A learning assessment is an ongoing process of collecting, documenting, reflecting on and evaluating a learner's knowledge and skills (i.e. competencies) related to specific purposes. It is used to measure learners’ mastery level in a certain subject, as well as their progression in learning, and to identify areas of strength or weakness and ways of improvement. Learning assessments can also be used to help teachers and policymakers make informed evidence-based decisions on the level of academic attainment, as well as on other elements of the expected learning outcomes. Assessments contribute to improving learning outcomes by helping teachers identify invisible barriers and areas of strengths and weakness in the learning process and provide feedback to their learners for improvement. 

Learning assessment informs us what students learned, how well, and where they struggle and thus need support And vice-versa, student feedback to teachers can help teachers reflect on their teaching and learning strategies with a view of improving them, and adjusting them to the students. Learning assessment constitutes a holistic, continuous and integrated process across the teaching-learning journey that entails different types of tools used at different times to collect reliable information to measure the progress of student learning, achievements, experiences, challenges, and motivations.

Learning systems and assessment motivate and assist learners by making them aware of the outcomes they need to achieve, the criteria for good and exemplary performance, and by collaborating to accomplish those objectives.

The whole purpose of learning assessment is also to promote inclusivity by providing teachers with the data needed to identify and address any gaps in learning that may exist due to a learner’s background, learning style or language proficiency. This information can then be used to provide targeted interventions and resources to address any learning gaps and promote equitable learning outcomes.

Learning assessment is typically conducted at different levels, namely at the classroom, school, district, and country levels, through tests, quizzes, assignments, national exams, and other activities that measure a learner's knowledge and understanding of a specific topic or subject, as well as their skills to use and apply knowledge in different situations.

At the classroom level, it is important to have clear learning targets, known to both the teacher and the learner. The teacher should share the criteria they use to evaluate the learner's performance. To help the learner become a self-directed learner, they should be encouraged to practice using these criteria and look at the model(s) provided by the teacher. Additionally, they can do peer assessment before they present their work to the class. In this way, learners will gain the ability to self-evaluate and use peer assessment and become self-regulated learners , which is a highly advocated in modern learning and assessment concept.

As a matter of fact, there are several purposes of assessments including Formative Assessment, Summative Assessments, and Diagnostic Assessments, and their use varies across the different learning cycles. Some commonly used methods include written exams, oral exams, projects, presentations, simulations, rubrics, and portfolios. It is also noteworthy that technology-based assessments such as online tests and self-assessments are becoming increasingly popular to show learners mastery of knowledge and skills.

Learning assessment data is important in general because it gives us a better understanding of how well education systems are performing. It helps us measure how much learners are learning, identify areas of strength and weakness in educational systems, and compare the performance of different educational systems.

Yes, it is possible to know whether countries are on track to achieve the learning goals as defined in the SDG4 through learning assessment and through using learning assessment data to monitor SDG4 progress. Learning assessment can be used to measure the progress of countries and their education systems in meeting the learning goals set out in the SDG4 agenda. This assessment can be used to identify areas where progress is being made as well as areas where more efforts are needed in order to reach the desired outcomes.

Integrating all learning assessments into a framework is essential, and linked to SDG4, particularly SDG 4.2, which reads as follows “ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education” and leads to effective learning outcomes. Therefore, learning assessments are expected to provide essential information about the achievements of the learning outcomes including basic skills such as numeracy, literacy, and ICT related skills which are required by SDG4.

In addition, the focus of these assessments is directed to determine how well the learners are adapting to today’s life and living, as well as how prepared they are for work in the 21st Century. These competencies are transversal across different subjects, including Global Citizenship Education (GCED) and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), both of which are highly promoted by the SDGs.

Data is collected on all these issues through SDG4-based indicators and benchmarks, which is a major part of learning assessments. In order to assess the whole learner, learning assessments should follow a holistic approach, targeting all aspects of learning, including cognitive development, language development, Social and Emotional Skills (SEL), practical and transversal skills, problem solving and motor skills. An effective assessment framework should take all of this into account and focus on all aspects of the learner’s abilities, rather than simply one area. This has been increasingly advocated for in recent years, both in large-scale assessments and those conducted at the school level.

In general, learning assessments must be both reliable and valid, meaning it must provide consistent, stable, accurate results that are appropriate for the purpose for which it was developed. For example, if the goal is to measure learners' knowledge and basic skills related to foundational learning (i.e., literacy and numeracy), then the assessment must focus on those skills. This can allow one to make an accurate interpretation or inference about a learner's strengths and weaknesses. Assessment is more than grading. It’s about measuring the progress of student learning and identifying their needs for appropriate support.

In the past two years, the importance of a fair assessment has become even more prominent. Fairness, equity, and free-from-bias assessments are essential in order to give all learners an equal opportunity to learn. Teachers must be able to determine the right assessment type to use and must be fair and unbiased in their approach in order to come up with valid and reliable conclusions.

Assessments must also be practical and efficient, as some assessments may take too long to administer in a classroom with a large number of learners. In circumstances of scarcity and lack of resources, practicality and efficiency are even more important. The quality of assessments in higher education can be evaluated by considering factors such as the alignment of the assessment to the course objectives (which also applies to assessment in basic education), the clarity of the assessment instructions and rubrics, the validity and reliability of the assessment and the effectiveness of the feedback. Consideration should also be given to the design of the assessment and the use of technology to enhance the process.

There are many tools and methods for measuring learners’ achievement. For instance, in the classroom, we use questionnaires, class work, homework, quizzes, tests, projects, case studies, and lab work. This depends on the subject, age category, and other factors. It is important to provide feedback to learners regarding how well they have done.

While it is not necessary to always grade these activities, learners should regularly receive detailed individualized, personalized, confidential, and relevant comments and feedback to help them grow while preserving their confidence and self-esteem. To that end, feedback should be clear, qualitative, non-evaluative, nonjudgmental, and actionable so that learners can understand what to do next and how to improve. Well-designed assessment methods provide valuable information about student learning.

Through my work as a UNESCO consultant, I have observed an increase in awareness and motivation leading to improvements in the education systems. However, the situation differs from one country to another depending on the resources available, the policies in place, and other factors that determine the success of their respective systems.

I can say that even though progress may be slow, it is still advancing. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic for example, many educational institutions have shifted to online teaching and learning and adopted new teaching methods and assessment techniques that favored formative aspects, instead of only high-stake examinations, for instance.

Education is a rapidly evolving field. With each day comes new knowledge and a new opportunity to learn from one another. As technology, assessment methods, and artificial intelligence continue to develop, it is impossible to predict what new advancements the future may bring.