What is performance-based assessment?

Performance-based assessment requires students to demonstrate their knowledge, skills, and strategies by creating a response or a product (Rudner & Boston, 1994).

So, this form of assessment aims to measure performance on tasks that require students to apply their learning in an actual or simulated setting, instead of recalling the knowledge they have learned.

Performance-based assessment has been described as part of a constructivist philosophy as it involves a two-way interaction between learners and their environment (Yawkey et al., 1994).

Jay McTighe shares some characteristics of performance tasks:

• Performance tasks call for the application of knowledge and skills, not just recall or recognition.
• Performance tasks are open-ended and typically do not yield a single, correct answer.
• Performance tasks establish novel and authentic contexts for performance.
• Performance tasks provide evidence of understanding via transfer (students can apply their learning to new situations).
• Performance tasks are multi-faceted (can assess several standards or outcomes).
• Performance tasks can integrate two or more subjects as well as 21^st-century skills (For example, reading, research, and tech skills).
• Performances on open-ended tasks are evaluated with established criteria and rubrics.

 

Performance-based assessments examples

Here are some examples of performance-based assessments you can integrate into your teaching. These will help you measure important skills that cannot be measured by traditional assessment methods, such as integrating knowledge across disciplines, contributing to a group’s work, problem-solving, conducting an experiment, and monitoring learning progress.

Projects

Projects can help students demonstrate their skills and knowledge and show their creativity. Here, students must conduct a demonstration or do a presentation in class or before other audiences.

These projects can take the form of individual or collaborative activities students work on over time. Yet, teachers should clarify the standards of excellence ahead of time. An example of this type of performance assessment: Science fair projects

Group projects

Group projects facilitate students’ cooperation. Students work together on a complex issue. They plan, search, discuss, and present their findings to others. An example of this type of performance assessment: Project-based learning.

Experiments

These can be used in science classes to test how well a student understands scientific concepts, can apply scientific processes, and reach out to findings and new ideas. Some examples of science experiments are provided here.

Demonstrations

Using demonstrations as an assessment method can help students show their mastery of subject-area content as well as the procedures involved.

Oral presentations

Oral presentations allow students to verbalize their knowledge and develop their presentation skills. Foreign language teachers are more likely to use this performance assessment technique to support students in developing fluency and gaining more confidence in their ability to speak the target language.

Essays

Teachers can assess a student’s understanding of a subject through a written description, analysis, explanation, or summary. So, students need to reflect on the questions to provide well-structured and coherent answers.

Essays may also be used to assess students’ composition skills, including spelling, grammar, syntax, and sentence and paragraph structure.

Portfolios

A portfolio is a collection of students’ work (e.g., notes, writing projects, audio-video recordings, etc.). It reflects their development, achievement, interest, and motivation in the form of notebooks, box files, loose-leaf binders, and scrapbooks.

These performance assessment techniques can help students reveal their learning process and attitudes and communicate their views. This is through demonstrating how their work has been collected, and what are their current learning needs, strengths, and weaknesses as well.

So, portfolios are great reflective tools all subject teachers can use for assessment.

Performance-based assessment benefits

Performance-based assessment can help teachers focus on developing HOT skills, giving students opportunities to think about their learning and assess their progress.

Koretz et al., (1996) found that in implementing performance-based assessment, teachers changed their instructional practice towards emphasizing cooperative work, focusing more on writing, problem-solving, and real-world, hands-on activities; and deemphasizing rote learning and teaching.

Research has also shown that using portfolios, for instance, “encourage students to think creatively, critically, and logically; to set goals for their literacy learning, and to demonstrate their ability to use reading, writing, listening, and speaking in an integrated way and for authentic purposes” (Spalding,1995, p. 2).

Because in performance-based assessment students are given voice and choice, they are likely to get more engaged and motivated to learn.

Indeed, research evidence suggests that this assessment approach can result in positive washback (the effect of tests and/or assessments on learning and teaching).

Darling-Hammond (2006) found that performance assessments that require students to evaluate and solve complex problems, conduct research, write extensively, and demonstrate their learning through projects, papers, and exhibitions have proven keys to motivating students and attaining high levels of learning.

How to create performance-based assessment opportunities for your students?

Designing performance-based assessment requires a substantial amount of time. However, if teachers work cooperatively; they exchange materials and assessment criteria; the task will be easier and will take less time to accomplish.

To develop effective performance-based assessment here are some steps you can follow:

1. Identify desired goals and objectives

Before developing a performance task, it is important to determine what knowledge and skills need to be assessed. So, think about the intended learning outcomes you expect your students to achieve at the end of a unit or class and how these can be demonstrated by students.

2. Design assessment tasks

Once your objectives are identified, decide what tasks will be used to identify if the objectives have been met. So, you need to think about the kind of product or process that will illustrate what students have learned: A classroom demonstration? A presentation to parents and teachers? A portfolio’? etc.

3. Create assessment criteria

To decide how the performance-based assessments will be judged you need to describe how the ideal response will look like. So, think about the characteristics of typical student’s products and performances and develop a clear rubric (rating scale with several categories).

Be sure to discuss it with your students and provide a model response before administering the assessment to help them understand your expectations.

4. Reflect

After the assessment has been administered, observe how students are going through the process, analyse their responses, provide guidance, and reflect on the process. Reflection will help you identify the next steps: how students respond to different scores and how instruction needs to be adapted to improve outcomes.

5. Provide feedback

Because performance-based assessment intends to improve students’ learning, feedback needs to be more than just a number. It needs to be descriptive, showing students their learning strengths and existing learning gaps, and also constructive, helping them close those gaps and work more to further improve.

Assessment should support students’ learning. Therefore, do not rely only on tests and summative assessment methods, think of providing assessment for learning opportunities for your students. Incorporating performance-based assessment into instruction will help you move beyond a grade toward helping all students do their best to improve their performance. You will also reflect on improving instruction and grow in the profession.

The process may seem difficult and time-consuming at first. Yet, give it a try, learn from mistakes, seek others’ help and never give up. You will empower genuine learning.

References

Darling-Hammond, L. (2006). No Child Left Behind and high school reform. Harvard Educational Review, 76(4).

Koretz, D. M., Mitchell, K., Barron, S. I., & Keith, S. (1996). The perceived effects of the Maryland School Performance Assessment Program: Final report (CSETechnical Report No. 409). Los Angeles: University of California, Center for the Study of Evaluation.

Rudner, L. M., & Boston, C. (1994). Performance assessment. ERIC Review, 3(1), 2–12.

Spalding, E. (1995). The new standards project and English language arts portfolios: A report on process and progress. Clearing House, 68, 219-223.

Yawkey, T.D., Gonzalez, V., & Juan, Y. (1994). Literacy and biliteracy strategies and approaches for young culturally and Linguistically diverse children: Academic excellence P-1.A.GE.T. corners dive. Journal of Reading Improvement, 31 (3),130-141.