Project Based Learning

and
Authentic Assessment
By
Nancie Martin
 Nancie Martin
• I teach ABE
Grade 12 at
North West
Regional College
In North
Battleford
Psychology 30
Biology 30
Visual Art 30
Workshop Plan
Traditional
Teaching/Assessment
At one time lecturing and then giving a test on the
lecture material was the most efficient way of
delivering content. There was no internet and no easy
access to textbooks.
Giving a lecture is a SKILL and some teachers consider
themselves skilled captivating lecturers
For many of us though there are more engaging ways
available to us of disseminating information and that
includes allowing students to discover information for
themselves and problem solve!!
 What is PBL???
• Project Based • PBL asks a question or poses
a problem that your students
can answer. You provide the
Learning takes materials, the reasons, the
time (and the timeline) as
many forms… well as the authentic
assessment criteria.
• Example: The following 3 slides
are the first 3 slides of a ppt. One
• To start of my students submitted on a
biology topic.
Ask a question!!
By: Krista
How could behaviour evolve? (question as presented to
Main idea:
the student)
Behavior can be influenced by both genes and
experience. Successful behaviors are those that give
individuals an advantage for survival and
reproduction. This can be taught or learned. Learned
behavior includes habituation, conditioning, and
imprinting. Cognitive behavior involves thinking,
reasoning and problem solving. (student’s answer)
Innate behavior
Behaviors that are
genetically based and not
linked to past experiences.
Hatched birds make innate
chirping sounds so the
parent knows to feed
them.
(Student begins to define
terms from initial answer –
has also found a graphic to
illustrate point)
 Using Guiding Questions
• Represents authentic • Using questions or
learning. problems that have to
• In real life adult be solved teaches coping
students have life skills and a methodology
problems that need to for solving some of the
be solved – issues issues outside the
classroom. The teacher
around post secondary
needs to relate the
goals, childcare, bills
academics to real life as
etc.
much as possible.
 What are guiding questions?
Are the sea
Are el levels rising
• TheHowmost is the
difficult part about • The question andshould
what
greenhouse Ninos
choosing a topic and related to engage your students
might be the –
effect
essential
effectingquestion for studyglobal it should have relevance
effects?
is to
ourget away from
climate? warming to their lives. It should
traditional questions. pose an investigation –
What
there arebe
may themore
• (Traditional)
What (if demands
than we are
1 correct answer.
• "What anything)
is Globalcan Warming?“ putting on our planet
individuals
• How could do
you revise this for resources as we
to affect demand a certain
question to generate inquiry?
global quality of life?
Ideas????warming
What is Authentic Assessment?
(Hopefully you aren't this confused!)

• Let’s start
with some
definitions…
 What is AA?
 A form of assessment in  Engaging and worthy
which students are problems or questions
asked to perform real- of importance, in which
world tasks that students must use
demonstrate knowledge to fashion
meaningful application performances
of essential knowledge effectively and
and skills -- Jon Mueller creatively. -Wiggins
More examples of authentic
assessments
• Labs
• Interviews
• Skills check list
 Another way to define AA...
 Is to differentiate it from
Traditional Assessments….
A
(T.A.) So a multiple choice test
s
or a short answer quiz might
s
e
be a traditional assessment.
s  One way to look at it might be
s to examine a scale where TA's
m fall more towards the left end
TA e AA of the scale and AA's fall more
n towards the right end.
t
Traditional --------------------------------------------- Authentic

Selecting a Response ------------------------------------ Performing a Task

Contrived --------------------------------------------------------------- Real-

life

Recall/Recognition ------------------------------- Construction/Application

Teacher-structured ------------------------------------- Student-structured

Indirect Evidence -------------------------------------------- Direct Evidence

 Small Group work
Each group will get a card with a definition and a
question. Please discuss your card in your
group. Someone in the group should act as a
“secretary” and write down all the generated
wisdom and someone should be encouraged
to act as the “reporter” to share your group’s
ideas with the rest of us. Please keep our
timelines in mind!!!
Group 1Selecting a Response to
Performing a Task:
On traditional assessments, students might
be given a multiple choice, true/ false or
matching type test to make sure they
understand the material.
In Authentic assessments students are
required to demonstrate understanding by
application (doing).
What are some projects that your group members are doing
with your classes that require students to demonstrate
meaningful application of material? How are they assessed?
Group 2 Contrived to Real-life:
Tests are often a contrived means of
assessment -for example in real life things
are not often either true or false and you
don’t usually get 4 answers to choose from
in making choices in real life! More
commonly in life, as in authentic
assessments, we are asked to demonstrate
proficiency by doing or making something.
What are some projects that your group members are doing
with your classes that require students to demonstrate
proficiency of material? How are they assessed?
Group 3Recall/Recognition of Knowledge
to Construction/Application of
Knowledge: Traditional assessments (i.e., tests and
quizzes) can determine whether or not students have
acquired knowledge. However, the demonstration of
recall and recognition on tests is typically much less
revealing about what we really know and can do than
when we are asked to construct a product or performance
out of facts, ideas and propositions. Authentic
assessments often ask students to analyze, synthesize
and apply what they have learned.
What are some projects that your group members are doing
with your classes that require students to analyze, synthesize
and apply material? How are they assessed?
Group 4 Teacher-structured to Student-structured: When
completing a traditional assessment, what a student can
demonstrate has been structured by the teacher who
developed the test. A student's attention will probably be
focused on what is on the test. Authentic assessments
allow more student choice and construction in
determining what is presented as evidence of proficiency.
Even though students cannot always choose their own
topics or formats, there are usually several acceptable
ways of constructing a product or performance.

What are some projects that your group members are doing
with your classes that allow for student choice in determining
what is presented? How are they assessed?
Group 5 Indirect Evidence to Direct Evidence:
In a multiple-choice question a student is asked to recall
the facts, and the student selects the correct answer. We
don’t always know whether the student actually knew the
answer or whether they made a lucky guess. The
evidence is very indirect. Authentic assessments may
offer more direct evidence of application and
construction of knowledge. For example driving a car
provides much more direct evidence of proficiency than
giving the student a written test.
What are some projects/assignments that your group members
are doing with your classes that allow for student showing
direct evidence that they have a certain skill? How are they
assessed?
Why Use Authentic Assessment?
 Teachers usually use both
traditional and authentic
assessments to serve different
purposes. In the ABE
Curriculum we have content
that we want students to be
able to use and apply in the
“real world” so it makes sense
that we ask students to
construct knowledge instead of
just memorize facts in this
curriculum.
 Assessing PBL
• Using Rubrics!!!
• I am an enthusiastic
rubric maker, user
and promoter!
Rubrics can change
your life!
• Imagine a tool that….
 Assessing PBL
• Cuts your marking
time significantly!
• Provides clarity for
each assignment
• (no surprises!)
• Provides a working
guide for students
 How to Develop a Rubric
(One of many ways…)
• Define the learning outcome or objective
• Work backwards to define possible criteria
• Range from highest performance to lowest
• Each level should be directly observable
• Scores usually numerical are assigned
• Share with the students the accountable
standards
 Break

• Don’t have too many

snacks at break! Leave
room for cookies!
 How to Develop a Rubric
• IDENTIFY YOUR IMPORTANT
ELEMENTS…
• Cookie elements or dimensions:
– Overall Taste
– Texture
– Colour
– Number of chocolate chips
– Richness
Adapted from an activity by : Dr.
Alexandra Leavell University of North
Texas
 Cookie Rubric
Delicious Tasty Edible Yuck
Number of Chip in Chips in 75% Chips in Too few
chips every bite of bites 50% of chips
Across the top you will want to evaluative
bites
Texture
terms from
Chewy
poor work to excellent (or Like
Chewy middle, Crunchy or
vice a dog
versa) crispy edges uncooked biscuit

Colour Golden Too brown or Very brown Burned

brown the sidetoo
Along light the components
identify or very of a
light
project and you will define your criteria.
Overall Home
Thisbaked Quality
will depend on store Tastelessso it Tastes
your assignment
taste taste bought taste terrible,
may be grammar, creativity, length, sources burnt,
used etc. stale
Richness Rich, Medium fat Low-fat Nonfat
creamy, content flavor flavor
High fat
 Cookie Rubric
Delicious Tasty Edible Yuck
Number of Chip in Chips in 75% Chips in Too few
chips every bite of bites 50% of chips
bites
Texture Chewy Chewy middle, Crunchy or Like a dog
crispy edges uncooked biscuit
Within each cell of the grid write down, write
Colour Golden Too brown
down the elements or Very
necessary brown
a score in thatBurned
brown
section – this too light
allows you to beorvery
very
objective
light
and fair in your grading. (Groupwork!)
Overall Home baked Quality store Tasteless Tastes
taste taste bought taste terrible,
burnt,
stale
Richness Rich, Medium fat Low-fat Nonfat
creamy, content flavor flavor
High fat
 Cookie Rubric
Delicious Tasty Edible Yuck
Number of Chip in Chips in 75% Chips in Too few
chips every bite of bites 50% of chips
bites
Texture Chewy Chewy middle, Crunchy or Like a dog
crispy edges uncooked biscuit

Colour Golden Too brown or Very brown Burned

brown too light or very
light
Overall Home baked Quality store Tasteless Tastes
taste taste bought taste terrible,
burnt,
stale
Richness Rich, Medium fat Low-fat Nonfat
creamy, content flavour flavour
High fat
 The Cookie Dilemma

• Range of “performance” for a chocolate

chip cookie something like this :
– Delicious (7-8)
– Tasty (5-6)
– Edible (3-4)
– Yuck! (1-2)
– or you can choose to distribute marks with
different categories weighted higher than
others depending upon the importance
 Delicious Tasty Edible Yuck
7-8 5-6 3-4 1-2
Number of Chip in Chips in 75% Chips in Too few
chips every bite of bites 50% of chips
bites
Texture Chewy Chewy middle, Crunchy or Like a dog
crispy edges uncooked biscuit

Colour Golden Too brown or Very brown Burned

brown too light or very
light
Overall Home baked Quality store Tasteless Tastes
taste taste bought taste terrible,
burnt,
stale
Richness Rich, Medium fat Low-fat Nonfat
creamy, content flavor flavour
High fat
Narrow it down...
 It’s not possible or
even reasonable to
assess everything the
students do. Decide
where marks can be
assigned – it’s
possible to deepen
this by having
students help decide
on criteria
Once a Project has been assigned….
Write it up as an explicit detailed assignment. It’s quite
possible, if you have written it well, to use the
rubric as your assignment sheet (this also saves
you work and saves paper!!)Give copies out and
discuss criteria for evaluation. Having your students
involved in the creation of the assessment itself
allows the students take responsibility for their own
learning and makes it easy to understand exactly
what the teacher’s expectations are in terms of
marks for the project.
 Okay lets see how easy it is to
mark with a rubric…..
• Objective: To see
how quick and easy
marking can be
(there is more to
life than marking!)
• Objective: To mark
fairly and
objectively!
Almost ready to try marking with
a rubric??
Just before you do my
marking for me ….
I’ll go through a few
things that go into
the planning process
and show you some
rubrics that I used
for inspiration….
 Q: What is a tessellation?

• Students might find

out that a tessellation
is like a puzzle that
repeats a particular
pattern.
• After some research
and practice with the
tessellating stage I
bring up my project
and start creating an
assignment.
 Creating Your Own Rubrics
• First identify what
important
performance
outcomes are for this
assignment

Shape? Complexity? Accuracy? Colour? Interior of Shape? Neatness?

 How will you assess these
outcomes?
• The easiest way is to develop a
range of “performance” for a each outcome –like
we did with the cookies. For example take
complexity for example:
1-2 Straight sides
3-4 Moderate complexity easy to tessellate
5-6 Intricate shape difficult to tessellate
Frequently, RUBRICS are put into a matrix, but they can
be checklists or fill-in-the blanks
Some examples
These are actual student posters….
I decided to grade for
Shape
Interior
Creativity
Quality (accuracy)
Directions followed
Neatness
Consistent colours

Take a minute to score

this one – (no peeking
at anyone else’s paper-
We want to check our
objectivity at the end!)
What do you think?
How about this one?
Are you getting quicker?
One last one..
 More stuff…
Classroom Assessment Techniques
Informal/Immediate Feedback
• The One-Minute Paper
The minute paper is an exercise in which you ask students to write for one minute on a
topic - usually along the line of what they have come away from today’s lesson
understanding better OR what they still are not clear about. This is useful in content
type classes like biology but could be used in other areas including math.
• The One-Sentence Summary
In this method, students write and then discuss a one-sentence summary that describes
the content covered in class.
• Paraphrasing
In paraphrasing, students summarize a concept or procedure in two or three sentences.
• Applications Cards
Here, the teacher asks students to think of real-world applications of topics discussed in
class. Example: geometry the students might identify (after a lesson on area)
calculating floor or wall area for carpeting or paint.
 Checklists
 I find these less informative
than rubrics but they are still a
useful tool in AA. They allow a
quick non-subjective
assessment and are great
reminders for students to go
back and make sure they have
included everything you have
asked for
 You might use these to assess
performance in group work or
for the “non-negotiables” in an
assignment
 Biography
Sites I used and sites that may be useful to you!
 http://www.teachervisio
 http://jonathan.mueller.f n.fen.com/page/4911.ht
aculty.noctrl.edu/toolbox ml
/whatisit.htm  http://edweb.sdsu.edu/w
 http://www.teachervisio ebquest/rubrics/webless
n.fen.com/page/4911.ht ons.htm
ml  http://www.carla.umn.ed
 http://www.middleweb.c u/assessment/VAC/Evalu
om/rubricsHG.html ation/p_7.html
 http://www.mybta.org/cc
/san_antonio/project_ba
sed_learning_online_vers
ion.pdf
 More sites
• http://www.educ.state. • http://www.teach-nolo
ak.us/tls/frameworks/la gy.com/web_tools/rubr
ngarts/42tools.htm#holi ics/general/
sticrubricsscales
• http://rubistar.4teacher
• This site has some s.org/
great ready made • These sites are online
rubrics you can print rubric creators - very
and use useful!!
 More sites
• http://www.educ.state. • http://www.teach-
ak.us/tls/frameworks/la nology.com/web_tools/
ngarts/42tools.htm#holi rubrics/general/
sticrubricsscales • This site is an online
rubric creator - very
• This site has some useful!!
great ready made
rubrics you can print
and use