New Models of Assessment


Our projects on assessment are exploring new ways to capture compelling forms of learning that are missed by current methods of assessment.

Preparation for Future Learning


A major goal of education is to prepare people for future learning. Schools cannot teach people everything they can possibly need to know - people will need to learn on the job and adapt to changes in the world. Current assessments are poorly suited to determine if education is preparing students for future learning. Moreover, many instructional models are based on an old notion of training students for a specific job rather than preparing students to learn. We are working on new models of assessment and instruction that are more suited to the needs of a 21st century education.

Relevant publications:

  • Efficiency and Innovation in Transfer. Daniel L. Schwartz, David Sears, & John D. Bransford. In J. Mestre (Ed.), Transfer of learning from a modern multidisciplinary perspective (pp. 1 - 51). CT: Information Age Publishing.