Personalizing alternatives for diverse learner groups: Readability tools

One of the challenges for educators is to identify new ways to meet the needs of increasingly diverse educational cohorts. This conceptual chapter proposes that a number of technological developments (learning analytics, intelligent tutoring systems) may set the stage for the incorporation of new tools-tools that can support learners with varying reading difficulties, from those who are not native speakers of the language of instruction to those who struggle due to a learning disability. The authors make suggestions regarding the general steps which would be required to implement existing readability tools into tutoring and learning management systems effectively. Particular attention here is paid to the concept of personalization of learning and the need for multidisciplinary collaboration to meet diverse learners’ support needs.