Afocus on preparation for learning requires the development of newtypes of assessment.
We pointed out that many assessments employ “sequestered problem solving,”
in which students work without access to resources for learning (Bransford&
Schwartz, 1999). Although sequestered problem solving may be a good measure of
mature understanding, it can be a blunt instrument for assessing whether someone is
ready to learn. The observation echoes Vygotsky’s (1987) arguments for evaluating
a child’s zone of proximal development.