Process-Oriented,Performance-Based Assessment

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Objective:
Construct a response, create a product or perform a demonstration.

Introduction:

Too often, we tend to assess students' learning through their outputs or products or
through some kind of traditional testing. This chapter is concerned with process-oriented,
performance-based assessment. Assessments is not end in itself but a vehicle for educational
improvement.
Assessment is most effective when it reflects an understanding of learning as
multidimensional, integrated and revealed in performance over a time.
Assessment should reflect these understandings by employing a diverse army of
methods, including those that call for actual performance, using them over time so as to reveal
change, growth and increasing degree of integration. Such an approach aims for a more
complete and accurate picture of learning.

1. Process-Oriented Learning Competencies

Information about outcomes is of high importance; where students “end up” matters
greatly. But to improve outcomes, we need to know about student experience along the way–
about the curricula, teaching, and kind of student effort that lead to particular outcomes.
Assessment can help us understand which students learn best under what conditions; with such
knowledge comes the capacity to improve the whole of their learning. Process - oriented
performance-based assessment is concerned with the actual task performance rather than the
output or product of the activity.

1.1. Learning Competencies

The learning objectives in process-oriented performance-based assessment are stated
in directly observable behaviors of the students. Competencies are defined as groups or
clusters of skills abilities needed for a particular task. The objectives generally focus on those
behaviors which exemplify a “best practice” for the particular task. Such behaviors range from a
“beginner: or novice level up to the level of an expert. An example of learning competencies for
a process-oriented performance- based assessment is given below:

Task : Recite a poem by Edgar Allan Poe, “The Raven”.

Objectives: The activity aims to enable the students to recite a poem entitled “The
Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe, specifically to:
1. Recite the poem from memory without referring to notes;
2. Use appropriate hand and body gestures in delivering the piece;
3. Maintain eye contact with the audience while reciting the poem;
4. Create the ambiance of the poem through appropriate rising and falling intonation;
5. Pronounce the words clearly and with proper diction.
 Notice that the objective starts with a general statement of what is expected of the
student from the task and then breaks down the general objective into easily observable
behaviors when reciting a poem. The specific objectives identifies constitute the learning
competencies for this particular task. As in the statement of objectives using Bloom’s
taxonomy, the specific objectives also range from simple observable process to more
complex observable processes,e.g. Creating an ambiance of the poem through
appropriate rising and falling intonation.A competency is said to be more complex when
it consists of two or more skills.

The following competencies are simple competencies:

● Speak with a well-modulated voice;
● Draw a straight line from one point to another point;
● Color a leaf with green crayon.
The following competencies are more complex competencies:
● Recite a poem with feeling using appropriate voice quality, facial expressions and hand
gestures;
● Construct an equilateral triangle given three non-collinear points;
● Draw and color a leaf with green crayon.

2. Task Designing
Learning the tasks need to be carefully planned. In particular, the teacher must ensure
that the particular learning process to be observed contributes to the overall understanding of
the subject or course. Some generally accepted standards for designing a task include:
● Identifying an activity that would highlight the competencies to be evaluated, e.g. reciting
a poem, writing an essay, manipulating the microscope, etc.
● Identifying an activity that would entail more or less the same sets of competencies. If an
activity would result in too many possible competencies, then the teacher would have
difficulty assessing the student’s competency on the task.
● Finding a task that would be interesting and enjoyable for the students. Tasks such as
writing an essay are often boring and cumbersome for the students.

3. Scoring Rubrics
Rubric is a scoring scale used to assess student performance along a task-specific set
of criteria. Authentic assessments typically are criterion-referenced measures, that is, a
student’s aptitude on a task is determined by matching the student’s performance against a set
of criteria to determine the degree to which the student’s performance meets the criteria for the
task. To measure student performance against a predetermined set of criteria, a rubric, or
scoring scale, is typically created which contains the essential criteria for the task and
appropriate levels of performance for each criterion. For example, the following rubric (scoring
scale) covers the recitation portion of a task in English.
Recitation Rubric

Criteria 1 2 3

No. of x1 1-4 5-9 10-12

Appropriate
Hand Gestures

Appropriate x1 Lots of inappropriate Few inappropriate No apparent

Facial facial expression facial expression inappropriate facial
Expression expression

Voice inflection x2 Monotone voice Can vary voice Can easily vary
used inflection with voice inflection
difficulty

Incorporate x3 Recitation contains Recitation has some Recitation fully

proper ambiance very little feelings feelings captures ambiance
through feelings through feelings in
in the voice the voice

As in the given example, a rubric comprises two components: criteria and levels of
performance. Each rubric has at least two levels of performance. The criteria,characteristics of
good performance on a task, are listed in the left-hand column in the illustrated rubric. Actually,
as is common in rubrics, a shorthand is used for each criterion to make it fit easily into the
table. The full criteria are statements of performance such as “include a sufficient number of
hand gestures” and “recitation captures the ambiance through appropriate feelings and tone in
the voice”.
For each criterion, the evaluator applying the rubric can determine to what degree the
student has met the criterion. In the given rubric, there are three levels of performance. In the
given rubric, there are three levels of performance in the criterion. For example, the recitation
can contain lots of inappropriate, few inappropriate or no inappropriate hand gestures.

Descriptors
The rubric includes another common, but not a necessary, component of rubrics —
descriptors. Descriptors spell out what is expected of students at each level of performance for
each criterion. A descriptor tells students more precisely what performance looks like at each
level and how their work may be distinguished from the work of others for each criterion.
Similarly, the descriptors help the teacher more precisely and consistently distinguish between
student work.

Why include Levels of Performance

1. Clearer expectations
It is very useful for the students and the teacher if the criteria are identified and
communicated prior to completion of the task. Students know what is expected of them and
teachers know what to look for in student performance. Similarly, students better understand
what good (or bad) performance on a task looks like if levels of performance are identified,
particularly if descriptors for each level are included.

2. More consistent and objective assessment

In addition to better communicating teacher expectations, levels of performance
permit the teacher to more consistently and objectively distinguish between good and
bad performance, when evaluating student work.\

3. Better feedback
Further, identifying specific levels of student performance allows the teacher to
provide more detailed feedback to students. The teacher and the students can more
clearly recognize areas that need improvement.

Analytic Vs. Holistic Rubrics

Analytic Rubric
Most, Rubrics like the recitation rubric mentioned, are analytic rubrics. An analytic rubric
articulates levels of performance for each criterion so the teacher can assess student
performance for each criterion so the teacher can assess student performance on each
criterion. Using the recitation rubric a teacher could assess whether a student has done a poor,
good or excellent job of “creating ambiance” and distinguish that from how well the student did
on “voice inflection”

Holistic Rubric
In contrast, a holistic rubric does not list separate levels of performance for each
criterion, instead a holistic rubric assigns a level of performance by assessing performance
across multiple criteria as a whole. For example, the analyze research rubric above can be
turned into a holistic rubric.

3 - Excellent Speaker
● Included 10-12 changes in hand gestures
● No apparent inappropriate facial expressions
● Utilized proper voice inflection
● Can create proper ambiance for the poem

2 - Good speaker
● Included 5-9 changes in hand gestures
● Few inappropriate facial expressions
● Had some inappropriate voice inflection changes
● Almost creating proper ambiance

1 - Poor Speaker
● Included 1-4 changes in hand gestures.
● Lots of inappropriate facial expressions
● Used monotone voice
 ● Did not create proper ambiance

When to choose an analytic rubric

Analytic rubrics are more common because teachers typically want to assess each
criterion separately, particularly for assignments that involve a large number of criteria. It
becomes more and more difficult to assign a level of performance in a holistic rubric as the
number of criteria increases. As student performance increasingly varies across criteria it
becomes more difficult to assign an appropriate holistic category to the performance.
Additionally, an analytic rubric better handles weighting of criteria.

When to choose a holistic rubric

So when may you use a holistic rubric? Holistic rubric tends to be used when a quick or
gross judgment needs to be made. If the assessment is a minor one, such as a brief homework
assignment, it may be sufficient to apply holistic judgment to quickly review student work. But
holistic rubrics can also be employed for substantial assignments. On some tasks it is not easy
to evaluate performance on one criterion independently of performance on a different. For
example, many writing rubrics are holistic because it is not always easy to disentangle clarity
form organization or content from presentation. so , some educators believe a holistic or global
assessment of student performance better captures student ability on certain tasks.
( alternatively, if two criteria are nearly inseparable, the combination of the two can be treated as
a single criterion in an analytic rubrics)

How many levels of performance should I include in my rubric?

There is no specific number of levels a rubric should or should not possess. It will vary
depending on the task and your needs. A rubric can have as few as two levels of performance
or as many as you decide is appropriate. Also, it is not true that there must be an even number
or an odd number of levels. Again, that will depend on the situation.
Generally, it is better to start with a smaller number of levels of performance for a
criterion and then expand if necessary. Making distinctions in student performance across two
or three broad categories is difficult enough. As the number of levels increases and those
judgements become finer and finer, the likelihood of error increases.

Activity
Choose any five activities below and then construct your OWN scoring rubrics

1. Use evidence to solve a mystery

2. Devise a game
3. Participate in a debate
4. Infer the main idea of a written piece
5. Draw a picture that illustrates what’s described in a story or article. Explain what you
have drawn, using details from the story or article
6. Write a research paper
7. Apply a scoring rubric to a real or simulated piece of student work
8. Write an outline of a text or oral report
9. Propose and justify a way to resolve a problem
10. Design a museum exhibit
11. Develop a classification scheme for something and explain and justify the categories
12. Justify one point of view on an issue and then justify the opposing view.
13. Given background information, predict what will happen if _____________
14. Evaluate the quality of a writer’s arguments
15. Combine information from several sources to draw a conclusion about something.