Overview and Benefits

Teaching 21st Century Skills

In the 21st century, as technology becomes more sophisticated and available, individuals have access to almost infinite opportunities for participation in their communities, as well as for entertainment and leisure-time activities. In today’s workplaces, as computers take over routine tasks, a far greater proportion of employees are engaged in tasks that require them to be flexible and creative problem solvers.

In order for today’s students to be successful in this environment, schools must provide them with more than basic skills. Students also must become proficient at 21st century skills, such as critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration, use of technology, self-direction, and communication. 

Assessing Projects meets teachers’ needs in several ways. You can

• Use the free online application to develop your own checklists, rubrics, and open-text assessments from scratch.
• Access the database of hundreds of high-quality, ready-made assessments on products and performances, processes, and thinking skills and modify them to meet your individual needs.
• Save your assessments in the Teacher Workspace or share them with another teacher who is registered in the site.
• Learn about the research and theory behind successful assessment.
• Find a wide variety of assessment strategies you can use with your students.
  

Assessment can provide information about more than a students' knowledge or performance at the end of a unit. Read about the many different purposes of assessment.

In traditional classrooms, student assessment is often limited to tests, papers, and oral presentations. Learn about the different types of assessment.  

Research suggests that students experience significant learning benefits when they are in classrooms where assessment is continuous and ongoing. Read about the benefits of formative assessment.  

Determining how and when students are using higher-order thinking such as critical thinking, creativity, problem solving, and metacognition, can be a challenge. Learn about ways of assessing thinking.  

The use of formative assessment is a powerful tool for improving student learning, but it does not happen in a vacuum. Read about what components are necessary for successful assessment in your school.