Assessing and Evaluating for Learning

The Project based learning environment provides broad opportunities for authentic assessment and evaluation for learning. Students are involved in in-depth studies situated within the inquiry process.

• Learning takes place when students call upon prior knowledge, question and review that knowledge and build new ideas and construct new knowledge.
• Authentic assessment and evaluation take place when students are engaged in meaningful and contextualized tasks that are embedded in these processes of learning. Teaching/learning and assessment/evaluation always go hand in hand.

Support FOR learning: a key concept 

The Framework for the Evaluation of Learning for Preschool and Elementary Levels (DGFJ - Ministère de l'Éducation du Québec) recognizes that evaluation supports two purposes:

• support for learning
• recognition of competencies. (It should be noted that within the Framework for the Evaluation of Learning for Preschool and Elementary Levels, evaluation for recognition of competencies includes support for the students as its ultimate goal as well.)

In the context of project based learning we consider assessment and evaluation in terms of their support for learning. Assessment and judgments will always:

• be used to support students in acquiring knowledge and developing competencies.
• be integrated into the teaching and learning process.
• enable adjustments in teaching practices.

Clarifying our goals by clarifying the terms we use

• Assessment is usually defined as the gathering of data and information to be used to create change.
• Evaluation is the process that leads to a judgment made from the assessment procedures to determine what learning has taken place.
• Authentic evaluation (sometimes referred to as Performance Assessment and Evaluation) assumes that assessment and evaluation
  • are integrated into the teaching and learning process
  • involve students in complex contextualized tasks
  • are used to improve/change teaching practices
  • lead to a process of inquiry
• Evaluation for learning supports learning and allows for adjustments during the learning process.
• Evaluation of learning is the process to determine the degree to which competencies have been acquired and is usually carried out at the end of a cycle.

Authentic assessment and evaluation prescribe that assessment is part of the process of formative evaluation that can take place throughout a project. Judgments and decisions made will have an effect on project plans and student activities, individually or as a group.

Key points about assessment and evaluation for learning within a project:

• Students must know where they have been, where they are and where they are going.
• Students are engaged in the process - they reflect on their learning over time.
• Process is most important.
• Criteria must be set at the beginning of the project and/or activity.

Planning for Assessment and Evaluation

Five considerations to make when assessing and evaluating for learning.

Planning the What?
What Cross-Curricular competencies will be selected and evaluated?
What essential learning or key features of Subject Area competencies will be evaluated?

Sample of Criteria Selection:
- Evaluating "To use information and communication technology" (elementary sample)
- Évaluer « Exploiter les technologies de l'information et de la communication »
- Evaluating "To adopt effective work methods"
- Blank organizer for selecting criteria

Purpose- Why?
Why is data being gathered and recorded? What will be done with the information gathered? How will it be used to benefit student learning?

Tools- How?
How will data be gathered and recorded? What methods and tools will be used?

People-Who?
Who will gather and record data and draw conclusions? Who will be involved in the process of decision making and the formulation of new action?

Opportunity - When?
During what part of the project process will the assessment and evaluation take place? Specifically, what will students be doing?

- Samples: Why? How? Who? When?
- A blank organizer to help consider Why? How? Who? When?

Pulling it Together - linking the 5 aspects of assessment planning

- A sample guide What, Why, How, Who and When as applied to a project
- A blank planning guide

Assessment Tools - Gather data and Evaluate 

• Classroom Assessment: Minute by Minute, Day by Day by Siobhan Leahy, Christine Lyon, Marnie Thompson and Dylan Wiliam In a classroom that uses assessment to support learning,the divide between instruction and assessment blurs. From clarifying intentions to engineering classroom discussions, these strategies define everyday assessment for learning.
• Seven Practices for Effective Learning , by Jay McTighre and Ken O'Connor  Teachers in all content areas can use these seven assessment and grading practices to enhance learning and teaching. 
  
• Performance Assessment from the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development

Rubrics

• Assessment and Evaluation: Creating a Rubric to read more about why rubrics are useful, setting criteria, suggested categories, and basic rubric structure
• Sample rubric for evaluating a Cross-Curricular Competency based on Cross Curricular Competency - To adopt effective work habits
• Using Rubrics to Promote Thinking and Learning , by Heidi Goodrich Andrade Instructional rubrics help teachers TEACH as well as evaluate student work. Further, creating rubrics with your students can be powerfully instructive.
• Instructional Framework: Rubrics in the Classroom Information about defining, when to use and how to design a rubric.
• Ideas and Rubrics From the Instructional Intranet of Chicago Public Schools Provides excellent information about Rubrics and how to create one from scratch

Portfolios

• The Power of Portfolios An article discussing the benefits of portfolio assessment
• Portfolio Process Provides theory, resources and support materials for the implementation of the portfolio process.

Anecdotal Records - Read more