QUALITY ASSESSMENT PRACTICES &

PROJECT BASED LEARNING

Clarity of Learning Targets, Setting objectives, Formative Assessment as Feedback and Balanced Assessment

Formative Practices

Teacher Clarity d=0.75 (+27%)

Formative eval of programs d=0.90 (+31%)

Providing feedback d=0.73 (+26%)

Students Self-Reporting Grades d=1.44 (+~45%)

Authors commonly associated with these:Arter, Chappuis, Brookhart, Stiggins, Hattie

Bibliography located at: http://bulldogcia.com/Articles.htm

Assessment within PBLThings to remember and guide you

Target selected “power standards”◦ In depth standards create the opportunity

for in depth authentic assessment

Select 21st Century Skills to teach and assess (e.g. collaboration, presentation and critical thinking)

Formatively assess only for the purpose of revision and improvement

Assessments*excerpt (p. 121) from Project Based Learning Toolkit Series—PBL Starter Kit: To-the-Point Advice, Tools and Tips for Your First Project in Middle or High School

Formative Assessments (During

Project)

Summative Assessments (End of Project)

Quizzes/Tests Written Products with Rubric

Journal/Learning Log Multiple/Choice/Short Answer Test

Preliminary Plans/Outlines/Prototypes

Essay Test

Rough Drafts Peer Evaluation

Online Tests/Exams Self-Evaluation

Practice Presentations Other Product(s) or Performance(s) with Rubric

Checklists  

Concept Maps  

The assessment itself doesn’t determine if it is formative or summative…only the use of it can make that determination

Two Purposes of Assessment

SUMMATIVEAssessments OF Learning

The purpose is to report on learning

FORMATIVEAssessments FOR Learning

The purpose is to improve learning and shape instruction

What is balanced assessment?

All slides related to the 5 Keys to Quality Assessment are ideas taken from:

Stiggins, R.J., Arter, J., Chappuis, J. & Chappuis, S. (2007). Classroom assessment for student learning: Doing it right—using it well. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

Balanced Assessment

SummativeProvides evidence achievement to certify student competence or program effectiveness

Formative uses of summative dataUse of summative evidence to inform what comes next for individuals or groups of students

FormativeFormal and informal processes teachers and students use to gather evidence to directly improve the learning of students assessed

Assessment for learning

Use assessments to help students assess and adjust their own learning

Assessment for learning

Use classroom assessments to inform teacher’s decisions

Quality Classroom Assessment

5 Keys to Quality Classroom Assessment

1. Why assess? (PURPOSE)

2. Assess what? (TARGETS)

3. Assess how? (DESIGN)

4. Communicate how? (COMMUNICATION)

5. Involve students how? (STUDENT INVOLVEMENT)

Stiggins, et al (2007). CASL

PURPOSE

TARGET

ACCURACY EFFECTIVE USE

STUDENTINVOLVEMENT

DESIGN

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

Stiggins, et al (2007). CASL

Classroom Assessment: Accuracy

Why Assess?

Assess What?

Assess How?

Key 1 Purpose—WhyEducators need to:

Understand who the assessment users are and the needs of the assessment users

Understand the relationship between assessment and student motivation

Use results in a formative & summative way

Have a plan to integrate assessment of and for learning in the classroom

Key 2 Clarity of Targets—What

The most critical question—it drives planning, instruction and assessment.

We need to…Identify and broadcast the essential learning targets

(refer to Andrew Miller article)

Articulate differences between learning targets and activities

Have a comprehensive plan over time for assessing the learning targets

Differentiate between “window shopping standards” and “buying standards”

Clarity—Where am I going?

Key Point: differentiate between learning targets and learning activities

How might you do this? Take 2 min and talk to your neighbor.

Clarity—Where am I going?

What are some ways that you can engage students that will require them to interact with one another and establish learning target clarity at the same time within a PBL design?

Hint: Think of examples of strong and weak work

Clarity—Defining quality work

Students must first be able to:◦Understand concepts that define quality

before being asked to self-assess them

HOW?

One way to do this is to use rubrics

Clarity—Strong and weak work

Use anonymous samples

After defining the criteria…◦have students look at 2 samples and

determine which ones do/do not meet the criteria and why

When are learning intentions useful?Read p. 56 excerpt from:

Wiliam, D. (2011). Embedded Formative Assessment. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.

Clarity—Using rubrics

It acts as a diagnostic tool so..

Each feature of quality needs described—from beginning to proficient. “This is beginning because…”

This aligns with teaching the elements of quality

Allows you to provide feedback related to elements of quality

Key 3: Assess how? (DESIGN)

Why is that important?

Target-Method Match

There are specific ways in which learning targets are most effectively & efficiently assessed.

Classroom Assessment: Effectiveness

Communicate how?

Involve students how?

Key 4: Effective Communication

Key 5: Student Involvement

Keys 4 & 5 are really assessment strategies

The 7 Strategies of Assessment FOR Learning

Chappuis (2009)

We Will Emphasize a Formative Assessment System…one built on the premise of feedback

Principles of Providing FeedbackWHAT’s NEXT FEEDBACK— feedback isn’t necessarily about how to do it

correctly. What if it is all done correctly? Feedback needs to direct attention to what’s next for the learner. Think of the student who is a high achiever…what’s next for her?

FOCUSED FEEDBACK— feedback should do its best to focus on one particular

aspect of quality at a time because too much feedback can prevent improvement.

FEEDBACK TO FEED FORWARD— direct feedback at the student’s acquisition of the

learning intentions and success criteria; not just ___ out of ____ correct. Instead of this, use a “find it, fix it” strategy.

Formative EvaluationTeacherWhere are they going?Where are they now?What’s next?

StudentWhere am I going?Where am I now?What’s next?

These are on-going

Student Feedback within PBL

Critical thinking and in-depth understanding can be readily activated through self-reflection and peer to peer dialogue

The teacher’s role?◦Explicitly teach this◦Model it◦Engineer the kind of environment that

has it built into the fabric of the classroom

7 Strategies of Assessment for Learning

Based on the underlying belief that students are the most influential decision makers in the classroom

Addresses 3 questions:Where am I going?Where am I now?How do I close the gap?Chappuis, J. (2009). Seven strategies of assessment for learning. Portland,

OR: ETS.Sadler, D.R. (1989 & 1998)

Where am I going?

1. Clarity of learning intentions/targets

2. Strong and weak examples of the work we want students to do

Where am I now?

3. Provide regular descriptive feedback◦ Helps students begin to monitor where

they are in relationship to where they need to be

4. Teach students to self-assess and set goals

◦ Students need to know where they are in order to set goals

◦ They need to be taught how to self-assess

How Can I Close the Gap?5. Design lessons to focus on one target or

quality aspect at a time◦ Makes monitoring the learning more specific

6. Teach students focused revision◦ Task analyze the target into small chunks◦ Practice and revise

7. Engage students in self-reflection; have them track and share

◦ This impacts the retention of things learned and increases motivation

Strategies of Formative Assessment*excerpt (p. 46) from Wiliam (2011). Embedded formative assessment. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.  Where the learner is

goingWhere the learner is right now How to get there

Teacher

Clarifying and sharing learning intentions and criteria for success

Engineering effective classroom discussions, activities and tasks that elicit evidence of learning

Providing feedback that moves learning forward

Peer Understanding and sharing learning intentions and criteria for success

Activating learners as instructional resources for one another

Learner

Understanding learning intentions and criteria for success

Activating learners as the owners of their own learning