Author: Eleonora Lekavičiūtė
When the UN Sustainable Development Goals were adopted in 2015, one of the targets set out a tall order for 2030 – to ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainability. In essence, this goal asks to reimagine education so that it prepares students to thrive in a world increasingly described by complex global challenges such as climate change or demands for equity and peace. What has followed is an array of attempts to redefine what competences and skills are necessary for the future: systems thinking, adaptability, collaboration, environmental literacy, civic engagement, and many more.
This shift in what competences we value simultaneously demands a recalibration of how we teach, assess, and evaluate students' abilities – after all, systems thinking can hardly be assessed through a multiple-choice quiz. Novel pedagogical approaches and tailored assessment methods are needed to bridge this. PPMI has conducted various studies over the last few years relating to these aims and themes, including the Assessment practices for 21st century learning study, the Prospective Report on the Future of Assessment in Primary and Secondary Education, and the Nature-Based Solutions Education Network. Based on these projects and our other research in the field of learning for sustainability, we overview some of the recent developments and trends in student learning assessment – on an international level as well as in the classroom – of the competences necessary for the future.
Evolution of competence frameworks
There have been several international efforts to rethink learner competence assessment, going beyond reading, mathematical, or other traditionally assessed learner skills. OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) recently introduced Global Competence, which assesses the learner’s ability to examine local, global and intercultural issues, interact with people from different cultures, and to act for sustainable development (OECD, 2018). Another example comes from the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) and their flagship survey TIMMS (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study) for students at the fourth and eighth grades. TIMSS 2023 survey introduced a measure of learner’s environmental attitudes (whether the student is more inclined to preservation or utilisation of nature) and behaviours (how likely they are to engage in pro-environmental actions) (IEA, 2022). Although such changes to the assessment of students on an international level do not prescribe what competences should be taught, they nonetheless encourage governments and institutions to align to them through national curricula through the publicized results and rankings. As such, these examples reflect the broader shift in understanding what education is expected to deliver.
Outside of international assessment schemes, a notable attempt to provide a reference to what relevant competences could be taught to students is the European Union’s Green Competence (GreenComp) framework, introduced in 2022 (Bianchi, Pisiotis, and Cabrera, 2022). It emerged within the context of the Green Deal to address the inadequacies of traditional education and provide comprehensive guidance for educators and institutions to align educational competences with sustainability imperatives. Differently from, for example, the PISA Global Competence, the GreenComp framework takes a step further to include consideration of sustainability values. As pictured in the image below, it describes twelve competences in four areas of Embodying sustainability values, Embracing complexity in sustainability, Envisioning sustainable futures and Acting for sustainability.
Source: Green Competences Framework, Joint Research Centre.
Such and similar competences are often referred to as transversal competences and skills, as they are considered valuable in virtually any kind of work, learning or life activity, and not exclusively linked to a particular professional, academic, or any other context (European Commission, 2022).. According to the Prospective Report on the Future of Assessment in Primary and Secondary Education (Directorate-General for Education and PPMI, 2020), an increasing uncertainty in the labour market reinforces the need for transversal capabilities, which means we can expect a transition towards competence-oriented education. This has major implications for educators, who not only must incorporate their delivery into the already demanding curricula requirements but also need to develop inter-disciplinary ways to teach and assess the students’ attainment of them.
Innovative assessment methods in the classroom
Literature on assessment most often differentiates between summative and formative assessment. Summative assessment focuses on assessing students' knowledge and skills after a period of teaching through standardized testing and examination, resulting in a grade. Formative assessments, on the other hand, aim at adapting the learning process to individual student needs, focusing on student understanding and progress, and enhancing the learning experience. A 2017 PPMI study on Assessment practices for 21st century learning offered an overview of international research to support European education assessment strategies, making the case for a combined use of both types of assessment methods, namely in the shape of performance-based assessment (Siarova, Mašidlauskaitė, and Sternadel, 2017). The report underscores the priority of finding the most suitable way to assess a competence and skill at hand.
Although both summative and formative assessment make a significant contribution to the learning experience, they may have some limitations. The more traditional assessment methods that were once the cornerstone of educational evaluation – such as standardized testing – fail to grasp the multifaceted competences outlined in frameworks like the GreenComp. The recent years have seen a more frequent discussion of the concept of authentic assessment (McArthur, 2023), which seems to offer a convenient rethinking of the purpose of assessment. It takes a step further than the concept of performance-based assessment, requiring students to apply their knowledge and skills to real-world situations, often being open-ended, complex, potentially time-consuming, and demanding of creativity and critical thinking.
Authentic assessment, which can include both formative and summative elements, is increasingly presented as a more appropriate assessment type for sustainability competences, as it can replicate real-world tasks, demand the utilization of multiple information sources, encourage critical thinking and collaboration (Tilbury, 2023). Correctness is not the sole criterion for this type of assessment, as students must demonstrate critical thinking and an ability to ground their reasoning. In contrast to traditional testing, it also encourages the development of social and action competences, going beyond the ‘learning to know’ and additionally offering to students ‘learning to be and do’ (Tilbury, 2023). Overall, authentic assessment aligns seamlessly with the multifaceted competences outlined in GreenComp and reflect the urgency to prepare learners for a complex and interconnected world.
The relevance of authentic assessment goes in line with the analysis and predictions outlined in PPMI’s Prospective Report on the Future of Assessment in Primary and Secondary Education. This report drew on existing academic and policy studies and consultations with educational stakeholders across Europe, and identified several key trends in assessment. Among them is the growing use of authentic assessment – the estimate being that it will make up 55% of assessment used in class by 2030 as contrasted with 45% being traditional methods.
Among other predictions in line with the rise of authentic assessment is the growing role of peer-assessment and self-assessment, both of which contribute to changing the role of the learner from a passive listener to an active contributor to the process of learning. Such forms of assessment also encourage student engagement and drive the development of collaboration and sense of responsibility, both of which are essential for collective and individual action competences. Thinking ahead, such skills will only become increasingly crucial for sustainability and climate change action.
Authentic assessment in action
An exciting example of an innovative approach to bringing about the relevant sustainability competences comes from the Nature-Based Solutions Education Network (NBS EduWORLD) project, funded by Horizon Europe*. As described by the European Commission, NBS are cost-effective solutions that are inspired and supported by nature, and offer environmental, social and economic benefits. They also bring more biodiversity and natural processes into cities, rural and coastal areas through locally adapted systemic interventions (you can read more about NBS here). The NBS EduWORLD project brings together researchers at PPMI and our partners at Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI), Trinity College Dublin, European Schoolnet (EUN), and others, with educators, NBS practitioners, municipalities, and sports community members for the common goal of creating engaging and locally relevant educational materials centering on the environmental, social, and professional merits of NBS. An integral part of this goal is providing the necessary tools to assess the competences and skills delivered through NBS education.
NBS can provide opportunities for learning that transcend disciplinary boundaries, knowledge silos, and skill sets, offering integrated solutions to the root causes and consequences of climate change and other societal issues. Naturally, such complex pedagogy, which often includes experiential and place-based learning outside the classroom, requires innovative approaches to assessment. PPMI’s report on assessment tools for NBS education in Europe reveals that, although this is a new field with no established methodologies and guidance, there is a clear trend toward employing competence-based authentic assessment methods. Of the total of 37 cases of tools and methods mapped at different education levels across Europe and globally through desk research, 27 qualify as authentic.
The NBS learning experience often relies on fieldtrips to local NBS, exploration of the local environment to identify potential opportunities for implementing NBS, or developing a multi-step project that often requires learners to work in teams to design and build NBS, and sometimes even present the project to stakeholders, such as the local community or the municipality. When educators design assessment for such learning, they base evaluation on the different competences necessary to carry out the task. For example, they might use assessment rubrics that describe the learners’ level of engagement, ability to work in a team, exploratory or critical thinking skills, creativity, and so on. In many cases, educators introduce elements of self-reflective exercises and peer-evaluation, both of which change the role of the educator from assessor to facilitator of learning.
One specific example of such a rubric is pictured below. It was created by a teacher for a learning scenario developed for a PPMI and European Schoolnet study on Educational Innovation around Nature-Based Solutions. The learning scenario uses the project-based learning approach to teach students to build a prototype of a constructed wetland. This prototype can then be assessed with the help of the rubric by the teacher or through self-assessment. To easily create, use and share the rubric, teachers can use such digital tools as Co-Rubrics add-on for Google Sheets. The different elements of the rubric target a variety of competences – ranging from theoretical understanding and critical thinking, to digital skills, creativity and communication.
Source: Tullia Urschitz, Nature-Based Solutions Learning Scenario
Our assessment tool mapping study also found examples of assessment conducted through interactive games and artistic expression, including the use of multimedia and digital tools, as well as strong transdisciplinary approaches to learning. The more conventional assessment tools – such as multiple-choice quizzes and examination – were most often used for online NBS courses.
There is indeed a very clear link between sustainability competences and NBS education. As part of our NBS education assessment mapping report, we also conducted an analysis of what competences the assessment tools target shows a clear emphasis on transversal skills. As visible in the table from the report below, collaboration and teamwork take center stage, reflecting the collaborative nature of NBS projects. Learners engage in problem-solving, tapping into creativity and futures-thinking to devise innovative solutions. These competences, essential for addressing complex sustainability challenges, thrive in NBS classrooms. This signals a great opportunity to integrate NBS into education in order to advance learning for sustainability and award students with highly relevant skills in an engaging and fun manner.
Source: PPMI NBS Education Assessment tool mapping report.
Concluding remarks
The redefinition of competences crucial for the future, as evidenced by initiatives like PISA's Global Competence and the EU’s Green Competence framework, signals a transformative shift in education. Traditional assessment on its own falls short for some of the competences most in demand, leading to a rise in authentic assessment methods. Overall, an appropriate choice of assessment tools can not only determine how well learners understand and retain crucial knowledge, but how well prepared they are to put it into practice.
If you wish to get in touch with the team or wish to join our mailing list, you can reach us at: iselin@ppmi.lt
Follow the links below to access relevant studies, articles and projects by PPMI to learn more about sustainability competences, learner assessment, and NBS:
Insights article: A simple guide to Nature-based Solutions
Prospective Report on the Future of Assessment in Primary and Secondary Education
Report: Assessment practices for 21st century learning
Input Paper: Assesing Student Competences in Sustainability
References
Bianchi, G., U. Pisiotis, and G.M. Cabrera, ‘GreenComp The European Sustainability Competence Framework’, JRC Publications Repository, January 12, 2022. https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC128040.
Directorate-General for Education, Y., and PPMI, Prospective Report on the Future of Assessment in Primary and Secondary Education, Publications Office of the European Union, LU, 2020.
European Commission, ‘Towards a Structured and Consistent Terminology on Transversal Skills and Competences’, May 17, 2022. https://esco.ec.europa.eu/en/about-esco/publications/publication/towards-structured-and-consistent-terminology-transversal.
IEA, TIMSS 2023 Environmental Attitudes and Behaviors Framework, IEA, 2022.
McArthur, J., ‘Rethinking Authentic Assessment: Work, Well-Being, and Society’, Higher Education, Vol. 85, No. 1, January 1, 2023, pp. 85–101.
OECD, ‘Global Competence - PISA’, 2018. https://www.oecd.org/pisa/innovation/global-competence/.
Siarova, H., R. Mašidlauskaitė, and D. Sternadel, Assessment Practices for 21st Century Learning: Review of Evidence : Analytical Report, Publications Office of the European Union, LU, 2017.
Tilbury, D., European Education Area Strategic Framework: Assessing Student Competences in Sustainability, 2023.
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