Abstract
The standard agreement among educationalists is that assessment and learning should be integrated to guide the learning path and allow learners to develop future focused skills, and not only knowledge in a specific subject. This assessment assertion is not new and is now more relevant than ever within the context of the rapidly changing Fourth Industrial Revolution. High-stakes tests continually drive learning within the South African educational landscape despite the stated curriculum goals which aim to meet future focused skills. The dichotomy is apparent and teachders are confronted with the problem of how to construct assessments that develop future focused skills rather than knowledge-based testing. This qualitative case study used a sample of ten technology mediated assessments of grade 8 Afrikaans First Additional Language learners. Learning design principles derived by literature were tested in practice by using atlas.ti to analyse these digital artefacts. The initial six learning design principles that focused on autheniticy, curriculum goal alignment, accessibility, student agency, development of future focused skills, and a multi-faceted assessment process were supplemented from practice with the additional principle pertaining to teahcer guidance. Teacher professional development instances should take note of these principles in the design of technology mediated assessment to ensure the development of future focused skills to expand leaners’disciplinary knowledge.
Keywords: assessment, learning design, Afrikaans.