Lesson 1: Scoring Performance-based Assessment and Authentic Assessment

using Various Tools

After designing performance-based and authentic tasks based on the desired learning
outcomes or competencies, the teacher shall develop good criteria for each task for assessment
and rating. According to Bland and Gareis (2016), it is important to note that subjective
scoring requires subject-specific knowledge on the part of the teacher to evaluate student
performance. Hence, the key to fair assessment is planning, creating transparency and clarity
in how we assess (Maguire, 2021). In general, high-quality performance assessments should
focus on important intended learning outcomes; engage students’ higher-order thinking skills;
integrate authentic tasks and problems; foster both independent and collaborative work;
integrate assessment within the learning process; leverage technology when appropriate; and
have meaningful success criteria (Bland and Gareis, 2016).

In developing assessment criteria, you may reflect on these questions:

 What are the attributes of good performance?
 How do I know when students have reached different levels of
performance?
 What examples do I have for each level?
 What do I look for in evaluating student work?

These criteria must be simple, observable, clear, and proficient. To achieve these, the use of
RUBRICS as an assessment tool is very helpful to the teachers in grading student work.

Rubrics are useful tools that help teachers make consistent judgments about the quality of
learners’ work (DepEd, AusAid, & BEST, 2018). A rubric is a scoring guide that uses criteria
to differentiate between the students’ level of proficiency. Typically, it is presented in a grid
format. Most rubrics include several parts, which are:
1. Traits: the qualities or aspects of students’ performance to be assessed. Traits are usually
expressed as nouns or noun phrases. Examples: “graphic design elements,” “accuracy of
results,” “relevance,” “grammar and mechanics”.
2. Performance levels: a rating scale that identifies students’ level of mastery for a particular
trait. For examples: Excellent/Satisfactory/Fair/Poor; Exceeds/Meets/Fails to Meet
Expectations, etc.
3. Descriptors: Brief descriptions of student work on a particular trait at a specific
performance level. For examples: content is current, methodology promotes active

learning, Datasets are treated with appropriate statistical tools, etc.).

With the Department of Education, Australian Aid and Basic Education Transformation
Sector (2018), teachers in the field use rubrics because it:

 allows assessment to be more objective and consistent because the criteria are in
specific terms;
 clearly shows learners how their work will be evaluated and what they can expect
from this;
 promotes learners’ awareness of the criteria to use in assessing their peers’
performance;
 provides useful feedback regarding the effectiveness of instruction; and
 provides benchmarks against which to measure and document progress.

An effective rubric can also offer several important benefits to students. Rubrics help students
to:
 understand instructors’ expectations and standards;
 use instructor feedback to improve their performance;
 monitor and assess their progress as they work towards clearly indicated goals;
sand
 recognize their strengths and weaknesses and direct their efforts accordingly
(source: Eberly Center, Carnegie Mellon University (2021). Teaching Excellence
and Educational Innovation)

The Rubrics and Other Scoring Types

The rubrics to be explored in this lesson are holistic, analytic, and developmental rubrics.
These rubrics are considered powerful and flexible tools in assessing the students’
performances as shreds evidences in attaining the learning outcomes. Other scoring types a
teacher may use also in assessing the performance and realistic learning tasks are the
checklists and rating scales.

1. Holistic rubric is a single rubric that incorporates all the performance criteria or
expectations. Teachers as raters give a single numeric score for the entire product or
performance as an overall impression of students’ quality of work. Table 1 shows the
example.
Table 1. Holistic Rubric for Oral Presentation
Oral Presentation Rubric
Mastery (10 points)

 usually makes eye contact

 volume is always appropriate
 enthusiasm present throughout the presentation
 a summary is completely accurate

Proficiency (7 points)

 usually makes eye contact

 volume is usually appropriate
 enthusiasm is present in most of the presentation
 only one or two errors in the summary

Developing (5 points)

 sometimes makes eye contact

 volume is sometimes appropriate
 occasional enthusiasm in the presentation
 some errors in a summary

Inadequate (3 points)

 never or rarely makes eye contact

 volume is inappropriate
 rarely shows enthusiasm in the presentation
 many errors in the summary

Source: Mueller, J. (2018). Authentic Assessment Toolbox. North Central College,

Naperville,IL
2. Analytic rubric is an assessment device that articulates the levels of performance into
each criterion and scored each individually. Usually, an analytic rubric uses a grid format
with each trait in a row and each performance level in a column. The descriptors are in
each cell of the grid describing the performance levels of that certain trait. See table 2 for
an example.

Table 2. Analytic Rubric of a Research Paper: Introduction Part

Excellent Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory
(10 points) (8 points) (6 points) (4 points)
Answer to The paper answers Answers the Answers the The paper does not
the question the question question clearly, but question posed, but address the question;
posed thoroughly, in a at a superficial level may ramble off- may be completely
nuanced and topic off-topic
thoughtful way
Research Uses all available Uses all available Uses all available Paper fails to use all
and use of sources of sources of evidence; sources of evidence; sources of evidence;
evidence evidence: primary outside sources are outside sources are outside sources may
and secondary relevant to the topic marginally be missing.
sources, lecture but are not used as connected to the
material, outside effectively as they topic.
research. Outside could be.
sources are clearly
relevant to the
topic.
Quality of Argument is clear Argument is clear Argument is fairly Argument is off-topic
argument and convincing; allbut may be a bit clear, but the or missing; paper may
sources of evidencevague in places; evidence is not used be entirely descriptive.
are considered in most evidence is effectively to Evidence is not used to
the argument; used effectively to support it (an support the argument.
counterarguments support the argument is thin in
are addressed. argument; some cases);
counterarguments counterarguments
are not addressed. are not addressed.
Organizatio Strong thesis Strong thesis Thesis statement is Paper lacks a thesis
n statement; statement; present but is not statement, or
paragraphs are paragraphs are strong; paragraphs paragraphs lack topic
well-organized with mostly well may jumble together sentences; no clear
clear transitions organized, but one several ideas; weak transitions between
and topic sentences or two may lack transitions. paragraphs.
 clear transitions.
Quality of No grammatical or One or two minor A few grammatical Numerous
writing mechanical errors; grammatical errors; errors that distract grammatical errors;
phrasing is clear phrasing is clear. from the paper; phrasing is awkward
and easy to follow some awkward or unclear.
phrasing.

3. Developmental rubric is a subset of analytic trait rubrics (Teaching Commons, 2008). This
rubric differs from analytic rubric due to its purpose of use (not to evaluate the end product or
performance). Developmental rubrics evaluate the extent of students’ skills, values, or
development of abilities. This type of rubric is helpful to teachers when the goal of evaluation
is to determine the level of development and changes occurring within each of the students
(Li, 2015) instead of the quality of the tangible product and performance.

Example of Developmental Rubrics

Table 3. Rubrics on Intercultural Maturity

Initial Level of Development Intermediate Level of Mature Level of
Domain
(1) Development (2) Development (3)
Cognitive Assumes knowledge is Evolving awareness and Ability to consciously shift
certain and categorizes acceptance of uncertainty perspectives and behaviors
knowledge claims as right or and multiple perspectives; into an alternative cultural
wrong; is naive about ability to shift from worldview and to use
different cultural practices accepting authority’s multiple cultural frames
and values; resists challenges knowledge claims to
to one’s own beliefs and personal processes for
views differing cultural adopting knowledge claims
perspectives as wrong
Intrapers Lack of awareness of one’s Evolving sense of identity Capacity to create an
onal own values and intersection as distinct from external internal self that openly
of social (racial, class, others’ perceptions; tension engages challenges to
ethnicity, sexual orientation) between external and one’s views and beliefs and
identity; lack of internal definitions prompts that considers social
understanding of other self-exploration of values, identities (race, class,
cultures; externally defined racial identity, beliefs; gender, etc.) in a global
identity yields externally immersion in own culture; and national context;
defined beliefs that regulate recognizes legitimacy of integrates aspects of self
interpretation of experiences other cultures into one’s identity
and guide choices; difference
is viewed as a threat to
 identity
Interperso Dependent relations with Willingness to interact with Capacity to engage in
nal similar others is a primary diverse others and refrain meaningful, interdependent
source of identity and social from judgment; relies on relationships with diverse
affirmation; perspectives of independent relations in others that are grounded in
different others are viewed which multiple perspectives an understanding and
as wrong; awareness of how exist (but are not appreciation for human
social systems affect group coordinated); self is often differences; understanding
norms and intergroup overshadowed by need for of ways individual and
differences is lacking; view others’ approval. Begins to community practices affect
social problems explore how social systems social systems; willing to
egocentrically, no affect group norms and work for the rights of other
recognition of society as an intergroup relations
organized entity
Source: King, P.M. & Baxter Magolda, M.B. (2005). A developmental model of intercultural maturity, Journal of
College Student Development, 46(2), 571-592.

Other Scoring Types

1. Checklist is a written list of performance wherein only two (2) performance levels are
used to judge each product or performance. The decision of the rater or teacher is usually
binary. For examples: a yes or no, present or absent, pass or fail, met or not met, observed
or not observed, etc.). Most rubrics used in the classroom for performance and authentic
assessment can be converted into a checklist depending on purpose and teacher’s
convenience in rating students’ outcomes.

Example for Checklist

Table 4. Rubrics on Social Considerations of Online Learning Resources Development
Instructions: Consider whether the developed online learning resources
addressed the following issues appropriately. Tick the box for your
responses.

Social Considerations YES NO

1. Sexual orientations
2. Gender/ sexual roles
3. Belief systems
4. Age-appropriateness
 5. Multiculturalism/ anti-racism
6. Special Needs
7. Ethical or legal issues
8. Language
9. Violence
10. Safety standards compliance

2. Rating Scales allow the observer to judge performance along a continuum rather than as a
dichotomy. The types of rating scales (numerical, and descriptive graphic rating scales)
as discussed in detail in Chapter 3 for affective domain assessment can also be used in
assessing the performance and authentic tasks depending on the criteria or indicators set
by the teacher and as communicated to the students.