ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts covered in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book defines modes of practice as units of analysis for studying the development of knowledge in humans. It describes a highly innovative study of word usage by one of the laboratory nursery school students. The book also discusses the more comprehensive understanding of transformations that has emerged in the field of adult education through the pioneering and broad-based work of Jack Mezirow and subsequent researchers in "transformative learning". It shows how to discover deep and productive similarities between ecological, life span, and historical development. The book addresses two exploring modes of practice: the developmental survey and the developmental interview. These methods enable individual designers, educational assessment professionals, and social scientists to gather data on modes of practice. The book also addresses personal and collaborative assessment.
