Lesson 2.

2: Designing
Meaningful
Performance-based
Assessment
 Lesson Overview
As we learned the nature of performance-based assessment, its
characteristics, types, advantages and limitations, the next step is to design it
aligned to the learning goals. Focusing on the knowledge and skills targeted,
you will need to think of some tasks which must be performed authentically.
Clearly, comprehensive planning and designing of performance-based
assessment should be taken into consideration
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Learning Outcomes
 Motivation Question

What do you think is the

purpose of assessment?
Discussion

Designing performance assessment entails critical processes which

start from the tasks that the teacher wants to assess. A well-
designed
performance assessment helps the student to see the connections
between
the knowledge, skills, and abilities they have learned from the
classroom,
including the experiences which help them to construct their own
meaning of
knowledge.
The following steps will guide you in developing a meaningful
performance assessment – both process and product that will match
*

1. Defining the Purpose of Assessment

The first step in designing performance-based assessment is to

define the purpose of assessment. Defining the purpose and target of
assessment provides information on what students need to be
performed in a task given.
Basically, the teacher should select those learning targets which
can be assessed by performance which fits to the plan along with the
assessment techniques to be utilized for measuring other complex
skills and performances.
Basic questions which teachers ask in determining possible learning
competencies to be considered are listed below:
-

Four Types of Learning Targets Used in Performance Assessment

1. Deep Understanding

The idea is to involve students

meaningfully in hands- o n activities for
extended periods of time so that their
understanding is rich and more
extensive than what can be attained by
more conventional instruction and
traditional paper -and -p encil
assessments.
 2. Reasoning
Reasoning is essential with performance
assessment as the students demonstrate skills and
construct products.
3. Skills
Psychomotor skills describe clearly the physical action
required for a given task. These may be developmentally
appropriate skills or skills that
are needed for specific tasks: fine motor skills, gross motor
actions, more complex athletic skills, some visual skills, and
verbal/auditory for young children.

4. Products
These are completed works such as term
papers, projects, and other assignments
in which students use their knowledge and
skills
Process andProduct-OrientedPerformance-BasedAssessment
Example of Process- O riented learning competencies on Problem- solving and Decision
Learning Competencies:
-M aking:
1. Uses reading skills and strategies to comprehend and interpret what is read
2. Demonstrate competencies in speaking and listening as tools for learning
3. Construct complex sentences

Example of Product-Oriented learning competencies on Creating a Book Cover Taken from a

Digital Camera

Learning Competencies:
1. Generate appropriate shots for book cover using digital camera
2. Use a page lay-out software (MS Publisher) orpresentation 6software (MS Powerpoint)
3. Create size estimation of image, shapes, and textbox in termsof importance, emphasis and
visual hierarchy.
4. Demonstrate skills in information design principles such asclarity, balance, relevance, contrast,
alignment, repetition and proximity
2. Identifying Performance Tasks
Performance needs to be identified so that students may know what /tasks and criteria to be
performed. In this case, a task description must be
prepared to provide the listing of specification of the tasks and will elicit the desired performance of
the students. Task description should include the following:
1. Content and Skill targets to be assessed
2. Description of the student activities
3. Group or individual
4. Help allowed
5. Resource needed
6. Teacher role
7. Administration process
8. Scoring procedures
In creating performance tasks, one should specify the learning targets, the
criteria by which you will evaluate performance, and the instructions for
completing the task. Include also the time needed to complete the tasks. Be
sure students understand how long a response you are expecting. Some
learning targets can be assessed in a relatively short period of 20 to 30
minutes.But it also depends on the learning targets which necessitate a
longer time.
Examples are conducting opinion survey and gathering of data for research
which need more than two weeks and done outside the class. With these
activities, the results canmake a valid generalization of how the students
achieve the learning target.
Suggestions for Constructing Performance Tasks
The development of high-quality performance assessment that
effectively measure complex learning outcomes requires attention to task
development and to the ways in which performances are rated. The following
are suggested ways to improve the development of tasks:
1. Focus on learning outcomes that require complex cognitive skills and
student performances. Tasks needed to be developed or selected in
light of important learning outcomes.
2. Select or develop tasks that represent both the content and the skills
that are central to important learning outcomes. It is important to
specify the range of content, and resources students can use in
performing task.
3. Minimize the difference of task performance on skills that are
irrelevant to the intended purpose of the assessment of the task. The
key here is to focus on the attention of the assessment.
4. Provide the necessary scaffolding for students to be able to -
understand the task and what is expected. Challenging tasks often
involve ambiguities and require students to experiment, gather
information, formulate hypothesis, and evaluate their own progress in
solving a problem. However, problems cannot be solved in a vacuum.
Students need to have a prior knowledge and skills required to address
the problem.

5. Construct task directions so that the student’s task is clearly

indicated.
Vague directions can lead to such a diverse array of performances that
it becomes impossible to rate them in a fair or reliable.

6. Clearly communicate performance expectations in terms of the

criteria by which the performances will be judged. Specifying the
criteria to be used in rating performance helps clarify task expectations
for a student.
Example of Process-Oriented performance Task on Problem-solving and Decision-
Making:

Your friend is going through a difficult time. You have tried talking about the
issue but to no avail. After much thought you recall a book you had read where
the character went through a similar experience as your friend. How might the
book help your friend deal with the problem? What other sources of information
or resources could you find to help your friend? What might be some strategies
your friend could use? Use your writing skills to compose a letter to your friend
as to why he should read the book or resources you have collected. Be sure your
letter contains
examples from the readings, your feelings and encouragement.

As a problem solver, devise a plan to meet with your friend to identify possible
solutions to the problem after he has read the materials.
You will be assessed on your ability to make informed decisions, your ability to create a
Be sure you are considerate of feelings and outline steps you’ll take to make
letter with complex sentences, your ability to solve problem and your ability to work
sure your discussion is one of collaboration.
collaboratively with a peer.
Example of Product-Oriented performance Task on Prepare Useful Solution

Barangay Luntian is celebrating 50th anniversary with the theme

“Kalikasan Ko, Mahal Ko”. The barangay captain called for a council
meeting to discuss the preparations for the program. As a councilor, you
are asked to take charge of the preparation of “Natural Beverage” for the
guests. The healthful drink should promote your locally produced fruits
or vegetables as well as health and wellness. On your next council
meeting, you will present your plan for the preparation of the drink and
let the council member do the taste testing. The council members will
rate your drink based on the following criteria: Practicality, Preparation,
Availability of materials, Composition of solution (drink).
Below is the checklist for writing good performance tasks:

Regardless of whether these

are process or product-oriented
performance tasks, clearly
stated performance criteria are
critical to the
success of both instruction and
assessment
3. Developing Scoring Schemes
A rubric that’s used to score students’
-There are different useful ways to record the assessment of responses to a performance
students’ performance. Variety of tools can be used for assessmentassessment has, at minimum, three
important features-
depending on the nature of the performance it calls for. Some ways of
assessing student’s performance could be the utilization of anecdotal Evaluative Criteria. These are the factors to be used in determining
records, interviews, direct observations using checklist or likert scale,
quality of a students’ response. Example: Neatness, Organization,
Creativity, Resiliency, etc.
and the use of rubrics especially for the performance-based
assessment

Rubrics as an Assessment Tool

Rubrics is a collection of rules that specify the criteria

used to assess
what students know and are capable of doing so. It is
a scoring tool that sets
specific assignment expectations.
A rubric that’s used to score students’ responses to a performance assessment has, at minimum,
three important features-

 Evaluative Criteria. These are the factors to be used in determining the

quality of a students’ response. Example: Neatness, Organization,
Creativity, Resiliency, etc.

 Descriptions of qualitative differences for evaluating criteria. For each

evaluative criterion, a description must be supplied so qualitative
distinctions in students’ responses can be made using the criterion.

 An indication of whether a holistic or analytic scoring approach is to be

used. The rubric must indicate whether the evaluative criteria are to be
applied collectively in a form of holistic scoring or on a criterion-by - criterion basis in the form of
analytic scoring
The following are examples of student performances and outputs that can be assessed
by a rubric:
Types of Rubrics

The structure of the rubrics change

when measuring different learning targets.
Generally, rubrics can be classified into two
major types:
analytic and
holistic rubrics.

Analytic Rubric. It requires the teacher to list

and identify
the major knowledge and skills which are critical
in
the development of process or
product tasks. It identifies specific
and detailed criteria prior to assessment.
Holistic Rubric. It requires the teacher to make a judgment about the overall quality of each
student response. Each category of the scale contains several criteria which shall be given a
single score that gives an overall rating
What are the characteristics of a good rubric?
• Explicit – a good rubric should contain criteria and performance indicators
that are
clear, concrete, and observable as well as relevant and applicable to the
performance
task to be assessed. Each benchmark and point value should also have
clearly aligned
delineated indicators, differentiating the expected quality of work for each
performance level.
• Aligned – a good rubric should contain criteria that are aligned with the
expected
quality of performance for a particular task or assignment, as well as with the
intended level of learning outcomes in the subject.
• Authentic – a good rubric should include criteria and performance
indicators or
descriptors that are meaningful and require application of real-life skills.
• Valid – a good rubric should be able to measure what it intends to
measure.
3

What are the basic steps in developing rubrics?

There are five basic steps in developing rubrics for assessing students’ performance and product.

Step 1: Determine the learning outcome and the performance task to be evaluated.
It is important to be clear about the learning outcome/s and the specific performance task that will be
evaluated.
To guide you in identifying the performance task/s that you want to be evaluated, ask yourself the following
questions:
1. What learning outcome/s are to be evaluated?
2. Which student performance/s or output/s in the subject are relevant measures
of such students’ learning outcomes?
3. Are all of these tasks equally important?
4. Which is the best representation of the expected learning outcomes?

Step 2: Identify the quality attributes or indicators of the performance task.

Next, you need to identify and list all possible attributes or indicators of a good
performance.

Step 3: Determine the criteria or dimensions.

Cluster the list of attributes and or indicators into possible groups or categories
and label the categories. This will form the criteria for assessment. For example, in a /63
dance performance task, all attributes that pertain to how well the students execute the
dance in terms of movement, body position, placement in stage, and dance style can be
 Step 4: Determine the benchmarks and point values.
A number of descriptors can be used to denote the levels of performance (with or without accompanying symbols
for letter or number grades. Examples of levels of performance include:

Step 5: Write the benchmark or performance descriptors for

quality work criteria.
It is important that the behaviors, characteristics, or qualities that illustrate or
exemplify each performance level are clear and delineated. These performance
descriptors should describe the relative differences between performances at
each level. The differences between performance points can be presented by:
(1) Aspects of the performance or behavior at different levels
e.g., evaluates the different characteristics of … (4 points)
analyzes the different characteristics of … (3 points)
describes the different characteristics of … (2 points)
lists the different characteristics of … (1 point)
(2) Adjectives, adjectival phrases, adverbs, and adverbial phrases to present different qualitative
differences between levels
e.g. explains to a very great extent the …
explains to a great extent the …
explains with moderate accuracy the …
explains with limited accuracy the …

(3) Numeric references to identify quantitative differences between levels e.g., gives more than
4 relevant examples of …
gives 3 – 4 relevant examples of …
gives 1 – 2 relevant examples of …
gives no (0) relevant examples of …

(4) Specifying the levels of quality

Example:
Format: “Yes”, “Yes but”, “No but”, “No”
e.g. Performance Task: Baking Chocolate Chip Cookies
1. Determine the learning outcome and the performance task to be evaluated
• Baking Chocolate Chip Cookies
2. Identify the quality attributes or indicators of the performance task
• Ability to bake delicious, crispy at edges but soft and chewy in the middle,
visually appealing chocolate chip cookies
3. Determine the criteria or dimensions
• Number of chocolate chip cookies
• Texture
• Color
• Taste
• Richness
4. Determine the benchmarks and point values
• Very Good (4)
• Good (3)
• Needs Improvement (2)
• Poor (1)
Below is the sample rubric for assessing the ability to bake chocolate chip
cookies.
 4. Rating the Performance
This is the final step in performance-based assessment, determining
the learning outcomes of the students. The main objective of rating the
performance is to be objective and consistent.
Since performance-based assessment involves professional judgment,
some common errors in rating should be avoided:
• Personal bias – Assessment bias arises if one or more things on a test
offend or unfairly judge students because of the personal
characteristics of such students, such as ethnicity, gender,
socioeconomic status, or religion.
❖ Generosity error – occurs when the teacher tends to give higher
grades
❖ Severity error – results when the teachers use the low end of
the scale and underrate student performances
❖ Central tendency error – students are rated in the middle
• Halo effect – Halo effect occurs when the teacher’s general impression
ofthe students affects scores given on individual traits or performance.