Assessments in Project Based Learning

This week (July 20-26, 2015)  is all about the Assessments in Project Based Learning.

Currently in this project I've developed formative and summative assessments to measure students outcomes. Throughout my teaching career I've always had the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), which basically includes 21st Century skills and Information Media and Technology Skills for students to become college and career ready.  In my department, Career and Technology Education, we have always been pushing to prepare our students for college and the career field. When aligning a standard to the project one needs to remember that the standard needs to be clearly defined and measured.


Authentic assessment of these skills requires separate measures for them that meet the essential criteria for effective assessments. The assessments I have created for my PBL project meet those criteria as follows:

• Assessment is for students: All assessments on the assessment page of my Project Based Learning project website are written in language that is understandable and student-friendly. Descriptors in the rubrics are detailed and evidence-based to promote student understanding of feedback. Several formative assessments are built into the project for students to refine their work based on feedback from these formative assessments.
• Assessment is faithful to the work that students actually do: Assessments are built directly into the work of the project to give opportunities for peer and teacher feedback as part of an ongoing revision and refined project. Each skill assessed by the rubrics is aligned to specific components completed by students.
• Assessment is public: Assessments are available to students on the project website to use as a standard to guide their work.
• Assessment promotes ongoing self-reflection and inquiry: The standards assessed in the project reflect College and Career Readiness. All of the rubrics articulate what excellent work looks like. The Engineering Notebook allows for students to reflect on the days task and how they can improve from the day before. Along with making these privates allows for complete honesty from the students.