The Future of Education

The literature highlights a persistent gap between formative assessment approaches recommended by research and the assessment practices adopted in educational contexts [1], a gap further reinforced by the centrality of summative assessment even within systems oriented towards Assessment for Learning. While this critical issue has been widely documented in higher education [2], similar challenges also emerge in school contexts, where assessment remains predominantly grade-centred [3]. Within this misalignment between recommendations and practices, TALIS 2024 data point to significant teachers’ professional development needs in the areas of assessment and feedback, alongside constraints related to time and the accessibility of training opportunities [4].

Within this framework, valutarEducando is positioned as a professional development project designed on the basis of empirically identified needs of teachers working in both school and higher education contexts [2]. The project builds on evidence highlighting the limited diffusion of assessment literacy, the persistence of traditional assessment cultures, and the fragmented nature of existing training initiatives, framing assessment as an educational and reflective practice consistent with Assessment for Learning and formative feedback [2]. From a future-oriented school perspective, valutarEducando promotes flexible, sustainable, and accessible models of professional development by leveraging Self-Paced Learning environments and personalised digital support tools, including chatbots, conceived as resources for reflective guidance rather than automated solutions [5]. Finally, the project operationalises the CRAFT model through modular pathways that integrate theory, practice, and professional reflection, supporting teachers’ professional agency and the transformation of assessment practices [5].