Getting Smart Podcast 166 - David Conley on Next-Generation Assessment
In this episode, Tom interviews David Conley, a professor at the College of Education at the University of Oregon.
For more than 20 years, Conley has been a leading authority in American education policy. His seminal book, College Knowledge, outlined what students need to know and be able to do to succeed in college and careers. His famous Think, Know, Act, Go outcome framework was foundational for Summit Learning and My Ways from NGLC. Conley’s new book, The Promise and Practice of Next Generation Assessment, offers 10 principles for better assessment — and a vision for how assessment can be integrated into learning and be a positive experience for learners.
In this conversation with Tom, David discusses his new book in-depth, explaining the 10 principles of next-generation assessment — five of which are student-centered and the last five which are school-centered. David also outlines a good week in a dream middle school that uses next-generation assessments and explains how students becoming good help-seekers is critical to being successful in post-secondary or careers.
Key Takeaways:
[:15] About today’s episode with David Conley.
[1:10] Tom welcomes David to the podcast.
[1:58] About David’s education in Bilingual Education and Curriculum Studies.
[3:07] How David’s Ph.D. in Curriculum Studies helped inspire his new book, The Promise and Practice of Next Generation Assessment.
[4:34] About the start of David’s book; from blog to fully-fledged book.
[5:05] David talks about the 10 principles of next-generation assessment he outlines in his book, starting with the first one on how “next-generation assessment is focused on learners’ needs first and foremost.”
[8:37] David describes the 2nd principle: “next-generation assessments view development from a novice to expert continuum.”
[9:58] David elaborates on the 3rd principle: “learners understand the structure of knowledge, not just the facts. Online assessment interrogates the structure of knowledge.”
[12:24] David expands on his 4th principle: “good assessments would promote ownership of learning and help develop self-knowledge.”
[14:23] Tom asks about the second half of David’s principles, which are more school-centered. He starts with the 6th, which focuses on how good assessment can make information actionable for teachers in schools.
[17:04] David talks about making assessment information more useful for learners and describes the two ways that schools generally aggregate information now.
[19:34] How becoming good help-seekers is important to be successful in post-secondary or careers.
[22:04] About the iNACOL Book Party for Tom’s new book, Better Together.
[22:45] David’s sense of what actionable information for teachers in schools would look like.
[25:06] Why David and Tom are so excited about David’s 7th principle on how next-generation assessments will have high cumulative validity.
[29:01] David explains the 8th principle on how assessment should acknowledge once you pass the basics understanding of something, learning becomes more context-specific.
[31:35] How David views the 9th principle on “harmonizing instructional improvement and accountability.”
[33:34] David answers his 10th principle: “How do good assessments take equity into account?”
[36:57] David talks Tom through a good week in a dream middle school that uses next-generation assessments.
Mentioned in This Episode:
College of Education — University of Oregon
College Knowledge: What It Really Takes for Students to Succeed and What We Can Do to Get Them Ready, by David T. Conley
Think, Know, Act, Go outcome framework
The Promise and Practice of Next Generation Assessment, by David T. Conley
Berkeley University of California
The End of Average: How We Succeed in a World That Values Sameness, by Todd Rose
Better Together: How to Leverage School Networks For Smarter Personalized and Project Based Learning, by Tom Vander Ark and Lydia Dobyns
Dark Horse: Achieving Success Through the Pursuit of Fulfillment, by Todd Rose and Ogi Ogas
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