Technology to Improve Assessments of Learning in Class, School and Nation

This chapter considers the current education policy context in Australia, including the high level of technology provision and use and an increasingly national approach to curriculum, teaching and assessment. It argues that to meet the first Professional Standard - 'know students and how they learn' - teachers can be strongly supported by assessments conducted through technologies. The view of assessment in this case is not one of ranking and sorting, but a growth mindset, where teachers see their role as enabling learners to demonstrate growth over time. It describes elements of a Learning Assessment System to support this growth, and how technology assists teachers by providing feedback efficiently. It includes examples of schools working with researchers, government and industry to implement assessment tools that meet their needs. Finally it argues that while teachers must take a position regarding the purpose of assessment and play a role in the developments involving technology, the scope of the task is so great that it requires collaboration locally and globally. [Author abstract]