This chapter includes a description of essential assessment attributes and types of assessments, reviews Bloom’s taxonomy of behavioral objectives, and introduces the developmental math and literacy curricula. In addition, the chapter provides background information for Chapters 5 and 6, which address the assessment of creativity and motivation. Appendix 4A is a glossary.

The most important cognitive taxonomy in education is Bloom’s taxonomy. The revised taxonomy has two dimensions. The knowledge dimension consists of factual, conceptual, procedural, and metacognitive knowledge. The cognitive-process dimension consists of remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating, and creating. Other taxonomies expand on these cognitive skills to include social and emotional skills such as social engagement, cooperation, and emotional resilience. Still others add ethical, civic, and cultural dimensions. Developing talent in areas such as mathematics, music, and the visual arts requires general cognitive abilities, mental flexibility, and creativity. Motivation and conscientiousness are also needed to support learning and engagement. Predictors of performances in a sample of more than 6,000 athletes revealed that participation in multiple sports is better for superior performances at the adult level. World-class athletes typically participated in multiple sports, began playing their major sport later, and initially reached performance milestones at a slower rate than their competitors.

Learning models are an important starting point for assessment and feedback. A basic three-step model from surface knowledge to cross-linked concepts helps learners understand how they can improve and deepen their learning. Taxonomies that go into more detail of the cognitive processes are a useful tool for teachers when preparing a lesson (e.g. Bloom’s Taxonomy of educational objectives). But when it comes to summative and formative feedback in all its varieties the SOLO-Taxonomy is a much better choice.

This chapter describes the components of the heliosphere system including the interior structure and atmospheric layers of the Sun. The solar wind and interplanetary field are described as is how the heliosphere is formed as a bubble out of the interstellar medium. Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and cosmic rays are introduced and their impacts on the Earth’s space environment are contrasted. Simple quantitative calculations are described to help estimate the size and speed of events in the heliosphere. The hierarchy of knowledge is introduced to help place information into a conceptual framework through the introduction of Bloom’s Taxonomy.

We have already explored how students learn both individually and socially, and how teachers draw from a range of learning theories to provide opportunities that motivate and engage students by optimising resources in the learning environment. In this chapter, we drill down into specific teaching approaches and strategies that are aligned with constructivist and sociocultural learning theories. In this chapter, you will undertake the groundwork to prepare you with an array of ideas and tools to be well equipped for teaching. We consider how to foster a classroom environment that supports a rich learning culture, implementing different ways of teaching that used in combination in professional practice you can use with your students to assist them to become effective learners. If you are to foster learning partnerships in the classroom where students have ‘voice and choice’ (Garry, Fodchuk & Hobbs, 2017), you will need to understand how to promote their active participation. The chapter concludes with an examination of frameworks that promote powerful learning, effective teaching and enable students to learn how to learn.

Knowing the content of a learning area as a teacher is a different kind of knowledge to knowing the content as a learner. This chapter’s fertile question asks you to consider not only what kinds and how much content you need to know in order to teach it, but how you need to know it.

This chapter introduces the reader to the textbook and to the novelties and intricacies inherent to international and European disability law and policy. In that regard, the chapter begins with an overview of the developments that led to the emergence of disability law as an academic discipline. Thereafter, the chapter briefly discusses how the language of disability has changed over time. It then goes on to provide an account of the aims and objectives of this textbook, and it outlines the guiding perspective and the methodological approach adopted in the book. Finally, the chapter ends with an outline of the structure of the textbook as a whole.

This chapter introduces the reader to the textbook and to the novelties and intricacies inherent to international and European disability law and policy. In that regard, the chapter begins with an overview of the developments that led to the emergence of disability law as an academic discipline. Thereafter, the chapter briefly discusses how the language of disability has changed over time. It then goes on to provide an account of the aims and objectives of this textbook, and it outlines the guiding perspective and the methodological approach adopted in the book. Finally, the chapter ends with an outline of the structure of the textbook as a whole.