Assessment comes in many shapes and forms. The format familiar to most people, tests, is just one very limited format. Whenever you are determining where you or your learners are in relation to a benchmark, you are assessing.
In performance-based instruction, the goal is to create assessments as close as possible to the way the learner will use the skills and information outside of the learning environment. Performance Assessment Tasks (PATs) are detailed documents that outline opportunities for learners to show that they have mastered a competency (such as demonstrating a skill) or a set of competencies (such as a portfolio). If the criteria for the competency are well developed, creating performance assessment tasks should be straight forward.
Developing Performance Assessment Tasks lets the facilitators plan how they will evaluate and learners know what they need to do to be successful. PATs ask facilitators to consider where and how the assessment will take place; who will assess; provides directions, prompts and scenarios; and provides the criteria and rating scale.
If there are parts of the competency that have not been mastered, performance assessment tasks provide feedback for the students and instructor as to where the performance is lacking and guides future activities to address the gap.
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Performance Assessment Tasks should |
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be criterion-referenced |
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identify one or more target competencies and/or other learning outcomes (e.g. core abilities, program outcomes, or general education outcomes) |
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match performance indicated by competencies, requiring that learners fulfill the criteriaand conditions described in the performance standards |
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require learners to apply knowledge, skills, or attitudes to hypothetical or real life/work tasks |
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require learners to perform a task, develop a product, make a decision, or solve a problem |
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include a checklist or rubric with criteria, ratings, rating scale, and minimum requirements |
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1. |
Web Site: Authentic Assessment Toolbox" |
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Web Site: RubiStar |
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Sample Performance Assessment Task - Preparing a Resume |
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4. |
PAT Template |
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