Creating Effective Performance Assessment

Summary

In this insightful video, Dan Hickey discusses the creation of effective performance assessments, emphasizing their importance in educational contexts. He highlights key characteristics, such as the necessity for multiple evaluative criteria and pre-specified standards. Hickey also outlines guidelines for designing tasks that are authentic, generalizable, and fair, while underscoring the significance of scoring rubrics to ensure valid assessment. Additionally, he addresses common biases and errors in scoring, promoting a reflective approach to assessment practices. Ultimately, the video advocates for performance assessments as a tool for enhancing student learning and fostering meaningful feedback.

Takeaways

• 😀 Performance assessments involve observing students as they create original responses, differentiating them from traditional assessments.
• 📜 Historical attempts at performance assessments in the 1990s faced challenges that led to a return to conventional testing formats.
• 💻 A new wave of computer-based performance assessments is emerging, aiming to overcome past issues with sophisticated technology.
• 📝 Effective performance assessments should be derived from curriculum aims, allowing for inferences about student abilities.
• 🔍 Tasks should challenge students to apply their knowledge in varied contexts, except in areas like music or dance where direct competency can be assessed.
• 📊 Performance assessments must be judged on multiple evaluative criteria, such as content, delivery, and appearance.
• 🔑 Clear standards for evaluation should be communicated to students prior to assessments to ensure fairness and transparency.
• 🎯 Scoring rubrics should be used, with skill-focused rubrics recommended for better instructional alignment and assessment accuracy.
• ⚖️ Instructors must be mindful of biases in scoring, including generosity, severity, central tendency, and the halo effect.
• 💬 Formative feedback and assessment conversations are essential for enhancing student learning through constructive discourse.

Q & A

What is the main focus of Dan Hickey's video?

The main focus of the video is on creating effective performance assessments in education, including their principles, practices, and evaluation methods.

What distinguishes performance assessments from traditional assessments?

Performance assessments involve students constructing original responses and are evaluated based on multiple criteria, as opposed to traditional assessments that often rely on multiple-choice questions.

What are the three key features of performance assessments highlighted by Hickey?

The three key features are: 1) performance must be judged on multiple evaluative criteria; 2) standards must be pre-specified and communicated to test takers; and 3) performance tasks are appraised judgmentally.

What does Hickey mean by 'authentic assessment'?

Hickey suggests that the term 'authentic assessment' can be misleading; instead, he emphasizes that different views of learning lead to varied characterizations of authenticity in assessments.

How does Hickey suggest performance tasks should be derived?

Performance tasks should be derived from the curricular aims and should reflect what students are expected to learn, allowing instructors to make inferences about students' abilities to meet those aims.

What are the five guidelines for evaluating performance tasks as per Hickey?

The guidelines are: 1) tasks should generalize to similar tasks; 2) they should be authentic; 3) they should allow for multiple evaluative criteria; 4) tasks should be teachable; and 5) they should be fair and unbiased.

What types of rubrics does Hickey mention for scoring performance tasks?

Hickey mentions three types of rubrics: task-specific, hyper-general, and skill-focused rubrics, with skill-focused rubrics being the most recommended for their effectiveness in guiding instruction.

What common biases can affect the scoring of performance assessments?

Common biases include generosity error, severity error, central tendency error, and halo effect, all of which can lead to inaccuracies in scoring students' performances.

How does Hickey suggest addressing scoring errors in performance assessments?

To address scoring errors, Hickey advises constructing and trialing rubrics beforehand and ensuring clarity in task instructions while also considering the potential for biases.

What additional concept does Hickey mention regarding performance tasks?

Hickey mentions the concept of formative feedback and assessment conversations, where students engage in discussions about their responses to performance tasks, fostering a deeper learning experience.