All About Performance Tasks (PTs)

Tags: Performance based learning and assessment, assessments, rubric, desired student outcomes, realistic, problem solving,

Essential Questions

An Assessment Tool/ Method: Authentic assessment: Process Skills and Affective: Attitudes and Habits of Mind (time management, honesty, persistence, interpersonal skills, appreciation of diversity and working cooperatively with others
Means to assess Content knowledge (single or multiple)
Move from standardized testing: pen-paper assessment
Based on Blooms taxonomy: Instead of testing knowledge only: Recall, Identify, List, Match, we are testing for comprehension, application and synthesis: Classify, compare, analyse, evaluate and (analogies, categorising information, drawing inferences)

Curricular and Pedagogical Organisers: 21st Century literacy, Multi and Interdisciplinarity, Part of UbD approach in unit design, Problem based learning and Creative Thinking, common approach in Assessment framework
Rooted in Curriculum
Cooperative
Authentic Cycle of learning

After learning all the theory and concepts, its time for the pupils to practice what they have learnt and to see how well they can apply

Benchmarking Utilises Rubrics to measure qualitative ability rather than test for right answers. Allows students to see how well they perform and chart future progress. Can be used to compare with pupils from other classes or outside their school.
Artifacts created from PTs can be used as show-case or for pupil's portfolio development

A form of Authentic Assessment: Means to assess students' 'real' ability to apply in the 'real' world.
Meaningful and Engaging to students: Problems are often complex and realistic. Appeals to different interests, intelligences and strengths of learners
Means of providing formative assessment and feedback

http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/196021/chapters/What_is_Performance-Based_Learning_and_Assessment,_and_Why_is_it_Important%C2%A2.aspx