Inquiring into Assessment Methods and Lessonsthat Promote "Application"

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In Japan’s revised 2008 National Course of Study, academic achievement was conceived as having three elements: “mastery, application, and inquiry.” This study examined the assessment methods and lessons that promote “application” (i.e., students’ ability to apply their knowledge and skills) by surveying the literature on educational assessment and lessons (teaching methods) in foreign countries, and by inquiring into advanced educational practices in Japan. We visited schools that have used performance assessment for a long time to observe lessons and interview teachers. We also examined studies and schools’ documents that gave concrete examples of assessment methods and lessons, and analyzed the current situation and trends with regard to assessment reforms. On the basis of our results, we proposed a way to improve lessons by emphasizing “application,” and our proposals were put into practice in a few collaborative schools. We analyzed these experimental lessons, focusing on how the quality of assessment criteria and methods improved. The final report summarized the results.