Every student, teacher, parent, educational policymaker, and institution deserves a way to know whether students are learning what is being taught. Educational assessment and evaluation are needed to create and apply this knowledge productively. Knowing the Learner is directed to everyone who wishes to understand what truly educational assessment and evaluation are (as well as what they are not). But to understand these, it is first necessary to understand the basic nature of educational activities. The book shows how to develop this understanding and how, for the field of education to move forward, teachers must become increasingly skilled in the practice of assessment and evaluation. Although Knowing the Learner delves into technical subjects, they are always presented in a way that requires no technical knowledge. For all of these reasons, Knowing the Learner can be of value to everyone who cares about improving education and particularly to those who are actively engaged in educational practice, policy, and decision-making. Readers may be surprised to discover that a new approach to assessment and evaluation is precisely what is needed, not only to make educational practice more effective but also to make it more humane.

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