Applying the Evidence-Centred Design Model to Assess Emerging 21st Century Competencies – A Science Activity Case Study

1 Introduction

Education evolves with the demands of the ever-changing world and in the 21st century, the idea of education becomes more complicated with advancements in technology and different skill sets required. It is important to teach our students to be future ready as we want our students to be ready for the demands of the 21st century, equipped with essential skills to navigate the changes. The assessment of emerging 21st century competencies (E21CC) for learners is complicated as the skills themselves are multi-faceted. In school, we can design a series of learning experiences for students focusing on the various aspects of the 21st Century core competencies. The learning experience for each level could be designed to target different aspects of the Ministry of Education’s E21CC (MOE E21CC, 2024). A possible approach would be to cluster the competencies into, namely Critical, Analytical and Inventive Thinking (CAIT); Communication, Collaboration and Information Skills (CCI); and Civic, Global and Cross-cultural skills (CGC). In this discussion, we will use an example of a bottle rocket launching activity for upper primary students, which presents a case study for assessing CAIT. To that end, an evidence-centred design framework will be introduced and exemplified as a design framework guiding the assessment of CAIT.

2 Evidence Centred Design Framework for E21CC-focussed lessons

The Evidence Centred Design (ECD) framework was developed to provide a structured approach to designing assessments that yield valid inferences about what learners know and can do (Mislevy, Steinberg, & Almond, 2003). It is based on three models, namely the Competence model, Evidence model, and Task model. The Competence model defines the knowledge, skills, and learning outcomes of students, while the Evidence model specifies the behaviour and observable actions of learners. Finally, the Task model specifies the activity that is to be carried out to bring about learning outcomes.

The ECD framework presents itself as a framework suitable for designing lessons that focuses on the E21CC, mainly because it provides a clear structure and systematic planning of such lessons. When we consider E21CC focused lessons, the learning outcomes usually include cognitive and non-cognitive goals, and it is often a complex task to break down. The ECD allows such goals to be broken down into less complex outcomes which are measurable and observable. In addition, the ECD focusses on the process of learning and hence requires the plan to include multiple evidence of learning. This will ensure that the assessment of the outcome is adequately addressed.

3 Case Study – Bottle Rocket Launching Activity

3.1 Determining the Outcomes of the Activity – Competence Model

When looking at assessment design, we need to consider constructive alignment. Constructive alignment focuses on quality course design by aligning teaching and assessment to the intended learning outcomes (Biggs, 1996). Having a clear idea of what the outcomes would be essential to the eventual choice of assessment modes. Also, Ministry of Education has provided clear descriptors of the different milestones (MOE, 2024) for the various skills to be acquired, which makes the choice of assessment modes, teaching and learning activities critical in ensuring the skills are properly assessed.

In this case study, we will focus on the Critical, Adaptive, and Inventive thinking outcomes stated in the MOE E21CC document. The competencies that the lesson will address will be CAIT 1, 3, and 5 (MOE E21CC, p. 16) which are meant for upper primary students. In CAIT 1, we look at students making sound reasoning and decision making, while in CAIT 3, we look at how students assess different contexts to make connections. Finally, in CAIT 5, we focus on developing students’ ability to evaluate and come up with novel ideas.

3.2 Collecting Evidence of Learning – Evidence Model

The next step is to define how these competencies can be observed. Drawing from constructive alignment theory (Biggs, 1996), the goal is to ensure that every learning objective has observable and measurable evidence. To address the part on learning of science concepts, we can look at how students plan their investigation and design their rockets with application of various science concepts. We can draw an alignment with the 2023 Primary Science Syllabus where we want students to be familiar with the Ways of Thinking and Doing Science (WOTD).

As for the E21CC competencies, students can document their process in the form of a journal. The journal should include documentation of design iterations and considerations leading to the final design. The journal should also document the investigation process where students would arrive at the final design and amount of water or air pressure used to launch the rocket to address science learning. There can be a set of rubrics or checklists for students to self-assess their learning processes. The rubrics or checklist could include statements on how students felt their collaboration was with their team members and perhaps even how conflicts were resolved. Furthermore, reflection questions could be included in the journals for students to reflect on their learning experience, discussing how they overcome challenges and the various considerations that they took to finalise their design.

3.3 Identifying the learning task – Task model

With the knowledge of the learning goals, we examine the learning tasks in the bottle rocket launching activity. The primary aim of the activity is to get students to design a bottle rocket that can stay in the air for the most amount of time. To do this, they will need to investigate the optimal amount of water to be filled into the bottle. They will then have to design and build their rockets for the actual launch, based on their findings. In the process, students will fill in their reflection journals and complete self-assessment checklists to reflect on their learning process. The entire process will require students to work in groups which will provide evidence of how they collaborate with one another. The overall task model can be represented in the table below.