How do I assess Project-Based Experiences? Kyle Wagner

How do I assess project-based experiences? 

Not understanding the answer to this question is probably the #1 reason holding people back from implementing deeper learning experiences. 

But there’s good news. 

PBL assessment is actually not very difficult. 

Remember last week when I told you that it’s OK to teach in project-based experiences.

The same goes for assessment. In fact, it’s encouraged! 

But the difference between project-based assessment and traditional assessment, is that we aren’t assessing to pump out some quantitative, arbitrary score or point value for an end of term grade; rather, we are using assessment to:

• Monitor progress
• Inform teaching practice
• Predict next steps 
• Measure growth
• Provide insightful feedback for both students and teacher

So where do we start?

In the same way we plan out lessons based on what students will NEED TO KNOW to be successful in the project, we plan our assessments to determine their understanding of those concepts. Here is a dead easy way to plan those assessments and track individual student progress using a simple spreadsheeet: 

1. Identify the knowledge and skills students will need to know across all subjects to be successful in the project. Place each separate skill in a different row on the spreadsheet. 
2. Next, list formative and summative benchmarks/ assessments throughout the project that students will take to show mastery of those concepts. Place those in separate columns along the top of the spreadsheet. 
3. Match the benchmarks/ assessments to the relevant skills/knowledge that they assess with ‘x’s’ in the corresponding boxes. 
4. Review the spreadsheet and ensure students have been given at least 3 opportunities to demonstrate mastery of that knowledge/skill. (3 ‘x’s’ for each knowledge/skill for where they are being assessed).

Here’s the final caveat. DON’T award point values, and DON’T report out on learning until the end of the project. Instead, offer feedback along the way. Students are working at mastery of knowledge/skills, not accumulating points.