Assessment in Learning
Topic 3. Authentic Assessment and 21st Century Learning Skills
Learning Objectives
At the end of the lesson, you are expected to:
1. Distinguish the four learning skills in the 21st century; and,
2. Relate authentic assessment to 21st century skills.
Presentation of Content
Defining 21st Century Learning Skills
The term "21st-century skills" is normally used to mean to certain core
competencies such as collaboration, digital literacy, critical thinking, and
problem- solving that advocates the need for schools to teach students thrive in
today's world. Various personalities define 21st century skills differently. This is
what they got to say:
“Twenty-first-century learning means that students master
content while producing, synthesizing, and evaluating
information from a wide variety of subjects and sources with an
understanding of and respect for diverse cultures. Students
demonstrate the three Rs, but also the three Cs: creativity,
communication, and collaboration. They demonstrate digital
literacy as well as civic responsibility. Virtual tools and open-
source software create borderless learning territories for students
of all ages, anytime and anywhere.”
-Barnett Berry, Founder and CEO, Center for Teaching Quality
“Twenty-first-century learning embodies an approach to teaching
that marries content to skill. Without skills, students are left to
memorize facts, recall details for worksheets, and relegate their
educational experience to passivity. Without content, students
may engage in problem-solving or team-working experiences that
fall into triviality, into relevance without rigor. Instead, the 21st-
century learning paradigm offers an opportunity to synergize the
margins of the content vs. skills debate and bring it into a
framework that dispels these dichotomies. Twenty-first-century
learning means hearkening to cornerstones of the past to help us
navigate our future.”
- Sarah Brown Wessling, 2010 National Teacher of the Year
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The Four C’s of 21st Century Learning Skills
Learning skills (the four C’s) teaches students about the mental processes required
to adapt and improve upon a modern work environment. Many educators know
about these skills because they’re universal needs for any career. They also vary
in terms of importance, depending on an individual’s career aspirations.
A. Critical thinking is the practice of solving problems. In addition to
working through problems,
Criticalsolving puzzles, and similar activities. This is
important in the 21st Century because Creativity
Thinking it’s harder than ever to verify
accurate -Finding solutions
information of -Thinking
to problems
because outside the box
massive influx of information mainly
because of the Internet. Critical thinking empowers students to discover
the truth in assertions, especially when it comes to separating fact from
opinion.
B. Creativity is equally important as a means of adaptation. This skill
Collaboration
empowers students to see concepts inCommunication
a different light, which leads to
-Working with others
innovation. In any field, innovation is-Talking to others
key to the adaptability and overall
success of a company. Learning creativity as a skill requires someone to
understand that “the way things have always been done” may have been
best years ago — but someday, that has to change.
Assessment in Learning
C. Collaboration means getting students to work together, achieve
compromises, and get the best possible results from solving a problem.
Collaboration is important because whether students realize it or not,
they’ll probably work with other people for the rest of their lives.
Practicing collaboration and teamwork helps students understand how to
address a problem, pitch solutions, and decide the best course of action.
D. Communication is the practice of conveying ideas quickly and clearly.
With communication locked down, students can streamline their ideas and
make a positive impression on those around them. even in situations where
vocal tone is available, students need to learn how to communicate
effectively. That includes minimizing tangents, speaking directly to an
idea, and checking other participants to make sure they’re engaged.
The Relationship of Authentic Assessment to 21st Century Learning Skills
Pellegrino & Hilton (2012) argued that 21st century learning skills have started a
paradigm shift on assessment in today’s education. They support the use of
“richer, performance- and curriculum-based” assessments instead of
“standardized, on- demand, end-of-year tests that are easily scored and quantified
for accountability purposes”
The development and assessment of 21st century competencies should be based
on the three principles. They are
(1) establishing standards clearly in line with the expectations;
(2) developing high-staked assessments based on the standards by using
extended writing and/or performance assessments; and,
(3) using the assessments to communicate what is expected, to hold
relevant stakeholders accountable and to publish data to inform
decisions for selection, placement, evaluation, diagnosis, or
improvement.
Assessment in Learning
Application
I. RESEARCH TIME! Read the research of Atiqah Nurul Asri titled
“Designing a 21st Century Assessment in EFL Learning Context”. Access it by
looking this citation at Google Scholar:
Asri, A. N. (2019). Designing a 21st Century Assessment in EFL Learning
Context. KnE Social Sciences, 335-348
From the study, outline in the space provided the standards for 21 st century
assessment and strategies of assessment that can be exploited to promote 21st
century learning. There are 12 standards laid down in the article and 7 strategies
mentioned.
Standards for 21st Century Strategies of Assessment
Assessment
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II. MAP YOUR UNDERSTANDING: Now that you have listed the 12
standards for 21st century assessment. Relate them to the attribute of
authentic assessment. Using the diagram below, write in the vacant
circles which standard/s relate to the specific attributes of authentic
assessment.
