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As education is internationalized, so is assessment: policy makers keen to develop ´human capital´ see large-scale comparative international surveys as useful in planning. Here, they are explored in economic, policy, educational and technological terms.

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This volume offers contributions by thought leaders from a variety of disciplines and different perspectives, which are brought together in a final chapter. The contributions give insight in the role of large-scale international assessments as change agents. As national leaders recognize the growing importance of human capital and how it is distributed, policymakers, economists and decision makers in education have become increasingly interested in results from comparative international surveys. These assessments offer important information on the development of cognitive skills and the consequences of differences in the distribution of these skills. Researchers use the data to assess the role of human capital in predicting outcomes and to identify factors that may contribute to the development of more human capital.

An invaluable resource for researchers in international comparative education, policy studies, economics, civics education, educational technology, and policy makers.

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1. On the Growing Importance of International Large-Scale Assessments by I. Kirsch, M.L. Lennon, M. von Davier, E. Gonzalez, K. Yamamoto .- 2. International Large-Scale Assessments as Change Agents by Jo Ritzen .- 3. Technologies in Large-Scale Assessments: New Directions, Challenges, and Opportunities by M ichal Beller .- 4. The Role of International Assessments of Cognitive Skills in the Analysis of Growth and Development by Eric A. Hanushek & Ludger Woessmann .- 5. The Utility and Need for Incorporating Noncognitive Skills into Large-Scale Educational Assessments by Henry M. Levin .- 6. The Contributions of International Large-Scale Studies in Civic Education and Engagement by Judith Torney-Purta & Jo-Ann Amadeo .- 7. The Role of Large-Scale Assessments in Research on Educational Effectiveness and School Development by Eckhard Klieme .- 8. Prospects for the Future: A Framework and Discussion of Directions for the Next Generation of International Large-Scale Assessments by Henry Braun

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