Assessment strategies

In aesop’s classic fable about the grasshopper and the ant, the grasshopper is portrayed as lazy and
spends his summer singing and relaxing, while the ant is busy stockpiling food for the upcoming winter.
When the cold weather comes, the grasshopper begs the ant for food and is rebuked for his idleness. He
arrives at his reckoning point when winter arrives.

If instruction involves the busyness of conveying knowledge to the next generation, then assessment is
sometimes the languid grasshopper. Curriculum is designed around standards, content, and instructional
strategies. It is not uncommon for the assessment component to be added as an afterthought. In the 21 st
century, it is essential to motivate the grasshopper to lead the way for the ant.

Assessment of 21st century skills is a lens through which to view content knowledge. As we peer through
the lens, we can see students working on literacy, numeracy, science, and social understanding in the
context of higher-level thinking, collaboration, and applied technologies. It’s complex and simple at the
same time. Figure 4.1 shows the simplicity. This chapter begins to attend to the complexity.

Chapter 3 explained the fundamentals of assessment. In this chapter, three perspective on assessment
on 21st century skills and knowledge are considered. Multiple products of 21 st century learning are
categorized and cross-referenced with the skills. Alternative methods of assessing and measuring 21 st
century skills and knowledge are described. The final section offers illustrations, examples, and case
studies of teaching, learning, and assessing selected skills in daily practice.

Figure 4.1 Teaching and Learning Through a 21 st Century Lens

Student Teacher

Core Knowledge

And skills Content

21st century lens

Lens

Thinnking Action Living in the world

Assessing the continuum of skills and knowledge

Figure 4.2 reflects aa typical sequence of skills and knowledge from simple to more complex. The left
column shows the more classic 20th century progression, the center refocuses these for the 21 st century,
and the right describes a technological application. In these apps, technology is the tool for learning, not
its object.

Figure 4.2 21st Century Taxonomy

20th century 21st century Applied technology

Knowledge: recall of
information
Understanding: making sense of
content; describing and
organizing it
Application: using the
information
Analysis: thoughtfully
considering the information
Evaluation: comparing,
reasoning
Synthesis: combining ideas in a
comprehensible and unique
way
Creation: production of original
works, innovation
Mastery of core content
Communication and
collaboration: expressing ideas
and working with others
Applying past to new problem
solving
Metacognition: learning and
self-aware thinking
Critical thinking productivity
Leadership: responsibility and
accountability
Citizenship: contributing
globally
Creativity and innovation for
applied purposes at work and in
life
Bookmark important
information
Present a livecast, podcast, or
webinar
Create a wiki and invite people
to help solve a community
problem
Blog your ideas with
illuminations of your thinking
Yelp your ideas or contribute to
another review/ratings website
Raise funds and social
awareness of a global concern
using social networking
Design games, simulation, and
virtual worlds

AUTHENTIC PRODUCTS AND ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENT

Alternative assessment encompasses a wide range of teaching and learning practices and activities.
Generally, the literature describes alternative learning strategies rather then strategies for assessing their
outcomes. Most definitions of alternative and authentic assessment include the idea that students
demonstrate their knowledge and skills by performing real-world task. How assessment come to be
considered something distinct from the skill or practice being assessed is worthy of discussion.

Traditionally, learning always took place in the real world. Children learned how to raise cattle and cook
from their parents on the farm. A century ago, workers, many with eighth-grade educations, received on-
the job training so they could work on the factory production line. It wasn’t until learning moved to the
schoolhouse that it became necessary to include practical demonstrations as a distinct aspect of the
learning process. This peculiarity has led educators full circle from natural learning in the world to
cloistered learning in the classroom, and then back to developing new ways for students to demonstrate
authentic mastery.

The ways in which alternative and authentic learning are implemented and measured in the 21 st century
are changing. Today, teachers are supporting students as they construct meaning and generate
knowledge and products using planning, problem solving, collaboration, and technology. Figure 4.3
shows an array of ways for students to demonstrate authentic learning.

Figure 4.4 expands upon 4.3, showing links between these tools for authentic learning and 21 st century
skills. These tools are equally applicable across all content areas; they are presented here to provide a
starting point for you to personalize and customize. You can fill in the blanks and adjust the grids to your
specific needs.

In the remainder of this chapter, selected assessment strategies and examples of the skills to which they
are applicable will be explored. Many of them require no special technologies or extensive training for
teachers to use. You are encouraged to adapt them to your own grade level, subject, and school.