Assessment is the silent killer of educational innovation

"One of the hallmarks of creativity and innovation is that the road is littered with failures." Masur explains. "Even the best artist will have to try something, backtrack, and try it again until he or she hits something that is worthwhile. You have to be comfortable with failing."

In a classroom based on Peer Instruction, that strict grading rubric is replaced most days by small groups of classmates, actively discussing a problem and reacting to one another. It emphasizes formative assessment where students can just give an answer and try out their knowledge, without being penalized for it. They become more comfortable with sticking out their necks and trying something out.

Many people pass standardized tests and still fail in the real world- and vice versa," says Mazur. "If we don't change assessment, education will never change."

That's what we really should be focusing on," says Mazur. "Throw information transfer out of the classroom. Have the students do the homework before class-read a book, watch a video lecture, or go out and collect data-- and then in class we'll work on really understanding the information, questioning it, and using it."