Rich Classroom Assessment through Implementation of Project Based Learning

Rich Classroom Assessment throughImplementation of Project Based Learning Denise White WVDE Office of Instruction

What is PBL? Students working in teams to experience and explore relevant, real-world problems, questions, issues, and challenges; then creating presentations and products to share what they have learned.

A Project Learning Classroom is ... • Project-centered • Open-ended • Real-world • Student-centered • Constructive • Collaborative • Creative • Communication- focused • Research-based • Technology- enhanced • 21st Century reform-friendly • Hard, but fun!

Project Learning is Skill-Based To learn collaboration – work in teams To learn critical thinking – take on complex problems To learn oral communication – present To learn written communications – write

Project Learning is Skill-Based To learn technology – use technology To develop citizenship – take on civic and global issues To learn about careers – do internships To learn content – research and do all of the above

The Rigor/Relevance Framework K N O W L E D G E T A X O N O M Y 6 5 4 3 2 1 Evaluation C Assimilation D Adaptation Synthesis Analysis Application A Acquisition B Application Understanding Awareness 1 2 3 4 5 Apply across disciplines Apply to real world predictable situations Apply to real-world unpredictable situations Knowledge Apply in discipline APPLICATION MODEL International Center for Leadership in Education

In a project learning classroom The teacher’s role is one of coach, facilitator, guide, advisor, mentor… not directing and managing all student work.

Rigor/Relevance FrameworkStep 1. C Teacher gives students a real-world question to answer or problem to solve. D R I G O R High A B Low Low High Relevance

Rigor/Relevance FrameworkStep 2. C D R I G O R High A B Students seek information to answer question or solve problem. Low Low High Relevance

Rigor/Relevance FrameworkStep3. C D R I G O R High Students test the relevancy of the information as it relates to the question or problem. A B Low Low High Relevance

Rigor/Relevance FrameworkStep 4. C Students reflect on the potential use of the new information as a solution D R I G O R High A B Low Low High Relevance

Rigor/Relevance FrameworkStep 5. C D Students apply the information learned to answer the question or to solve the problem. R I G O R High A B Low Low High Relevance

TRADITIONAL ASSIGNMENT • RESEARCH PAPER • Required Elements: • Select a disease to study • Go to library and do research • Write ten pages • Use proper essay form • Include a bibliography

PBL ASSIGNMENT • HEALTH PROJECT • Required Elements: • Develop family medical histories • Write proposal to study health issue of personal or community interest • Keep research log, including citations • Produce a newsletter • Develop lesson plans and materials for underserved population • Present to real audience

Traditional Assignment • Student works alone • Context is school • Assessment by teacher only • PBL Assignment • Student works alone and in teams • Context is family and community • Assessment by real audience and teacher TRANSFORMING PRACTICE

Pbl vs. projects Continuum of Practice

DESIGN FOR ASSESSMENT Traditional Approach: CONTENT PLAN INSTRUCTION INSTRUCTION PLAN ASSESSMENT ASSESS Outcome-Based Approach: OUTCOME PLAN ASSESSMENT PLANINSTRUCTION INSTRUCTION ASSESS

How Do We Assess in PBL? • Formative Assessment • Performance Assessment • Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment • takes place during the learning process • informs both teachers and students • allows teachers to adjust instruction • involves students • cannot be separated from the instructional process • is Classroom Assessment for Learning

Formative Assessment gives teachers information that they can use to inform their teaching and improve learning while it is in progress and while the outcome of the race can still be influenced. Laura Greenstein What Teachers Really Need to Know about Formative Assessment

Formative Assessment: • Focuses instruction on informed priorities • Allows for customized learning • Encourages teachers and students to work together toward achievement • Increases student engagement and motivation • Increases coherence between curriculum, instruction and assessment

Student Focused Formative Assessment helps teachers • Consider each student’s learning needs and styles and adapt instruction • Track individual student achievement • Provide appropriately challenging instructional activities • Design student assessments • Offer all students opportunities for improvement through descriptive feedback

Instructionally Informative Formative Assessment • Provides a way to align standards, content, and assessment • Allows for purposeful selection of strategies • Embeds assessment in instruction • Guides instructional decisions

Outcomes Based Formative Assessment • Emphasizes learning outcomes • Makes goals and objectives transparent to students • Provides clear assessment criteria • Closes the gap between what students know and desired outcomes • Provides feedback that is relevant, comprehensible, actionable • Provides valuable diagnostic information by generating informative data

Formative Assessment focuses on achieving goals rather than determining if a goal was or was not met.

Research “Formative Assessment shows an effect size of between .4 and .7, the equivalent of going from the 50th percentile to the 65th percentile.” Paul Black & Dylan Wiliam, 1998 “Inside the Black Box: Raising Standards Through Classroom Assessment”

Seven Strategies • Where am I going? • Provide clear Learning Target • Use exemplars of strong and weak work • Where am I now? • Provide descriptive feedback • Teach students to self-assess & set goals • How can I close the gap? 5. Design lessons to focus on one aspect • Teach students focused revision • Engage students in self-reflection, let them keep track of and share their learning Stiggins, 2006

http://wvde.state.wv.us/teach21

Know – Need to Know • Conducted at the beginning of a PBL • Helps teacher determine what clinics or mini-lessons to conduct • May grow as students work through their project • Can be used as a checklist at the end of the project to determine if needs were met

Observations in PBL • Allow teachers to • Assess how well students work with others • Teacher Observation Checklists • Assess student use of technology • Assess student understanding of content

Questioning in PBL • Allows teachers to • Determine which content has been learned • Determine if students understand the process as well as the content • Target individual students during a presentation to determine if all students understand the content

Discussion in PBL • By listening to student discussions during a PBL a teacher can • Determine student depth of understanding • Assess student communication skills • Evaluate how well students collaborate

Logs in PBL • The use of Journals or Learning Logs can help teachers to • Assess student skill in communication through writing • Assess student depth of understanding • Assess student ability to present logical arguments to back up their opinions • Examine sources used to gather information

Peer/Self- Assessment • These assessments help teachers • Assess what students say they know • Understand what peers understand about the assignment • These assessments help students • Assess their own learning • Set goals for their own learning • Become more metacognitive and self-directed

Practice Presentations • These assessments help teachers • Gauge student progress toward completion of the project • Assess what presentation skills need to be retaught • These assessments help students • Practice in a safe environment • Receive feedback from peers • Understand what needs to be done before the final presentation

Quizzes in PBL • Have a place in PBL • May be used to determine if the content knowledge is being acquired • Should provide explicit feedback to students • May or may not be used for a grade

QuestionsaboutFormativeAssessmentand PBL

Rich Classroom Assessment through Implementation of Project Based Learning