Assessment for Human Potential: Valuing Growth, Process, and Purpose in Learning
Thursday, 16 April 2026
We measure everything: marks, ranks, scores, and percentiles. But what if the most important things about a person simply can't be graded? Join us for a one-hour live conversation that turns the entire idea of assessment inside out.
Here is a thought experiment. Think of someone you deeply admire - a mentor, a parent, a quiet hero in your community. Now ask: what score did they get on their Class 10 boards? You probably don’t know. You probably don’t care.
That gap between what assessment measures and what actually shapes a human being is what this webinar is about — helping learners grow in a wholistic way, developing character, skills, and potential, and bringing out the best in them.
Assessment for Human Potential is not an attack on exams. It is an invitation to rethink what assessment is for. Assessment, at its best, is not a judgment delivered from above. It is a mirror, and more than that, it is the engine that drives learning forward. When used well, it helps a learner see clearly where they are, where they want to go, and how to grow, bringing out the best in them and nurturing their potential. The problem is that most systems have turned that mirror into a ranking system, and most learners have forgotten that assessment was ever meant to guide their learning, not define their worth.
In a world where AI can now pass bar exams, write code, and generate essays in seconds, the question of what assessment should drive in human beings, and how it can nurture wholistic development and bring out each learner’s potential — has never been more urgent. What is it that only humans can grow into? What does it mean to assess courage, empathy, integrity, curiosity, resilience, qualities that cannot be bubbled in on a sheet but are, by any meaningful measure, the markers of a good person and a contributing member of society?
This one-hour live conversation, featuring voices from India, Bhutan, and the United Kingdom, will explore:
- How assessment, when understood deeply, becomes the engine that drives learning rather than the verdict that defines it
- Why the current obsession with measurable outcomes is quietly limiting human growth, and what we are losing because of it
- How learners can reclaim assessment as a tool that actively shapes their learning, supports wholistic development, and brings out their potential, rather than something that happens to them.
- What it actually looks like, in classrooms, in practice, in real life, to assess process, character, and potential, not just performance
- And what educators, institutions, and individuals can begin doing differently, starting now
Whether you are a student, a teacher, a parent, a policy thinker, or simply someone who has at some point felt reduced to a number, this conversation is for you.
Moderator:
Archana Mishra, Education Consultant & Research Associate, Pallavan Learning Systems, India
With over 30 years of experience teaching national and international curricula across schools in India and Bhutan, including The British School, Druk Gyalpo Institute, and The Shri Ram School, Archana is a dedicated educator, administrator, and lifelong learner. She has consistently focused on centring student learning experiences and integrating technology into pedagogical practices, thereby creating personalised and evolving learning environments. Known for her innovative approaches, Archana has set the standard in areas such as technology integration within the Science curriculum, experiential learning, and inclusive teaching. Currently serving as a Science consultant and Research associate at Pallavan Learning Systems, she empowers educators to incorporate experiential learning, ensuring that teaching is both relevant and engaging for students.
Panelist:
Aanchal Chomal, Associate Professor, School of Continuing Education, Azim Premji University, India
Aanchal Chomal is an Associate Professor at the School of Continuing Education and University Resource Centre at Azim Premji University, where she also heads the Assessment team. In addition, she leads the Field Research function at Azim Premji Foundation. She has worked extensively in the field of education across India, with particular focus on student assessment, teacher evaluation, and frameworks for measuring learning in both cognitive and socio-emotional domains.
Over the years, she has conducted content and pedagogic workshops with government school teachers, teacher educators, and education functionaries across several states in India. Her work has included areas such as learning outcomes, test design, formative assessment, and social science education. She has also worked closely with institutions such as the Government of Karnataka, CBSE, NCERT, NCTE, UNESCO, and the Ministry of Education on assessment-related initiatives and policy development.
Aanchal holds a Bachelor’s degree in Geography from Presidency College, Kolkata, and a Master’s degree in Geography from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.
Panelist:
Tshering Nidup, Researcher, Programme Lead, Teacher, Druk Gyalpo’s Institute, Bhutan
Tshering works as a researcher with the Druk Gyalpo’s institute and also teaches Life Science at The Royal Academy. His areas of interest in education include capturing wholistic growth by widening the lens of assessment and reporting as well as education policies and their impact on learning.
He has also provided leadership in numerous programmes in teacher professional development related to the Bhutan Baccalaureate.
Panelist:
Joella Lynch, PhD Researcher, CCAI, Northumbria University, UK
Joella Lynch is a PhD researcher in Citizen-Centred Artificial Intelligence at Northumbria University, UK, exploring how teachers make professional decisions about whether, when, and how to use AI in education. Her research focuses on the role of teacher judgement, educational purpose, and meaningful learning in an age of rapidly evolving technologies.
Before beginning her PhD, Joella worked as a secondary school science teacher in the UK and has been involved in a range of educational initiatives including Skills Builder programmes and The Brilliant Club. She has also worked internationally, including teaching at the Druk Gyalpo’s Institute in Bhutan, where she developed a strong interest in education systems that prioritise holistic development and human potential.
Through her research and workshops with educators, Joella explores how emerging technologies such as AI can support learning while still preserving the deeper aims of education—curiosity, critical thinking, creativity, and human flourishing. Her work brings together perspectives from education, human-centred AI, and teacher professional practice.
To receive regular updates, subscribe to our Pallavan World and PLS Newsletter.
Should you have any feedback and suggestions, please feel free to share with us.