
· Let teachers assign tests directly from their dashboard.
· Provide clear evidence behind AI-generated recommendations.
· Make reviewing and placing students a natural part of the workflow.
The solution
I designed four core screens to help teachers move through the placement process without leaving their main workspace.
01 · Teacher Dashboard
Keep placement visible alongside daily tasks
The dashboard brings classes, schedules, and recent activity together with placement test status. Teachers can quickly identify tests in progress and results waiting for review.
Key decision: Placement is part of the daily workspace, not a separate destination.
Dashboard
Tuesday, October 15
Tuesday overview
Good morning, Sarah!
You have 3 classes today and 4 placement decisions ready to review.
Placement test status
Monitor active tests and placement decisions
3
In Progress
52 students testing
+12%
4
Pending Verification
AI analysis complete
28
Completed
Since September 1
+8%
Today’s schedule
October 15, 2025
8:15AM
5th Grade MathematicsRoom 204 · 26 students
In 20 min
10:00AM
Math Lab · Section BInnovation Lab · 18 students
1:15PM
5th Grade MathematicsRoom 204 · 24 students
Quick tasks
2 tasks remaining
Recent activity
Latest updates across your classes
MC
Mia Chen submitted Math Quiz 35th Grade Mathematics
DL
Parent message from David LeeRe: Noah’s progress this term
AI placement analysis completedGrade 5 Math Readiness · 12 students
JM
James Miller completed a placement testScore: 87% · Advanced proficiency
EDUNEXUS INSIGHT
Your classes are gaining momentum
Students improved an average of 8.4% in fraction fluency this month. Consider extending this week’s challenge set.
12
1. Placement status
Track ongoing tests and results waiting for review.
2. Daily overview
View classes, schedules, and teaching tasks in one place.
02 · Create Test
Configure an adaptive assessment in a few clear steps
Teachers select the test name, grade range, skills, and number of questions. The interface separates test creation from assignment while showing both steps in one flow.
Key decision: Keep the initial setup focused and make the next step clear.
Create placement test
Part 1 of 2 · then assign to a class
Create the test
Name it, set the grade band and skills, and choose how many questions. Assigning to a class is part 2.
Adaptive difficulty rangeSet the lowest and highest grades the test is allowed to visit
Lowest grade
Grade 3
Questions can ease down to here
4-grade windowThe adaptive path stays inside this band
Targeted skillsSelect all skills the test should evaluate
Number of questionsEach student sits this many items, then the attempt closes
12
1. Two-step flow
Create the test first, then move to class assignment.
2. Test configuration
Set the grade range, select skills, and choose the number of questions.
03 · Assign Test
Choose the class, students, and test window
Teachers select a class, adjust the student list, and set the availability window and time limit. Students are notified when they can begin.
Key decision: Keep assignment within the same workflow so teachers don’t have to restart or switch tools.
Assign placement test
Part 2 of 2 · Grade 5 Mathematics Readiness
PART 2 · ASSIGN
Choose recipients
Select a class, then fine-tune the student roster.
6 selected
Select a class
Student roster
6 of 26 selected
StudentCurrent averageLearning status
AC
Ava Carterava.carter@northview.edu
92%
On track
NB
Noah Bennettnoah.bennett@northview.edu
78%
Remedial
MC
Mia Chenmia.chen@northview.edu
88%
On track
LJ
Lucas Johnsonlucas.johnson@northview.edu
71%
New student
SG
Sofia Garciasofia.garcia@northview.edu
95%
On track
EO
Ethan Ortizethan.ortiz@northview.edu
83%
On track
Schedule test window
Choose when students can begin and how long they have.
6 students selectedNotifications will be sent automatically
12
1. Select class & students
Choose a class and adjust the student list.
2. Set test schedule
Define when students can take the test and the time limit.
04 · Review & Place
Turn assessment results into an informed decision
Each completed test shows the student’s score, a short performance summary, and an AI-suggested class. Teachers can accept the recommendation or select another class before confirming placement.
Key decision: Make the recommendation easy to review and keep the teacher in control of the final action.
Bulk approval is available as a supporting option, not a replacement for reviewing results.
Placement verification
AI Results & Manual Review
Grade 5 Mathematics Readiness
Review AI placement recommendations
Validate each recommendation before students are placed into learning pathways.
Excelled in Algebra & Number SenseStrong mastery across all strands
Advanced 5th Grade
NB
Noah Bennettnoah.bennett@northview.edu
76%
Strong in Fractions, developing GeometryBenefits from visual models
Standard 5th Grade
MC
Mia Chenmia.chen@northview.edu
89%
Excelled in Fractions & Problem SolvingReady for accelerated practice
Advanced 5th Grade
LJ
Lucas Johnsonlucas.johnson@northview.edu
63%
Struggled with Geometry & MeasurementNumber sense is on grade level
Remedial Support
SG
Sofia Garciasofia.garcia@northview.edu
91%
Consistent performance across all skillsHigh confidence and accuracy
Advanced 5th Grade
Placed
How are suggestions generated? EduNexus analyzes response accuracy, difficulty progression, skill mastery, and confidence patterns. The final placement decision is always yours.
12
1. Performance & AI suggestion
Review the student’s score, learning gaps, and suggested class.
2. Approve & Place
Confirm or change the suggested placement before finalising it.
Design exploration
Direction 01
Placement as a standalone product
The first direction treated placement as a standalone product.
Why I moved away from it: It added another destination to the teacher’s workflow and made reviewing results feel like a separate task.
Direction 02
Automatic placement
The second direction explored automatically placing students based on their assessment results.
Why I moved away from it: A model’s recommendation should not replace the teacher’s knowledge of the student.
Direction 03
One dashboard, with a check
The final direction brought test creation, assignment, and result review into one dashboard, with a manual confirmation step for every placement.
Why I chose it: It connects the full workflow while preserving teacher control.
Monetization
The concept uses credits for adaptive placement tests because each assessment requires model inference to analyse the student’s performance and generate a recommendation.
Shared school pool
Schools purchase a shared credit pool, and teachers can see the remaining balance within the dashboard.
Visible while they work
Usage sits in the workspace so remaining tests are obvious before a new one is created.
Design decision
Keep credit usage visible alongside daily teaching tools rather than hiding it in a separate billing area.
Dashboard
Tuesday, October 15
Tuesday overview
Good morning, Sarah!
You have 3 classes today and 4 placement decisions ready to review.
Placement test status
Monitor active tests and placement decisions
3
In Progress
52 students testing
+12%
4
Pending Verification
AI analysis complete
28
Completed
Since September 1
+8%
Today’s schedule
October 15, 2025
8:15AM
5th Grade MathematicsRoom 204 · 26 students
In 20 min
10:00AM
Math Lab · Section BInnovation Lab · 18 students
1:15PM
5th Grade MathematicsRoom 204 · 24 students
Quick tasks
2 tasks remaining
Recent activity
Latest updates across your classes
MC
Mia Chen submitted Math Quiz 35th Grade Mathematics
DL
Parent message from David LeeRe: Noah’s progress this term
AI placement analysis completedGrade 5 Math Readiness · 12 students
JM
James Miller completed a placement testScore: 87% · Advanced proficiency
EDUNEXUS INSIGHT
Your classes are gaining momentum
Students improved an average of 8.4% in fraction fluency this month. Consider extending this week’s challenge set.
AI in my workflow
I used AI to accelerate exploration and production while retaining ownership of the problem framing and key UX decisions.
AI supported
· Competitive framing and UX writing
· Exploring user flows
· UI production in code
· Demo recording
I owned
· Defining the problem and scope
· Prioritising screens and information
· Designing the review-and-confirm workflow
· Deciding where AI should and should not make decisions
· Keeping product claims accurate
If taken to production
I would test the concept with teachers and measure:
· Time from test completion to confirmed placement.
· How often teachers change AI recommendations.
· Whether teachers complete placement reviews during their normal grading workflow.
· Whether suggested placements align with students’ subsequent performance.
I would also test whether teachers understand the evidence behind each recommendation and whether bulk approval affects the quality of review.
Final takeaway
Designing AI-assisted education tools is not just about automating tasks. It’s about making the next decision clearer while keeping the right person in control.