Assessing Knowledge Transfer and Mastery

Students ought to be able to use their knowledge and apply it in diverse settings. This means that transfer is the outcome of successful understanding. Can students apply what they have learned to novel situations effectively? Are their ideas flexible enough to cut through perceived misunderstandings? This is the core of the intention of assessment.

Following administration of assessment teachers can evaluate students' misunderstandings and thereby understand their knowledge and abilities. Misunderstandings are a consequence of unsuccessful knowledge transfer and mistakes are a chance to evaluate refine and reapply knowledge in future assessments.

However when students transfer what knowledge they have teachers must be wary of confirmation bias. In the 17th century Francis Bacon noted: people project categories assumptions rules priorities attitudes and matters of style onto their realities and develop countless ways of 'proving' these instinctive ideas to be true. By pushing students toward the habits of self-assessment and self-discipline teachers can inch students closer toward mastery and achieving true understanding for real-world knowledge use and application.