ESD-ASSESS | Assessing Learning in Education for Sustainable Development
UNESCO's Transforming Futures initiative supports educators and institutions worldwide in advancing Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) through action research. The initiative concentrates on three thematic focus areas, each addressed by a dedicated guidance tool: transversal sustainability competencies and pedagogies, learning assessment for ESD, and whole-institution approaches.
Daniel Fischer, Jordan King, and Aaron Redman were commissioned as consultants to develop the toolkit on learning assessment for ESD. The result is the Guidance Tool on ESD Learning Assessment, which introduces the DARE framework — a practical, iterative process that helps educators design, reflect on, and transform their assessment practices in line with ESD principles. The toolkit is structured to serve educators at different entry points, from those looking for a quick start to those wanting in-depth guidance, and includes real-world case examples from practitioners across different educational levels and contexts.
Left: Authors of the guidance tools; Right: Global Symposium in Bucharest, Romania, January 2026
The development process was interative and based on a co-design approach. A first draft of the toolkit was piloted and tested in more than ten countries — including Brazil, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Germany, Japan, Kenya, Malaysia, Romania, and Slovenia — working with 35 schools and four higher education institutions. Feedback was systematically collected, discussed with the participating educators, and validated through direct exchange with practitioners in the field. The revised toolkit is expected to be released by UNESCO in the summer of 2026.
Team
Daniel Fischer
Project Lead, Leuphana University Lüneburg & UNESCO Chair in Higher Education for Sustainable Development, Germany
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