CHAPTER 7PERFORMANCE-BASED

TESTS

Traditional standardized objective

test

Alternative assessment mechanism

Multiple choice tests

PERFORMANCE-BASED ASSESSMENT

Best way to gauge a student or pupil competency in a certain task is through en situ or on site.

A performance-based test -assess students on what they

know, what they are able to do and the learning strategies they employ in the process ofdemonstrating it.

Performance- based assessment

ObservationEn situ on site

• Portfolios of a student’s work overtime

• Student’s demonstration•hands-on execution of experiments by

students• Student’s work in simulated

environment

(APPROACH)

Bryant

Keeping records of all tasks successfully and skillfully performed by a student

Mehrens

Performance testing is NOT new

ff. PERFORMANCE TESTING

PROCEDURES

performance-based tests

Performance Testing

procedures

• performance tasks• rubrics scoring

guides • Exemplars of

performanceRequire students to perform a certain task or activity or perhaps solve complex problems

Performance-based testAssess students on what they

knowWhat they are able to do Learning strategies they employ

in the process of demonstrating it

Ex: hands-on execution of experiments by students

Students’ demonstration

PERFORMANCE TASKSStudents are required to draw on

the knowledge and skills they possess

To reflect upon them for use in the particular task at hand

Task require a combination of the two approaches

Example: problem solving skills

Students or pupils learn optimally by actually doing (Learning by doing)

-constructivist philosophy

task need to be consistent with the intended outcomes of the curriculum and the objectives of instruction

Require students to manifest(a) What they know(b)Process by which they came to

know it

in addition, performance-based test require that tasks involve examining the processes as well as the products of student learning,

RUBRICS AND EXEMPLARS Rubrics to describe student

performance

A scoring method that lists the criteria for a piece of work, or “ what counts” (for example, purpose, organization, details, voice, and mechanics are often what count in a piece of writing);

Perkins et al (1994) provide example of rubrics scoring for student

This rubric lists the criteria in the column on the left

The report must explain1) The purposes of the invention2) The features or parts of the

invention and how they help it serve its purposes.

3) The pros and cons of the design4) How the design connects to

other things past, present, and future.

The four columns to the right of the criteria describe the varying degrees of quality, from excellent to poor.

Rubrics for an Invention ReportCriteria Quality

(3)Most acceptable

(2)Acceptable

(1)Less acceptable

(0)Not acceptable

Purposes The report explains the key purposes of the invention and points out less obvious ones as well

The report explains all of the key purposes of the invention

The report explains some of the purposes of the invention but misses key purposes

The report does not refer to the purposes of the invention

Features The report details both key and hidden features of the invention and explain how they serve several purposes

The report details the key features of the invention and explains the purposes they serve

The report neglects some features of the invention or the purposes they serve

The report does not detail the features of the invention or the purposes they serve.

Critique The report discusses the strengths and weaknesses of the invention, and suggest ways in which it can be improved

The report discusses the strengths and weaknesses of the invention the report

Discusses either the strengths and weaknesses of the invention but not both. The report does not

Mention the strengths or the weaknesses of the invention

Connections The report makes appropriate connections between the purposes and features of the invention and many different kinds of phenomena

The report makes appropriate connections between purposes and features of the invention and one or two phenomena

The report makes unclear or inappropriate connections between the invention and other phenomena.

The report makes no connections between the invention and other things

SUB-TOTALS

Average:__________ Figure 1 – Prototype of Rubric Scoring

Creating Rubrics1. survey models – show students

examples of good and not-so-good work. Identify the characteristics that make the good ones good and the bad ones bad.

2. define criteria- from the discussions on the models, identify the qualities that define good work.

3. agree on the levels of quality – describe the best and worst levels of quality, then fill in the middle levels based on your knowledge of common problems and the discussion of not-so-good work.

4. practice on models- using the agreed criteria and levels of quality, evaluate the models presented in step 1 together with the students.

5. use self- and peer-assessment – give students their task. As they work, stop them occasionally for self-and-peer-assessment.

6. revise- always give students time to revise their work based on the feedback they get in step 5.

7. use teacher assessment- use the same rubric students used to assess their work yourself.

Figure 2 shows a teacher-made rubric prepared to assess the videotaped: Reading Rain-bow style” book talks.(Ann Tanona, a second grade teacher, as lifted from heide Andrade, 2007. http:www.yahoo.com).

Criteria Quality

Did I get my audience’s attention?

Creative Boring beginning No beginning

Did I tell what kind of book?

Tells exactly what type of book it is

Not sure, not clear

Didn’t mention it

Did I tell something about the setting?

Tells when and where story takes place

Slid over character

Did not tell anythingabout main character

Did I mention the setting?

Tells when and where story takes place

Not sure, not clear

Didn’t mention setting

Did I tell one interesting part?

Made it sound interesting- I want to buy it!

Told part and skipped on to something else

Forgot to do it

Did I tell who might like this book?

Did I tell Skipped over it Forgot to tell

How did I look? Hair combed, neat, clean clothes, smiled, looked up, happy

Lazy look Just-go-out-of-bed look, head down

How did I sound? Clear, strong, cheerfulvoice

No expression in voice

Difficult to understand – 6- inch voice or screening

Figure 2 – Book Talk Rubric

Tips in Designing RubricsCriterion Quality

Gains attention of audience. Give details

or an amusing fact, a series of questions, a short demonstration, a colorful visual or a personal reason why they picked this topic.

Does a two-sentence introduction, then starts speech.

Gives a one-sentence introduction, then starts speech

Does not attempt to gain attention of audience, just starts speech.

Figure 3. -Rubric for an Oral Presentation

criterion Quality Gives enough details

Yes, I put in enough details to give the reader a sense of time, place, and events

Yes, I put in some details, but some key details are missing

No, I didn’t put in enough details, but I did include a few.

No, I had almost no details.

Figure 4- Rubric for evaluating a Scrapbook (lifted from Andrade, 2007

rubricsare scales that differentiate

levels of student performance.

Contain the criteria that must be met by the student and the judgment process that will be used to rate how well the student has performed.

An exemplar is an example that delineates the desired characteristics of quality in ways students can understand.

Well designed rubrics include:Performance dimension that are critical to

successful task completion;Criteria that reflect all the important

outcomes of the performance task;A rating scale that provides a usable, easily-

interpreted score;Criteria that reflect concrete references, in

clear language understandable to students, parent, and other teachers;

Automating Performance-Based TestsEach performance task/problem

that is used in the test should be clearly defined in terms of performance standards not only for the end result but also for the strategies used in various stages of process.

A user need not always end up accomplishing the task; hence it is important milestones that the test taker reaches while solving the problem.

Having defined the possible strategies, the process and milestones, selection of tasks that comprise a test should allow the design of good rubrics for scoring.

Every aspect of the problem-solving activity that we wish to test has to lead to a set of changes in the system, so that the testing software can collect evidence of the student’s competency.

THE END..