Page 42 - 21st Century Competencies: Foundation Document for Discussion

40 21st Century Competencies
A comprehensive discussion regarding the implications for assessment of a focus on 21st century competencies is beyond the scope of this paper. Issues related to the assessment of 21st century competencies include the tension between assessments for the purpose of providing descriptive feedback on the one hand, and large-scale assessments for public accountability on the other. Researchers recognize that technology-based assessments have the potential to provide unprecedented diagnostic information and support for the personalization of curriculum (Binkley et al., 2012). “Computers allow students to work with complex data sets of a sort that would be very difficult to work with on paper. Tools like computer-based simulations can, in this way, give a more nuanced understanding of what students know and can do than traditional testing methods (Bennett et al., 2003)” (quoted in Binkley et al., 2012, p. 32). New pedagogical models (e.g., the flipped classroom, blended learning, collaborative problem solving, inquiry, interdisciplinary projects, immersive authentic simulations, digital teaching platforms) also have implications for assessment practices.
Internationally, the OECD administers its large-scale Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) every three years to measure fifteen-year-olds’ competencies in the areas of reading, mathematics, science, and problem solving. In each cycle, it has “the ability to provide insight
in a new area, as has been the case with the evolution of problem solving from paper-based in 2003 to computer-based individual problem solving in 2012 to computer-based collaborative problem solving in 2015” (OECD, 2014a, p. 2). A framework is in development for PISA 2018 to measure “global competencies” as well as to provide a sound basis for computer-based assessment (OECD, 2014c, p. 12).
The Assessment and Teaching of 21st Century Skills (ATC21S) research project is exploring methods to assess communication, collaboration, problem-solving, and ICT literacy competencies, working with jurisdictions in Australia, the United States, Finland, Singapore, Costa Rica, and the Netherlands.
At a national level, the U.S. Department of Education is addressing the need to measure student progress against the Common Core state standards. It has awarded substantial grants, totalling approximately $330 million, to two consortia for the development of innovative, large-scale assessments that are to be used nationwide. These assessments are expected to “make widespread use of smart technology . . . provide students with realistic, complex perfor- mance tasks, immediate feedback, [and] computer adaptive testing, and incorporate accommodations for a range of students” (Duncan, 2010, p. 2).