Performance-based

Assessment

Why performance-based

assessment?

Paper-pencil tests are not enough to determine if students know how to do something.

Learning objectives and outcomes may call for performance

Keeps the students engaged – demonstrates relevance of what they learn

Can be comprehensive (assess knowledge, skills, attitude)

Examples of PBA

Writing

Laboratory work

Playing a sport

Drawing, sketching

Building structures

Conducting your own research (science fair)

Creating files, databases on computer

Giving a speech

Read aloud

Construct a graph

Types of PBA

Restricted PBA (restricted to a specific, limited skill like “opening a computer file”) Usually the purpose is to ensure that students have

learned skills that will later on become part of a larger task

E.g., dribbling a ball (for basketball)

Extended PBA (comprehensive, includes a variety of skills; gives students a lot of freedom in selecting, performing, and self-assessing on tasks) E.g., Playing a basketball game

Types of PBA

Restricted PBA is usually done for

formative assessment

Extended PBA is usually done for

summative or for “placement” assessment

Steps in conducting PBA

1. Specifying the Performance Outcomes Examples of verbs used in learning outcomes

• Measure (distance, sides of a room, angles)

• Mark (location of organs on an outline of human form)

• Construct a weather map

• Identify different parts of a microscope (for restricted PBA)

• Draw a figure (circle, square, parallelogram)

• Design a model of a building

• Demonstrate (a backhand in tennis, correct posture in shooting a basket)

• Perform (a musical instrument)

• Recite (a poem)

• Writes a research report

• Creates a poster display

Steps in conducting PBA

2. Selecting the focus of the assessment – can focus on process, product, or both

1. Assessing the process: If the PBA results in a product, the teacher might want to assess procedure in the beginning (e.g., identifying different apparatus). Sometimes, the PBA that results in a complex performance can also be broken down to assessment at this level (e.g., the first two weeks of a PE class may focus on running, jumping, resistance, etc.)

Steps in conducting PBA

2. Selecting the focus of the assessment –

can focus on process, product, or both

2. Assessing the product – sometimes, we are

interested in the product (because the

processes may be many, not clearly

identifiable, etc.). E.g., solving a word

problem; throwing a discus; long jump; etc.

Steps in conducting PBA

3. Selecting an appropriate degree of realism

1. Performance tasks can vary in degree of realism.

For example

1. 40 x .06 = 2.40 - lowest level of realism

2. Determine earnings on a principle of $40, with monthly

interest rate of 6% - more realistic than the first

3. Creating a chart of earnings for 12 months – more realistic than the

second

4. Managing a bank account (with fake dollars) – higher than the third

5. Managing a real bank account (with money earned through class

tasks) – high realism

Steps in conducting PBA

3. Selecting an appropriate degree of realism 2. The level of realism a teacher needs to use

depends on: a. The learning objective (which may be easily assessed

using a paper-pencil test – e.g., write a letter)

b. Components of the overall skills required may be satisfied with a paper-pencil test (e.g., identifying different parts of a microscope before learning to operate it)

c. Practical constraints may prohibit the teacher from doing a full-scale performance based assessment (e.g., creating a bank account may not be feasible)

d. The task may not allow for realism to be created (e.g., CPR dummy HAS to be used)

Steps in conducting PBA

4. Selecting the performance situation – for the learning objectives/outcomes decided earlier, the teacher may select from the following:

1. Paper-pencil performance

2. Identification test

3. Structured performance test

4. Simulated performance

5. Work sample

6. Extended research project

Let’s look at each one of these – including examples

Steps in conducting PBA

4. Selecting the performance situation 1. Paper-pencil

Before they start a school year, the coach may be interested in whether

students know the various positions in the court. He/she may ask

students to create a layout of a basketball court and draw the location of

the different team members on court.

Before they handle expensive instruments, students might have to demonstrate

their knowledge of various parts of the instrument via a paper-pencil test.

2. Identification test

Identify the various sounds made by different instruments

Identify the different types of leaves that can be toxic/harmful (before

going on a field trip)

Identify the best sentence from a list of different sentences

Steps in conducting PBA

4. Selecting the performance situation 3. Structured performance test - Elements of a larger

performance – highly structured/controlled

Running a half length of the court while dribbling the ball and executing a jump shot

Adjusting the focus in a microscope

This becomes a bit time-consuming. It also requires detailed directions. Grading also calls for judgment – so, criteria for grading need to be set up ahead of time (e.g., in Handwriting, is posture important? Is type of grasp important? To what extent can students write outside the line before they are deemed to be failing? How many words do they need to write? Is time/speed important?)

Steps in conducting PBA

4. Selecting the performance situation 4. Simulated performance

Internet / computer programs that simulate banking

Pretend grocery store

5. Work sample

Create a database, given specific directions

Identify elements of a cell, given a prepared slide

Write one page to demonstrate handwriting

Draw a still-life

Steps in conducting PBA

4. Selecting the performance situation 6. Extended Research Project

Any project you assign to students should follow the following steps/criteria

1. Establish criteria and standards for performance

It’s best to involve students in setting criteria (more motivating, higher engagement on part of student; must be checked against the learning objectives)

2. Help select and state the problem

Make sure that the problem is:

clear

do-able

authentic

has more than one solution

free from bias, is fair

Encourage students to participate in deciding on the problem – try to state as question

3. Help locate and select resources

Identity resources they can use (remember, children whose parents are poor may not be able to take them to meetings/public library or purchase items)

Make sure resources are relevant

Steps in conducting PBA

4. Selecting the performance situation 6. Extended Research Project

Any project you assign to students should follow the following steps/criteria

4. Provide guidance in writing the report

-Develop criteria for writing the report (best to use student self- or peer-evaluation here)

-Criteria should come from the learning objectives

-Give detailed feedback as the report is being developed (peer- evaluation or teacher evaluation)

5. Help design and complete the product

sometimes the written report is the project, but sometimes it needs to be further developed into a display, include graphs, a model, etc.

-make sure criteria for evaluating product are developed and communicated!

6. Create time/space/opportunities to present product (fosters communication skills, helps children learn from each other)

Steps in conducting PBA

5. Making performance assessment more

authentic -What are the benefits of making assessment authentic?

* more relevant

* more motivating

* encourages real-world skills (and transfer to real world)

* can be complex and employ higher-level thinking

*aids real understanding

Steps in conducting PBA

6. Selecting the method of observing, recording and

scoring

-systematic observation & anecdotal records

-checklists

-rating scales

-scoring rubrics

You can use any one or combination of these to evaluate.

Steps in conducting PBA

6. Selecting the method of observing, recording and

scoring

-systematic observation & anecdotal records

When/if students are working on a project in class – teachers are

often informally observing. Instead, teachers could write notes

on specific events – e.g., unusual cooperation between

students, descriptions of areas where students had the most

difficulty. The anecdotal records should be created/maintained

in the following way:

-focus on meaningful incidents

-write them up soon after the incident

-write enough detail to make sense of it later

-keep judgments/interpretations separate from the discussions

Steps in conducting PBA

6. Selecting the method of observing, recording and scoring

-checklists

Contains of elements/steps sequentially listed with a “yes” or “no” option

Often used to provide students with a means of self-check

Activity: Create a checklist for students working on the poster (My Community OR Alternative sources of energy)

-Rating scales

Can be used to assess process and/or product

Steps in conducting PBA

6. Selecting the method of observing, recording and scoring

-Rubrics

Are of two types: Analytical & Holistic

Analytical - Much like checklists, they explain the number of points assigned to each element. You add up the points to assign a grade.

Holistic/global – see handout. Based on a general rating, you can assign writing in categories of 4, 3, 2, or 1.

Analytical is helpful for formative, Holistic for summative assessment.

Advantages & Disadvantages of

PBA

Advantages

Can assess complex

learning outcomes

Provides a natural, direct,

and complete evaluation of

some types of skills

Meaningful

learning/performance

makes the student more

motivated

Encourages the application

of learning to real-life

situations

Disadvantages

Vulnerable to effects of

rating biases (personal,

generosity)

Requires a lot of time and

effort to implement

Evaluation must be done

individually (not in groups)

Can do only few of these –

especially if they are

extended response