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FEATURED REPORT E.T.S. Research Institute: Opportunities and Challenges for Assessing Digital and AI Literacies

The rise of generative AI (GenAI) requires a new understanding of the required skills for digital literacies—and how to assess those skills. This report covers the opportunities, challenges and ethical considerations for assessing digital and AI literacies.

  • Emerging work by ETS researchers has revisited the construct of digital literacies with greater emphasis on ethical and socially responsible use of technologies

    A view of a crowded classroom from the last row of seats. The background is blurred; the foreground shows a woman with her back to the camera, taking notes on her laptop.

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Meet the authors

  • Jesse R. Sparks

    Managing Senior Research Scientist

    Jesse R. Sparks is a Managing Senior Research Scientist and directs the Innovation Research Program on Personalized Assessment at ETS. She completed her Ph.D. at Northwestern University. Jesse’s research applies cognitive and learning sciences theory and research toward the design of digital assessments in literacy, science, and social studies. Her projects include developing scenario-based and adaptive assessments that respond to students’ backgrounds and dynamic solution processes, enhancing the relevance and effectiveness of educational assessment.

    Jesse Sparks
  • Teresa M. Ober

    Research Scientist

    Teresa M. Ober is a Research Scientist at the ETS Research Institute, specializing in digital assessment and learning. She earned her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the Graduate Center of CUNY. Teresa’s recent projects include developing a theoretical framework for culturally responsive personalized learning and practical frameworks for competency-based assessment. Her research is dedicated to understanding how individual qualities and engagement are associated with performance, particularly in digital learning contexts, to better ensure fairness and equity in learning and educational assessment.

    Teresa M. Ober
  • Caitlin Tenison

    Research Scientist

    Caitlin Tenison is a Research Scientist in the Innovation Research Program on Personalized Assessment at the ETS Research Institute. She earned her Ph.D. in Psychology from Carnegie Mellon University. Caitlin’s research focuses on cognitive processes underlying higher-order cognition, integrating human learning and decision-making with educational technology. Using diverse modeling methods, she works to improve the inferences we make about learners from their decisions and actions, contributing to improved educational assessment methods.

    Caitlin Tenison
  • Burcu Arslan

    Research Scientist

    Burcu Arslan is a Research Scientist in the Innovation Research Program on Personalized Assessment at the ETS Research Institute. She holds a Ph.D. in Artificial Intelligence, an M.S. in Cognitive Science, and a B.S. in Statistics. Her research includes personalized educational assessment, process data modeling, feedback, and transfer of skills. Burcu co-directs the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Survey Assessment Innovations Lab (SAIL). Her work bridges cognitive science and educational assessments to model construct-relevant behaviors in digital educational assessment and learning environments.

    Burcu Arslan
  • Ido Roll

    Director of Innovative Digital Assessment

    Ido Roll directs the Innovative Digital Assessment strand at the ETS Research Institute and is an Associate Professor at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. He specializes in using trace data to support higher-order thinking, blending methodologies from learning analytics, AI, cognitive science, and HCI. Ido serves on several OECD PISA Expert Groups. His work advances digital assessment frameworks and educational innovations.

    Ido Roll
  • Paul Deane

    Principal Research Scientist

    Paul Deane is a Principal Research Scientist at the ETS Research Institute with an M.A. and Ph.D. in Theoretical Linguistics from the University of Chicago. His extensive research includes cognitive and linguistic models for reading and writing assessments, automated writing evaluation, and essay scoring. Paul has authored over 100 research reports, book chapters, and journal articles, and holds 16 patents. His work integrates natural language processing with educational assessment, contributing to advancements in test security and performance tracking.

    Paul Deane
  • Diego Zapata-Rivera

    Distinguished Presidential Appointee

    Diego Zapata-Rivera is a Distinguished Presidential Appointee at the ETS Research Institute, specializing in technology-enhanced assessments and personalized learning environments. He holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Saskatchewan. Diego’s research includes conversation-based and game-based assessments, with contributions to projects funded by NSF, NASA, and the US Army Research Laboratory. He is a co-PI of the INVITE AI institute, an IEEE Education Society Distinguished Lecturer and serves on various editorial boards and executive committees.

    Diego Zapata-Rivera
  • Reginald M. Gooch

    Research Project Manager

    Reginald Gooch is a Research Project Manager at the ETS Research Institute. His work centers on personalized assessment equity, higher education admissions, and culturally responsive assessments. Prior to ETS, he was a test developer and English language teacher in South Korea. Reginald holds an M.A. in Second Language Education from McGill University and a B.A. in International Studies from the University of Washington. His research aims to bridge the gap between educational assessment and equitable practices in diverse learning environments.

    Reginald M. Gooch
  • Tenaha O'Reilly

    Managing Principal Research Scientist

    Tenaha O’Reilly is a Managing Principal Research Scientist at the ETS Research Institute, leading the Literacy and Communications team. He co-led the Reading for Understanding Initiative, developing next-generation pre-K-12 assessments. Tenaha’s research on scenario-based literacy assessments has influenced national and international frameworks, including PISA and NAEP. He has co-edited books and published policy papers addressing America's reading crisis and has developed innovative products like ReadBasix and ReadAuthentix.

    Tenaha O'Reilly