The Assessment and Teaching of 21st Century Skills project (ATC21S) is being conducted by the University of Melbourne and funded by Cisco; Intel; Microsoft; and the founder countries Australia, Finland, Singapore, and the USA. The white papers were commissioned for the project in 2010 and were written by academics world-renowned in their fields. These white papers have formed the basis for subsequent work on the ATC21S project.
The ATC21S white paper topics are 21st Century Skills; Methodological Issues; Technological Issues; New Assessments and Environments for Knowledge Building; and Policy Frameworks for New Assessments.
The white papers can be downloaded using the links on this page.
In addition, an edited, peer reviewed volume of the white papers has been published in both hard copy and electronic form by Springer Science+Business Media and may be obtained through this Springer webpage.
Jump to… 21st-Century Skills ↓ | Methodological Issues ↓ | Technological Issues ↓ | New Assessments and Environments for Knowledge Building ↓ | Policy Frameworks for New Assessments ↓ |
21st-Century Skills
Synopsis
This paper outlines high-priority 21st-century skills, with examples of how they apply to real-world situations. It also delves into examples of assessment tasks and scoring rubrics that would provide evidence of students’ levels of mastery.
Authors
- Marilyn Binkley
- Ola Erstad, University of Oslo, Norway
- Joan Herman, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
- Senta Raizen, WestEd, USA, Leader
- Martin Ripley, formerly Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, England
- Mike Rumble
You can download the 21st Century Skills white paper by clicking here.
Methodological Issues
Synopsis
This paper identifies and addresses problems inherent in assessing 21st-century skills, both in tests and in the classroom, focusing particularly on computer-enabled and large-scale assessment.
Authors
- Mark Wilson, University of California, Berkeley, USA, Leader
- Isaac Bejar, Educational Testing Service, USA
- Kathleen Scalise, University of Oregon, USA
- Jonathan Templin, University of Georgia, USA
- Dylan Wiliam, Institute of Education, London, UK
- David Torres Irribarra, University of California, Berkeley, USA
You can download the Methodological Issues white paper by clicking here.
Technological Issues
Synopsis
This paper identifies and analyzes various technological problems in computer-based assessment of 21st-century skills, with suggested solutions.
Authors
- Benő Csapó, University of Szeged, Hungary, Leader
- John Ainley, Australian Council for Educational Research, Australia
- Randy Bennett, Educational Testing Service, USA
- Thibaud Latour, Centre de Recherche Public Henri Tudor, Luxembourg
- Nancy Law, University of Hong Kong, China
You can download the Technological Issues white paper by clicking here.
New Assessments and Environments for Knowledge Building
Synopsis
This paper looks at innovative ways to improve the development of 21st-century skills in students both individually and in groups, considering both formal and informal learning opportunities.
Authors
- Marlene Scardamalia, University of Toronto, Canada, Co-Leader
- John Bransford, University of Washington, USA, Co-Leader
- Bob Kozma
- Edys Quellmalz, WestEd, USA
Policy Frameworks for New Assessments
Synopsis
The ultimate goal of the project is to move from small marginal pilot projects to implementing new forms of assessment within a coherent teaching and learning system. This paper focuses on the reform needed in school and government systems to achieve this shift.
Author
- Linda Darling-Hammond, Stanford University, USA, Leader
You can download the Policy Frameworks for New Assessments white paper by clicking here.