Web 2.0 and emerging technologies are creating a new learning landscape. They are changing the methods that today’s students, the digital native generation, learn, and are altering or should be altering the way educators teach. Learning is collaborative, participatory, collective, and synergistic. The 21st century learners often turn to Wikipedia or YouTube when they want to explore a topic of interest and blog, tweet, record, and text their friends about what they discovered.
In their framework for 21st Century Curriculum and Assessment, the National Council for English Teachers state “assessment of 21st century products of learning may be different because of technological tools.” But, as Silva (2008) points out “Standing in the way of incorporating 21st century skills into teaching and learning are widespread concerns about measurement” (p. 1). Some educators who would like to embrace technology and integrate it into their day-to-day classroom pedagogy are concerned, even fearful, about implementing an assessment process that may be incongruent this type of learning and that may not meet the standards established by NCLB. But the creative and knowledgeable educator can use these same learning technologies as assessment measures. Silva (2008) believes that “models of assessment that measure both basic skills and more advanced skills are emerging to challenge the assumption that such skills cannot be measured and to move us toward an assessment system that is more aligned with what students now need to know” (p. 6).
When selecting and developing assessments for 21st century learning, the National Council for English Teachers believes the following should be considered:
• Students’ greater proficiency with tools or formats may generate outcomes not anticipated in an assessment rubric.
• The scope of collaboration, in the classroom and globally, leads to a greater need for processes that assess progress and achievement of both individuals and groups.
• The assessments need to support and celebration of the increasing diversity in students’ talents, imagination, perspectives, cultures, and lived experiences.
• The assessment should provide recognition that the processes of learning and doing are as important as the quality of the final product.
• The students’ self-evaluation and reflection on process and product should be integrated into the learning process and contributing to students’ continued growth.
To expand on how the 21st century should be perceived and approached, Helfant proposes that good assessment should meet the following criteria:
• Did the assessment tool allow for students to demonstrate 21st century skill mastery? (meaning the assignment itself was cognizant of 21st century literacies)
• Did the assessment process provide feedback that could be utilized during the learning process to ensure a satisfactory ending?
• Did the assessment truly measure student understandings of essential questions and skills?
• Can we move forward without a satisfactory student performance?
• Did the assessment double as a learning tool?
Helfant provided some examples of the types of assessments that used current technologies. These were used as springboards to some ideas I have about authentic 21st century assessments:
• Writing Group Reports with Wikis (http://pbwiki.com/academic.wiki or http://www.wikispaces.com/)
• Lecturing with a Back Channel participation through Twitter (http://twitter.com/)
• Creating a Bibliography of Relevant Research Links: Bookmarking with Diigo (http://www.diigo.com/) or Delicious (http://delicious.com/)
• Creating a Shelfari of Content-based Books – (http://www.shelfari.com/)
• Ning for Group Discussion (http://www.ning.com/)
Self Reflecting and Evaluation with Self-Produced Rubrics (http://rubistar.4teachers.org/)
• Simulation Based Assessments through Virtual Worlds like Quest Atlantis (http://atlantis.crlt.indiana.edu/)
The learning community, itself, both learners and educators would decide upon acceptable level of performance. But this level would have to remain flexible and open to revisits and corresponding revisions as the nature of these learning technologies is that they are emerging and evolving. “Creating an assessment centered learning environment that fosters a love of learning and develops a growth mindset that requires that teachers understand what the emerging literacies are and give students ample opportunities in the assignment and assessments they create to acquire those skills” (Helfant).
I have found a group of people - I believe they are so as I found them in Second Life - from all over the world who celebrated December 10, 2008. It has been 60 years since the Declaration of Human Rights has been signed. Here is what I learned today -
http://pth.amnestyusa.org/#/home/
