In this chapter the argument is made that changing forms of society rely upon specific generative mechanisms and structures that support and make possible forms of assessment and accompanying assessment acts. The emergence of the contemporary knowledge society occupies a central place. It is exemplified through the following: the OECD’s proposal of key competencies, just-in-time assessment, the debate on the ‘diploma disease’ and the global trend toward criteria referencing as a way of ensuring the attainment of learning objectives in curricula. Even though some have looked to the promise of blockchain and micro-credentials/nano-credentials/massive online open courses, the knowledge society has not been matched by the inclusion of all students. Exclusionary assessment practices reminiscent of industrial society in its heyday are still present. In the terms of critical realism, the existence of assessment mechanisms and structures can result in not all students gaining qualifications, accompanying skills and cultural capital that can be converted later into other uses and forms of value such as desired employment. Students as a consequence might not experience a stratified self characterised by greater control over their futures and enhanced transformative agency. © 2023, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
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