By David Batcheck
Assessment of students’ learning—gauging their capabilities—is part of the core of education. Assessment provides feedback to the system, the teacher, and the student about how educational goals are being achieved.
So assessment results have the power to optimize learning outcomes—the use of the results can inform all stakeholders about whether learning goals have been achieved, and if not, where attention needs to be focused.
In the past, assessment results have frequently been used for the purposes of designating some students as successful and others as failures. This approach is not consistent with Sustainable Development Goal 4, to “Ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning.” We need assessment to support learning for all, not to withhold learning opportunities from some individuals.
Education systems have also frequently focused only on academic disciplines. In this 21st century, many countries have identified that they need to expand the horizons of their education provision such that students are equipped with a broad range of transferable skills that lie beyond the acquisition of knowledge or technical skills alone. This presents new challenges to education systems, not only in curriculum reform and identification of the pedagogical strategies most likely to support new visions, but also in approaches to assessment. It is essential that styles of assessment are aligned with the nature of the learning goals. New goals need new forms of assessment!
Optimizing Assessment for All (OAA) is a project of the Center for Universal Education at Brookings. OAA seeks to strengthen education systems’ capacity to integrate 21st century skills into their teaching and learning, using assessment as one important means of building that capacity. A central theme underlying the project is the need to shift minds toward the constructive use of assessment by all stakeholders.
OAA initiatives are designed to be implemented from two hubs—one based with the Network on Education Quality Monitoring in the Asia-Pacific (NEQMAP) in Asia, and the other with the Teaching and Learning Educators’ Network for Transformation (TALENT) in Africa. Based on regional convenings, countries will work collaboratively and with expert input to design and pilot classroom-based assessments of 21st century skills—closely aligned with curricular objectives. Development of the assessments with assessment teams and teachers is intended to enhance understanding of these skills to support teaching in the classroom. Importantly the information that is captured by the assessments should support instruction but also be aligned with system level assessment needs. The goal of the initiatives is to build a critical mass of assessment expertise on 21st century skills in the Asia and Africa regions.
