Handbook for Assessment in the Service of Learning, Volume I
Reimagining assessment as part of the learning process itself.
The University of Massachusetts Amherst Libraries published Handbook for Assessment in the Service of Learning, Volume I: Foundations, the first in a three-volume open-access series edited by Edmund W. Gordon, Stephen G. Sireci, Eleanor Armour-Thomas, Eva L. Baker, Howard T. Everson, and Eric M. Tucker. The series reimagines assessment from a snapshot of what a student knows in a single moment to an active part of the learning process itself.
Pamela Cantor, M.D., contributed to two chapters in this first volume:
“It’s Time for a Paradigm Shift in Educational Measurement” (co-authored with Kate Felsen)
A call to rethink how we measure learning and human potential, moving away from flawed assumptions about fixed intelligence and scarce talent, toward dynamic, person-specific approaches that recognize the role of context, relationships, and developmental range.
“Implications of a Dynamic, Relational-Developmental-Systems Perspective for Research Design, Measurement, and Data Analysis in the Service of Understanding and Enhancing Youth Development and Learning” (co-authored with Richard M. Lerner)
An exploration of how developmental systems models can reshape research and assessment methods to better capture the lived experiences of young people.
Across both contributions, Dr. Cantor emphasizes that assessment, when designed well, can activate possibility: revealing strengths, shaping learning experiences, and ensuring every young person is seen for their full selves.
