'Mosaic by ACT' Shifts Assessment Nonprofit into Learning Business

  • By Dian Schaffhauser
  • 10/12/20

ACT, the nonprofit that produces assessments for colleges and career, has introduced an online learning application. The new program, Mosaic by ACT, is an adaptive platform with curriculum and real-time assessment resources for learning math and English language arts. According to the organization, it includes a digital library with 80,000-plus resources, including social-emotional learning resources and professional development services.

The new solution integrates a number of components procured through ACT's mergers and acquisitions through the years, including:

  • Adaptive learning technology from ScootPad;

  • Open educational resources from assessment division OpenEd and OER metadata provider Knovation;

  • Social emotional learning from Mawi Learning and ACT Tessera;

  • A curriculum and assessment framework from competency management tool ACT SkillSuite; and

  • Learning and professional resources gleaned from ProExam, a nonprofit that focused on noncognitive assessment and professional credentialing.

"As a nonprofit helping millions of learners realize education and workplace success each year, we're uniquely prepared to apply our expertise in meaningful ways. Mosaic by ACT is the culmination of our strategic approach to transform into a learning organization," said ACT CEO Janet Godwin, in a press release. "We're broadening our focus from measuring student progress (with assessments) to providing actionable solutions that improve learner outcomes."

"Our extensive research combined with a powerful mixture of academic and social and emotional learning solutions and services allow us to serve learners and educators right now," added ACT President of Learning Jonell Sanchez. "Reflecting on my own personal experience as a young learner in ESL and remedial learning classes, in this time when we see a widening of opportunity and equity gaps, it's critical to ensure that we are building solutions to close those gaps and working toward access and readiness for all learners."

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

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