( a CRPP-RGS PeRL Research Project ) Student Performance and Assessment

1. The Performance task as an alternative assessment: Its contribution to teaching and learning (a CRPP-RGS PeRL Research Project)Student Performance and Assessment SYM033 Raffles Girls' School (Secondary), Singapore Uncovering Wisdom Through Pedagogy

2. OUTLINE • SYM033a : Informing the practice on the school-wide implementation of the Performance Task as an alternative assessment.By Mary George CHERIYAN • SYM033b : Teacher perception and attitudes towards the design and implementation of the Performance Task as an alternative assessment.By PuayLan CHUA, Lucille • SYM033c : Student motivation and achievement in the Performance Task.By Christopher SLATTER Uncovering Wisdom Through Pedagogy

3. Thinking Schools Learning Nation (1997) I & E Teacher Quality of Interaction Learner Teach Less Learn More (2004) …The Journey so far… The journey so far?

4. Guiding Principles Goals/ Outcomes Pedagogy Assessment Uncovering Wisdom Through Pedagogy

5. Assessment Shifts – A Snapshot 2010 Holistic Assessment School-based Science Practical Assessment 2004 C21st Skills Higher order thinking Information communication National Education Project work GCE A level 2003 1997 Uncovering Wisdom Through Pedagogy

6. Other ways of assessment Aimsof exploring new ways to assess • Empower students to thinking more deeply about the Math they are learning • Provide teachers with information to revise and redirect their teaching Uncovering Wisdom Through Pedagogy

7. Other Assessment Homework Class Tests Semestral Exams Where are we? Project work Uncovering Wisdom Through Pedagogy

8. Many other assessments Can it be done? • Problem solving tasks • Investigation • Projects • Journals • Conferences • Portfolios • Oral presentations • Class discussions • Observation • Peer-directed • Self-directed • Teacher-directed Uncovering Wisdom Through Pedagogy

9. External Agencies Knowledge & Skills Self assessment Progress World TRENDS in Assessment Sole Reliance On answers Solutions Multiple Sources Feedback Uncovering Wisdom Through Pedagogy

10. Other ways of assessment… On-going process • Involving the partnership of both teacher and students • In making judgment about the student’s progress • Using non-conventional strategies Uncovering Wisdom Through Pedagogy

11. Many forms of assessment… • Problem solving tasks • Investigation • Projects • Journals • Oral presentations • Interviews • Portfolios • Class discussions • Observations • Checklists • Peer assessment • Self assessment • Student-generated items Uncovering Wisdom Through Pedagogy

12. Three perspectives (house 1981) Technological Cultural • Measurement • Knowledge • Skills • Interpretation • Integration Political • Power • Authority • Competing interests Uncovering Wisdom Through Pedagogy

13. OUTLINE • SYM033a : Informing the practice on the school-wide implementation of the Performance Task as an alternative assessment.By Mary George CHERIYAN • SYM033b : Teacher perception and attitudes towards the design and implementation of the Performance Task as an alternative assessment.By PuayLan CHUA, Lucille • SYM033c : Student motivation and achievement in the Performance Task.By Christopher SLATTER Uncovering Wisdom Through Pedagogy

14. Informing the practice on the school-wide implementation of the performance task as an alternative assessment. ((a CRPP-RGS PeRL Research Project)Presenter: Mary George Cheriyan Director RGS PeRL Presented at the Redesigning Pedagogy Conference, June 2011 Uncovering Wisdom Through Pedagogy

15. Overarching Concepts • Culture of informed practice:Teachers integrate their experience, judgement and knowledge with current, relevant and reliable research. • Reflective Practice: habit of inquiring and investigating a problem situation in order to understand how to frame a solution (Schon, 1983,87) Uncovering Wisdom Through Pedagogy

16. Outcomes This way of thinking is likely to instill in teachers the following attributes: • Open-mindedness (Dewey, 1933) • Sense of responsibility • Motivation (Loughran, 2002) Uncovering Wisdom Through Pedagogy

17. School-based research • The divide between academic and teacher research • Legitimacy of the knowledge production by school-based inquiries • The teachers’ voice (Zeichner, 1995) Key ideas Uncovering Wisdom Through Pedagogy

18. Uncovering Wisdom Through Pedagogy

19. Research project: The performance Task Performance tasks are based on real world situations in which the student creates products and/or performances that demonstrate her key understandings of the big ideas in the topic. Students apply higher order thinking to synthesize their knowledge of content and acquisition of skills to offer solutions and perspectives on the given issue. They may do so through divergent products that are appropriate to the context and their learning styles. The rubric lists the criteria that describe the standards by which their product/performance is assessed. Uncovering Wisdom Through Pedagogy

20. Value of pt Multiple measures of learning (Eisner, 1999), Tomlinson & McTighe, 2006) Demonstration of critical thinking ( Howell, Brocato, Paterson, Bridges, 1999; Foo and Fan, 2007) Requires content mastery & conceptual understanding (MacLellan, 2004) Uncovering Wisdom Through Pedagogy

21. The pt in rgs • Alignment to the Integrated Curriculum Model (Baska, 1987) • The RGS Assessment Framework Time-based Assessments Applied understandings -Performance Tasks Growth over time -Journal and Portfolios Applied understandings -Performance Tasks Uncovering Wisdom Through Pedagogy

22. The research questions • Reliability and validity of school-constructed performance tasks: Focus on Secondary maths • What are teachers’ beliefs, attitudes, self-efficacy and their pedagogical practices in designing and implementing the performance task? How are they related with one another? • What are students’ motivation and their achievement in the performance task? How are they related with one another? Uncovering Wisdom Through Pedagogy

23. The Teachers’ Voice Teacher perception and attitudes towards the design and implementation of the Performance Task as an alternative assessment (a CRPP-RGS PeRL Research Project) SYM033b Uncovering Wisdom Through Pedagogy

24. Focus Group interview Questions posed What do you understand by the term, ‘Performance Task’? Was this new assessment initiative been clearly communicated to you? Is it a practical move? How accurate (valid and reliable) are performance tasks, compared to other forms of assessments, in gauging students’ understanding of a topic? Do you vary your pedagogy according to the type of assessments planned, pen and paper assessment (PPA) or performance task (PT)? Uncovering Wisdom Through Pedagogy

25. Focus Group interview Questions posed What form of mentoring do you provide your students with as they embark on their performance tasks? Which, PPA or PT, provides students with more opportunities to demonstrate their critical thinking and/or creative thinking? How competent are you in designing a performance task? How can your competency be further developed? What are the challenges that you faced in the design of performance task? How did you overcome your challenges ? Uncovering Wisdom Through Pedagogy

26. Teachers’ responses ….. Understanding of Performance Task • Encourage creativity - create product (2) • Extend student learning beyond the classroom • Demonstrate understanding (3) • Involve critical thinking skills • Challenging • Project work (PW) or alternative assessment (AA) • Audience (3) • Role • Authenticity (9) - transfer or application of learning Communication of Performance Task • PT design meetings – collaborative work • Inferences made about structure • Learn by doing…. look at past PTs, modify, adapt or create (5) • Dialogues on the multi-layered concept among teachers (3) • Workshops: Induction workshop(2) or PeRL PT workshop(2) • Draw parallels - similar to authentic transfer task in • Understanding by Design (UbD) workbook Uncovering Wisdom Through Pedagogy

27. Teachers’ responses ….. Practicality of Performance Task as an Alternative Assessment • Feasible • Individualism (2) • Meaningful and engaging • Process of discovering and uncovering (3) • Assessment beyond the classroom; PPA and textbooks would not be seen as a ‘be-all’ and ‘end-all’ in learning • Authentic scenarios (2) • Challenging Raffles Programme (RP) curriculum • “Assessment chore” • Asia Pacific study on International Baccalaureate (IB) – intensive drilling carried out in Years 5 and 6 • Recognition and acceptance of PT by overseas universities Uncovering Wisdom Through Pedagogy

28. Teachers’ responses ….. Accuracy of Performance Task in Gauging Understanding • Fairness - assess different abilities and skills (3) • Use of assessment rubrics • Benchmarking • Transfer or application of learning (3) • Alignment to learner’s outcomes • Validation: internal and external Pedagogical Approaches and Assessment Modes • Built-in PT Prep (3) • Show relevant examples or tasks • PPA - chalk and board talk on the answer structure (2), • PT - idea exploration and standards (in rubrics) • Understanding by Design (UbD) framework • - alignment of assessment and pedagogy to learner’s outcomes • Status quo Uncovering Wisdom Through Pedagogy

29. Teachers’ responses ….. Mentoring of Students in PT • Level of mentoring depends on class character • Similar form of guidance • Set benchmarks • Audio-visual Aids and digital resources • Task outline • Coaching @ two levels – task requirement and level of development Demonstration of Critical Thinking and/or Creative Thinking • Multi-dimensional exploration of task • Creativity in product design (4) • Measurement of creative thinking is a challenge • Regulate scale of product (2) • Higher order thinking skills like evaluation and decision-making(4) • Evidence of deep critical thinking – looking at perspectives • Variations in approach to task • No model answer Uncovering Wisdom Through Pedagogy

30. Teachers’ responses ….. Level of Competency in PT design and Competency Development • “Good at, but not an expert on” • Begin with the end in mind – key understandings and • nature of product • Learn on the job or learn by doing (5) • Open-mindedness and receptive – continuous learning (3) • Collaboration (2) • Professional dialogues and sharing (3) • PT Guidelines Challenges in PT design and Overcoming the Challenges • Learner’s outcomes – dimensions of learning • Nature of product • Assessment rubrics (3) – wording and standards • Key understanding • Bench-marking and objective grading Uncovering Wisdom Through Pedagogy

31. FINDINGS : High level of awareness on the existence of a STRUCTURE for PT design - GRASPS Greal world GOAL Rreal world ROLE Areal world AUDIENCE Sreal world SITUATION P real worldPRODUCTSorPERFORMANCE S Standards Criteria to judge product or performance Unevenness in the articulation of the meaning of PT Organisational communication of the rationale and objectives of PT is somewhat overlooked as teachers have uncovered and understood the idea of PT through self-discovery, collaborative work, professional discourse and workshops Uncovering Wisdom Through Pedagogy

32. FINDINGS : Generally very supportive of the idea of PT as an alternative assessment as it caters to individuality supports the challenging Raffles Programme (RP) curriculum equips students with the 21st century competencies PTs have been viewed as an ‘assessment chore’ Low level of acceptance of PTs as an indicator of academic achievement by overseas universities PTs do provide a valid measure of the intended student’s outcomes. However the element of reliability is difficult to determine as the nature and form of PTs change on a yearly basis. Uncovering Wisdom Through Pedagogy

33. FINDINGS : Slight to moderate variations in teaching pedagogy; it’s task dependent as well as subject dependent. Teacher-involvement in the student learning process; some forms of teacher guidance, coaching and facilitation are provided. Clear thought processes reflected in the design of PT - begin with the end in mind, and - mindful of a STRUCURE Encourage critical thinking (higher-order thinking skills) and creative thinking (ideas and products). Uncovering Wisdom Through Pedagogy

34. FINDINGS : 2The teachers, as assessors, take responsibilityfor their assessment design. They believe in learning by doing and they commit themselves to continuous learning to enhance their competency in the design of PTs. 1The teachers are very positive about the use of PTs as an alternative mode of assessment. They recognise and acknowledge the value of PTs, especially in equipping the students with the 21st century competency. 1TKey challenge – crafting of assessment rubrics Uncovering Wisdom Through Pedagogy

35. IMPLICATIONS 1. Communicate with clarity, concreteness and completeness to the teachers the idea of PT as effective communication is a necessity to successfully promote a shared vision. Provide i. PT training workshop, conducted either by Alberta Assessment Consortium (AAC) or RGS PeRL, for teachers so that there is a common understanding among the teachers, and ii. greater infrastructure support e.g. provide a rubric construction kit that comprises a rubric checklist and a list of rubric vocabulary. 3. Encourage the development of a Professional Learning Community, where dyadic communication, sharing and support prevails, for PT design. Uncovering Wisdom Through Pedagogy

36. IMPLICATIONS 4. End-of-year departmental review of PTs to fine-tune and improve the quality of existing PTs. (Students’ inputs can be sought.) ensure the validity and reliability of PT as an assessment tool by using a set of PT assessment rubrics. 5. Validate PT as an alternative assessment so that overseas universities would recognise and accept the validity and reliability of PT as a measure of student achievement in RGS in their admission exercise. Uncovering Wisdom Through Pedagogy

37. The Students’ Voice Student Motivation and Achievement in the Performance Task SYM033c Chris Slatter Uncovering Wisdom Through Pedagogy

38. Introduction Uncovering Wisdom Through Pedagogy

39. A Brief History of Performance Tasks at Raffles Girls' School (Secondary) Uncovering Wisdom Through Pedagogy

40. A Brief History of Performance Tasks at Raffles Girls' School (Secondary) The Ministry of Education recognized that nearly all students from the top schools in Singapore progressed to university. Uncovering Wisdom Through Pedagogy

41. A Brief History of Performance Tasks at Raffles Girls' School (Secondary) The Ministry of Education recognized that nearly all students from the top schools in Singapore progressed to university. It was rationalized that these high ability students should not be required to sit O' Level examinations, but should be offered an enriched secondary school curriculum. Uncovering Wisdom Through Pedagogy

42. A Brief History of Performance Tasks at Raffles Girls' School (Secondary) The Ministry of Education recognized that nearly all students from the top schools in Singapore progressed to university. It was rationalized that these high ability students should not be required to sit O' Level examinations, but should be offered an enriched secondary school curriculum. This is the origin of the Raffles Programme. Uncovering Wisdom Through Pedagogy

43. A Brief History of Performance Tasks at Raffles Girls' School (Secondary) Uncovering Wisdom Through Pedagogy

44. A Brief History of Performance Tasks at Raffles Girls' School (Secondary) Best practices in gifted education recommend that the teaching and assessment of high ability students should be aligned with their learning style as well as their interests. Uncovering Wisdom Through Pedagogy

45. A Brief History of Performance Tasks at Raffles Girls' School (Secondary) Best practices in gifted education recommend that the teaching and assessment of high ability students should be aligned with their learning style as well as their interests. This means using a range of pedagogies to teach the students both inside and outside of the classroom, but what about assessments? Uncovering Wisdom Through Pedagogy

46. A Brief History of Performance Tasks at Raffles Girls' School (Secondary) Best practices in gifted education recommend that the teaching and assessment of high ability students should be aligned with their learning style as well as their interests. This means using a range of pedagogies to teach the students both inside and outside of the classroom, but what about assessments? Performance tasks give students some degree of autonomy through choice of topics and allow students to present evidence of their understanding in a variety of different ways. Uncovering Wisdom Through Pedagogy

47. A Brief History of Performance Tasks at Raffles Girls' School (Secondary) The structure of a performance task... G - real world Goal R - real world Role A - real world Audience S - real world Situation P - real world Products and Performance S - Standards criteria to judge product and performance Uncovering Wisdom Through Pedagogy

48. Compare and Contrast... 1) Alternative Assessment. 2) Authentic Transfer Task. 3) Performance Task.

49. Conducting Research into Performance Tasks: The Students’ Voice Uncovering Wisdom Through Pedagogy

50. Conceptual Framework Uncovering Wisdom Through Pedagogy