Under symbol-processing view of mind and ‘acquisitionist metaphor’, the
process of learning can be better understood by its knowledge outcomes. Assessment
is a stable process, identical for all learners, that focuses on specific developmental
stages, clear end-points and on what society perceives as valuable. Since
knowledge is divided into the production and reproduction process, then the
holders of knowledge (assessors) are separated from the novices (the assessed).
In contrast and under sociocultural perspective and ‘participationist metaphor’, knowledge is a shared, distributed meaning,
constantly negotiated (both by the assessor and the assessed) through active
participation in social activities. Therefore, any assessment practice should
rely on this shared meaning and endeavor for example to represent the degree of
participation and the process of becoming a particular type of person.
As a conclusion, an overall diagram was created in order to position the
abovementioned concepts (views of mind and learning, cultural background,
assessment practices, theories of knowledge, etc) in a continuum, and
illustrate how these notions are intertwined and linked with each other, both in
a horizontal and a vertical way.
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