The Adult Skills Assessment Program (ASAP) is at the forefront of redefining adult education by integrating assessments that are culturally responsive to learners' backgrounds and relevant to the modern workplace. Combining expertise in the assessment and validation of academic outcomes, technology, and adult literacy, our research team is developing personalized assessments that leverage technology to increase access, effectiveness, and meaningful opportunities to learn for adult learners.
ASAP's primary objective is to develop a digitally distributable collection of assessment tasks across literacy and numeracy, facilitating a comprehensive evaluation framework for adult learners, educators, career counselors, and employers. By moving away from traditional test forms and the need for a physical presence in testing environments, ASAP allows assessments to be accessed on any digital device, anytime and anywhere. This flexible approach enables the use of brief, modular assessments that can be customized to meet specific goals, making the process more efficient and less disruptive.
Central to ASAP’s innovation is the focus on the learner—specifically, the 21st-century adult learner. ASAP meets their evolving educational and career assessment needs through universally designed, easily available technology. ASAP enhances understanding of learner competencies and adapts its architecture to link assessments directly to relevant skills, thereby setting new standards for personalized and accessible educational assessments.
This study provides evidence on how technology can help create personalized assessments that are tailored to meet the specific academic and workplace needs of adult learners.
This project is supported by the Institute of Education Sciences at the U.S. Department of Education through Award #R305N210031.
