COURSE CODE: EDU 61

Assessment of Learning 2 with Focus on Trainers Methodology 1 & 2

Nature of Performance-Based Assessment

Week 5: March 8 to March 12, 2021
2nd Semester, S.Y. 2020-2021
COURSE MODULE
Introduction
Traditional testing cannot measure a number of skills directly. Skills requiring the
demonstration of students’ understanding by creating an answer, carrying out performance, or
producing a product which involves independent judgment, critical thinking and decision
making are best asserted with performance test. This type of authentic assessment provides
evidence of what the students know and can do in the context of real life.

Intended Learning Outcome

At the end of this chapter, the students should be able to;

1. Analyze the nature and the essential characteristics of performance-based assessment.

Topics

1. Meaning and Characteristics

1.1 PBA as Defined by Authorities

Performance-Based Assessment is one in which the teacher observes and makes a

judgment about the student’s demonstration of a skill or competency in creating a product,
constructing a response, or making a presentation (McMillan, 2007).
Performance-Based Assessment (PBA) is an alternative form of assessment that moves
away from traditional paper-and-pencil tests (Ferman, 2005). It involves students producing
project whether it is an oral, written, individual or group performance. The students are
engaged in creating a final project that exhibits understanding of concepts they have learned.
Performance-based assessments process the creative aspect of the students in bringing out
what they know and what they can do through different performance tasks such as exhibits,
projects and work samples. Hands-on experiences allow them to be more critical, motivated
and involved when they are allowed to perform on their own. Students can acquire and apply
knowledge, skills and work habits through the different performance tasks which are
meaningful and engaging to the students.
Types of activities that best exemplified performance-based assessments include solving
and conducting experiments and investigations, return demonstration, speech, skit, role
playing, constructing and implementing seminar plan or creating video presentation.
It is stipulated in the DepEd Order No. 7, s. 2012 that the highest level of assessment
focuses on the performances (product) which the students are expected to produce through
authentic performance tasks. The assessment at this level should answer the question, “What
product (s) or performances (s) do we want students to produce as evidence of their learning or
understanding?” or “How do we want them to provide evidence that they can transfer their
learning to real life situations?”
Moreover, Linn (1995) stated that performance assessments provide a basis of teachers to
evaluate both the effectiveness of the process or procedure used (e. g. approach to data
collection, manipulation of instruments) and the product resulting from performance of a task
(e. g. completed report of results, completed art work). Unlike simple tests of factual
knowledge, there is unlikely to be a single right or best answer. Rather, there may be multiple
performances and problem solutions that may not be adequately assessed by paper-and-pencil
tests.

1.2 Features of PBA

Some performance assessment proponents contend that genuine performance assessments

must possess at least three features (Popham, 2011):
  Multiple evaluation criteria. The student’s performance must be judged using more
than one evaluation criterion.

 Pre-specified quality standards. Each of the evaluative criteria on which a student’s

performance is to be judged is clearly explicated in advance of judging the quality of
the student’s performance.

 Judgmental appraisal. Unlike the scoring of selected-response tests in which

electronic computers and scanning machines can, once programmed, carry on without
the need of humankind, genuine performance assessments depend on human
COURSE MODULE
judgments to determine how acceptable a student’s performance really is.

All educational institution expects students to demonstrate different skills in various

learning areas and most often subjected to classroom performance assessment. Some
characteristics of this assessment which can be observed in the actual classroom setting may
include student performance, creation, construction and production of product which can
assess deep understanding and reasoning skills. Lastly, the performance should be grounded in
real-world contexts which calls for authenticity of performance.

2. Types of Performance Tasks

The main objective of the performance task is to capture all the learning targets
which be aligned to the teaching and learning objectives, activities and assessment.

2.1 Solving a problem. Critical thinking and problem solving are important skills that need to
be sharpened and developed by the learners. Teachers may include activities and make sense
of complex authentic problems or issues to be solved by the students. This helps the students
become independent thinkers and learners for life, and help them meet the challenges of the
21st century.

2.2 Completing an inquiry. An inquiry tasks is one in which the students are asked to collect
data in order to develop their understanding about a topic or issue. Examples of inquiries
include science investigation, research based activities, survey and interviews or independent
studies. Students determined what data are needed and under what conditions that data should
collected, present data and develop conclusions.

2.3 Determining a position. This task requires students to make decision or clarify a position.
Case analysis and issue related activities or debate are some examples of this task.

2.4 Demonstration Task. This task shows how the students use knowledge and skills to
complete well- defined complex tasks. Students explain or describe how something works or
how to do something when they perform these tasks. Examples are: demonstrating steps or
procedures of cooking and explaining the earthquake safety procedures. The focus of
demonstration task is accuracy in clarifying the steps of process as well as careful reasoning
concerning the rationale for each step of the process.

2.5 Developing Exhibits. Exhibits are visual presentations or displays that need little or no
explanation from the creators. An exhibit is offered to explain, demonstrate or show
something. Classroom applications include exhibit of best works, pictures or painting, projects
or even portfolios.

2.6 Presentation Task. This is a work or task performed in front of an audience. Storytelling,
singing and dancing, musical play or theatrical acting are some presentations which
demonstrate presentations tasks.

2.7 Capstone Performances. These are tasks that occur at the end of a program of study and
enable students to show knowledge and skills in the context that matches the world of
practicing professionals. These tasks include research paper, practice teaching, internship, or
on-the-job training.
 3. Strengths and Limitations

Several authorities discussed the advantages of performance assessments over other

assessments.

3.1 Advantages

1. Performance assessment clearly identifies and clarifies learning targets. Authentic

performance tasks such as real world challenges and situations can closely match with
the various complex learning targets. This offers a direct way to assess what the
COURSE MODULE
students know and can do within the variety of realistic contexts.
2. Performance assessment allows students to exhibit their own skills, talents, and
expertise. Task show integration of the student’s skills, knowledge and abilities,
provide challenge and opportunities to exhibit their best creation. This also assesses
the ability “to do” of the students.
3. Performance assessment advocates constructivist principle of learning. Students
are more engaged in active learning and give more opportunities to demonstrate their
learning in different ways in complex tasks. Students use their previous knowledge to
build a new knowledge structures and be actively involved in exploration and inquiry
through different tasks.
4. Performance assessment uses a variety of approaches to student evaluation. This
offers students a variety of way of expressing their learning and increase the validity
of student’s evaluation. Teachers may share criteria of assessment before the actual
evaluation so that students can use these criteria as well.
5. Performance assessment allows the teachers to explore the main goal and
processes of teaching and learning process. Teachers may reflect and revisit
learning targets, curriculum and instructional practices, and standards as they utilize
performance-based assessment. They may use a variety of teaching strategies and
techniques, and explore how students will use the instructional material and resources
given to them.

Though performance assessments offer several advantages over traditional objective

assessment procedures, they have some distinct limitations as well.

3.2 Disadvantages

1. Development of high quality performance assessment is a tedious process.

Performance assessment needs careful planning and implementation. It is very time
consuming to construct good tasks. Teachers have to make sure that the performance
tasks expected from the students are authentic and match the outcome to be assessed
and not with other qualities that are not part of the outcomes to be assessed. Quality
scoring rubrics are difficult to create as well.
2. Performance assessment requires a considerable amount of time to administer.
Paper-and-pencil takes 15 to 20 minutes per tasks to complete depending on the
number of items. Most authentic tasks take a number of days to complete. Most of the
time, performance assessment is administered to small groups of students unlike
traditional testing which is simultaneously administered to an entire class.
3. Performance assessment takes a great deal of time to score. The more complex the
process and performance, the more time you can expect to spend in scoring. To reduce
the scoring time, crafting a high quality rubric is recommended.
4. Performance task score may have lower reliability. This resulted to inconsistency
of scoring by teachers who interpret observation quite differently. With complex
tasks, multiple correct answers, and fast-pace performances, scoring depends on
teachers’ own scoring competence.
5. Performance task completion may be discouraging to less able students. Some
tasks that require students to sustain their interest for a longer time may discourage
disadvantaged students. They may have partial knowledge of the learning target but
may fail to complete the task because it does not allow them to utilize this partial
knowledge effectively and efficiently.