NIE Working Paper Series

In response to the rapid process of globalisation and knowledge-based economies alongside the transformational development of information and communication technologies (ICT) in our life, several frameworks have been developed to address competencies or skills required for success in 21st century society and workplaces. In line with such demands, learning, teaching, and assessment of 21st century skills have become urgent; however, assessment of 21st century skills is still in its infancy and one of the weakest points in current efforts to integrate these skills in the school curricula. Thus, assessment reform clearly needs more attention in policy and practice. To that end, this paper aims to focus on the potential and pragmatic assessments of 21st century skills. This paper consists of 4 sections. Section 1 discusses the necessary characteristics for 21st century skills assessment which determine the types, criteria, and purpose of the tests. Section 2 summarises different assessment methods—self-ratings, others’ ratings, portfolios, situational judgment tests, performance tasks, computer and gamebased assessment—along with their advantages and limitations. However, given that today’s young generation of learners are digital natives, growing up with computers, video games, and social media, it is important that this paper focuses on technology-based assessment. In this regard, Section 3 is dedicated to technology-based assessment, comprising computer-based and game-based methods. It presents examples of each in assessing 21st century skills. Lastly, in section 4, the paper proceeds to outline the major challenges that need to be addressed in employing different methods to assess 21st century skills. It also offers suggestions and implications in terms of policy, practice, and theory for researchers, educators, and policymakers who wish to assess 21st century skills in classroom.

Singapore aims to build a flexible and diverse education system to help students discover their talents, realise their full potential and develop a lifelong passion for learning. This national aspiration is grounded in the Singapore education system’s recognition of individual differences in learning and implementing a strategy in which we seek to lift the bottom while not capping the top. Just as all learners need a supportive learning environment with adequate challenge, so do gifted learners. This paper synthesises and critiques research evidence on understanding and educating gifted learners to inform policy and practice in Singapore. The paper includes elaboration on the differentiation of learning environments to develop gifted learners.

The value of inquiry has long been recognised and there is growing evidence of the efficacy of this approach in education. To that end, educational systems have begun to incorporate inquiry into their curriculum as a key to raise disciplinary standards and principles. However, it seems that the curricular emphasis on inquiry, while necessary, is not sufficient for the effective enactment of inquiry practices. The critical ingredient required to enact a successful inquiry-based learning (IBL) in classrooms is an inquiry culture and mind-set which should be cultivated for both teachers and students in K-12 classrooms. This paper aims to focus on and explore the implementation of IBL in the context of the K-12 humanities subjects. It seeks to provide insights to the nature of inquiry in the learning and teaching of the humanities by highlighting the related concepts, complexities, and impacts, found in local and international literature. To achieve that, this paper consists of 3 sections. Section 1 offers the philosophical and theoretical backgrounds of IBL. It discusses the essential constituents of a disciplined inquiry in the humanities with some examples of international curricula. In section 2, IBL will be elucidated in the context of the humanities subjects and its impact on learning (developing student knowledge and skills) and teaching (inquiry-related pedagogical strategies, activities, teachers’ role, and assessment). Section 3 follows with some implications and suggestions for policymakers, educators and future researchers in this area.