Human Action and Social Groups as the Natural Home of Assessment: Thoughts on 21st Century Learning and Assessment

Abstract

This paper argues that formal systems of assessment have their origins in the everyday circuit of human action. Assessment is an integral part of all human learning. This is its "natural home". Social groups have always lifted assessment out of the circuit of human action and partially formalized it as a way of both "mentoring" and "policing" (norming) newcomers and members alike. This aspect of assessment is more prevalent today than ever thanks to the proliferation of interest-driven groups on the Internet. Finally, I discuss the further formalization of assessment in systems of assessment used in schools. The more "natural" and social forms of assessment hold out keys for improving school-based assessment, as well as indicators about core ethical issues. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)