Use Of Performance-based Assessments Research Articles

PERFORMANCE-BASED ASSESSMENT IN THE ENGLISH LEARNING PROCESS: WASHBACK AND BARRIERS

In the context of assessment, performance-based assessment is one of the authentic assessments to be applied in the English classroom as the completion of the newest curriculum demands. Thus, teachers are suggested to implement this assessment in the English teaching and learning process. Concerning that fact, this current study aims at investigating the washback of the use of performance-based assessment in the English class and the barriers faced by the teachers in implementing performance-based assessment in the English learning process. This study applied a qualitative research design. Using purposive sampling, there were two teachers and 72 students who participated in this study. An open-ended questionnaire and semi-structured interview were carried out in collecting the data. The result showed that performance-based assessment affected positively to the teachers. They could identify the students’ real competence, improve their teaching quality, and assess students objectively. Further, it gives positive effects for the EFL learners in matters such as learning enthusiasm and self-confidence, boredom reduction, and skill improvement. In conclusion, the use of performance-based assessment is good at improving some teaching aspects both on teachers and students. This findings prove the importance of performance-based assessment to bost the teaching and learning quality.

An Effective Use of Performance-Based Assessment in Formative Assessment From Viewpoint of Reliability, Validity, and Practicality

An Effective Use of Performance-Based Assessment in Formative Assessment From Viewpoint of Reliability, Validity, and Practicality

EFL Learners’ Responses on the Use of Performance-based Assessment

Assessment is an ongoing process of evaluating learners’ ability or skill after process of teaching and learning. In English class, assessment also plays an important role. According to the facts found, assessment mostly used in English class is traditional assessment. English class needs more alternative assessments to set the goals of learning English. Curriculum 2013, which is used in Indonesia right now, emphasizes the use of authentic assessment, and performance – based assessment is to be a subset of authentic assessment. This article is trying to discuss the students’ responsess on the use of performance-based assessment applied by the English teachers. This study applied descriptive qualitative research design. The subjects of this research were 30 Senior High School students. To collect the data needed, this study used observation and interview as the instrument. The observation was used to discover performance-based assessments which had already been applied by the English teachers in school. The result of the interview was interpreted to clarify the students’ responsess on the use of performance-based assessment applied by the English teachers. Performance-based assessments which had already been applied were role-plays, writing sample, and retelling. From 6 classes, 3 classes (50%) applied role-plays. Moreover, 2 (33,3%) classes applied writing sample, and the rest applied retelling (16,66%). It means that role-plays was performance-based assessment which was mostly applied by the English teachers. Furthermore, the students’ responsess on the use of performance-based assessment was good. Almost of the 30 students considered that performance-based assessment can improve their English skills and confidence instead of traditional assessment. 24 of the 30 students also claimed that traditional assessment is still inadequate to activate their English skill. In short, 80% of 30 students gave a positive responsess on the use of performance-based assessment.

Assessment of wind power scenario creation methods for stochastic power systems operations

Probabilistic scenarios of renewable energy production, such as wind, have been gaining popularity for use in stochastic variants of power systems operations scheduling problems, allowing for optimal decision-making under uncertainty. The quality of the scenarios has a direct impact on the value of the resulting decisions, but until now, methods for creating scenarios have not been compared under realistic operational conditions. Here, we compare the quality of scenario sets created using three different methods, based on a simulated re-enactment of stochastic day-ahead unit commitment and subsequent dispatch for a realistic test system. We create scenarios using a dataset of forecasted and actual wind power values, scaled to evaluate the effects of increasing wind penetration levels. We show that the choice of scenario set can significantly impact system operating cost, renewable energy use, and the ability of the system to meet demand. This result has implications for the ability of system operators to efficiently integrate renewable production into their day-ahead planning, highlighting the need for the use of performance-based assessments for scenario evaluation.

Implementing Performance Assessment in the Classroom

If you are like most teachers, it probably is a common practice for you to devise some sort of test to determine whether a previously taught concept has been learned before introducing something new to your students. Probably, this will be either a completion or multiple choice test. However, it is difficult to write completion or multiple choice tests that go beyond the recall level. For example, the results of an English test may indicate that a student knows each story has a beginning, a middle, and an end. However, these results do not guarantee that a student will write a story with a clear beginning, middle, and end. Because of this, educators have advocated the use of performance-based assessments.

Validity of the Internet-Based Bill-Paying Task for Assessing Executive Functions (EF) in Adults With Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

Abstract Date Presented 04/04/19 Executive function (EF) deficits following traumatic brain injury (TBI) negatively affect independence in daily living. The use of performance-based assessments are recommended. This cross-sectional study compared the performance of the Internet-based bill-paying task in adults with TBI to healthy adults and correlated this task to WebNeuro computerized assessment and independence in daily living. The bill-paying task has construct and initial criterion validity to assess EF deficits after TBI. Primary Author and Speaker: Yael Nadler Tzadok Additional Authors and Speakers: Rotem Eliav Contributing Authors: Sigal Portnoy, Debbie Rand

Effective Use of Performance-based Assessments to Identify English Knowledge and Skills of EFL Students in Ecuador

This paper seeks to understand how EFL teachers can effectively use performance-based assessments to determine the English knowledge and skills that EFL students have developed during the teaching-learning process. It also presents the advantages of this type of assessment as well as its challenges and the way these challenges can be overcome. Through this investigation, EFL teachers in Ecuador and around the world will be able to get valuable information that will guide their assessment practices in EFL classrooms.

Expectations, observations, and the cognitive processes that bind them: expert assessment of examinee performance

Performance-based assessment (PBA) is a valued assessment approach in medical education, be it in a clerkship, residency, or practice context. Raters are intrinsic to PBA and the increased use of PBA has lead to an increased interest in rater cognition. Although several researchers have tackled factors that may influence the variability in rater judgment, the critical examination of rater observation of performance and the translation of that data into judgements are being investigated. The purpose of this study was to qualitatively investigate the cognitive processes of raters, and to create a framework that conceptualizes those processes when raters assess a complex performance. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 11 faculty members (nominated as excellent assessors) from a Department of Medicine to investigate how raters observe, interpret, and translate performance into judgments. The transcribed verbal protocols were analyzed using Constructivist Grounded Theory in order to develop a theoretical model of raters' assessment processes. Several themes emerged from the data and were grouped according to three macro-level themes describing how the raters balance two sources of data [(1) external sources of information and (2) internal/personal sources of information] by relying on specific cognitive processes to assess an examinee performance. The results from our study demonstrate that assessment is a difficult cognitive task that involves nuance using specific cognitive processes to weigh external and internal data against each other. Our data clearly draws attention to the constant struggle between objectivity and subjectivity that is observed in assessment as illustrated by the importance given to nuancing the examinee's observed performance.

Methods for delivering and evaluating the efficacy of cognitive enhancement.

Cognitive deficits are related to impaired everyday functioning in multiple conditions and in healthy individuals. Treatment of cognitive functioning can be facilitated through either pharmacological or remediation strategies. The critical goals of cognitive enhancement are to improve everyday functioning in multiple domains. This chapter describes the strategies that are most desirable for the treatment of cognitive impairments and detection of potential benefits of treatment in cognitive and functional domains. These strategies include the use of performance-based assessments of cognition and functioning and the appropriate use of observational strategies to detect changes. Finally, we define several outcome-related goals and discuss the practicality of their measurement.

A Preliminary Examination of a General Social Outcome Measure

Individuals with Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD) have social competence impairments that can result in negative adult outcomes. Despite considerable research on social skills training, little is available to evaluate these programs. This study describes the development, administration, and utility of a progress-monitoring tool for assessing social skill constructs. The General Social Outcome Measure (GSOM) was developed to capture change in social competence abilities. The GSOM assessed students before, during, and after a scaffolded five-unit social competence intervention (SCI) for youth (ages 10–15 years) with PDD. Repeated measures ANOVAs on GSOM scores ( N = 42) revealed significant changes. This study provides initial direction for the design and use of performance-based assessments, such as the GSOM, for effective decision making in the evaluation of SCIs.

Strengthening the Preparation of Early Childhood Teacher Candidates Through Performance-Based Assessments

Performance-based assessments require teacher candidates to demonstrate proficiency on specific teaching tasks and apply knowledge in authentic settings. This article describes the development and use of performance-based assessments (PBAs) for advancing the learning and evaluation of teacher candidates in an early childhood special education teacher preparation program. Teacher candidates completed PBAs under supervision during culminating practica experiences at three age levels (infant/toddler, preschool, and primary practicum). Methods for determining proficiency on national (Council for Exceptional Children) and state (Colorado teacher licensure) standards are described, along with the challenges and opportunities presented by the use of PBAs. Performance-based assessment data over a 5-year period indicate teacher candidate performance meeting and exceeding national standards and state licensure requirements.

Developing performance-based medical school assessment programs in resource-limited environments

While the use of performance-based assessments in medical schools is widespread, there are unique issues associated with developing and establishing simulated clinical examinations when resources are limited. The faculty at the National University of Cuyo (NUC) in Mendoza, Argentina, has successfully implemented an OSCE as part of the medical school graduation requirements. This paper provides an overview of the issues faced by NUC faculty in setting up a standardized patient (SP)-based assessment with only limited resources, and contrasts their experiences with those of other groups, including certification and licensure bodies who have implemented similar types of assessments. Despite their novelty and a lack of technological, staffing, and budgetary resources, with adequate planning, an emphasis on faculty involvement, quality case development, local SP recruitment and training activities, educational programs focused on assessment, and flexibility in creating a physical space to conduct the exam, an effective program for assessing the clinical skills of medical students can be realized.

Construct Validity of the Auditory Continuous Performance Test for Preschoolers

Development of diagnostic instruments directed toward neuropsychological assessment of preschoolers lags significantly behind those available for school-age children (DeWolfe, Byrne, & Bawden, 2000). This is particularly true for measures of executive function (EF). The Auditory Continuous Performance Test for Preschoolers (ACPT-–P; Mahone, Pillion, & Hiemenz, 2001) is a computerized, Go-No-go test developed to measure selected EF skills in preschoolers. First, to determine whether performance on the ACPT-–P is associated with hearing impairment, we compared performance of children with mild hearing loss (MHL) to controls on the ACPT-–P, and measures of spatial working memory (SWM) and motor persistence (MP). There were no differences between performance of the MHL group and controls on any of these measures. Second, to examine the construct validity of the ACPT-–P, we compared performance of 40 preschoolers with ADHD to 40 age- and sex-matched controls, using the ACPT-–P to measure response preparation, sustained attention, and inhibitory control. We also compared these groups on measures of SWM and MP. The group with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) performed significantly worse than controls on the ACPT-–P (omissions, mean response time, variability) and MP. The ACPT-–P was correlated with the MP, but not with the SWM measure. Both the ACPT-–P and the MP measures showed low to moderate correlations with parent ratings of behavior associated with ADHD. These findings support the use of performance-based assessment of executive control skills in preschoolers suspected of having ADHD. In this age group, the ACPT-–P may be particularly useful in assessing sustained attention and response preparation and may complement behavior rating scales.

Performance-based assessment, science festival exhibit presentations, and elementary science achievement

The purpose of this research study was to describe the effective use of performance-based assessment for evaluating fifth-and sixth-grade student science achievement as demonstrated by student exhibit presentations at a science festival. A performance-based assessment was employed by preservice teachers from a local university to evaluate student presentations individually and through group negotiation. Individual evaluation scores (M=17.67) and group negotiated evaluations (M=7.42) were consistent, with both having a range from 12 to 20. Percentages of the evaluators’ ranked responses for each criterion on the performance-based assessment were analyzed to determine overall student achievement.

Reliability and Accuracy of a Performance-Based Behavioral Recording Procedure

The most common criticisms of behavioral assessment procedures are that they are complex, time-consuming, and impractical, and therefore, are often not applicable within school settings. This article illustrates and evaluates the reliability and accuracy of an efficient performance-based behavioral recording procedure to record both appropriate and problem behaviors with 3 persons with developmental disabilities. The results show acceptable levels of interobserver agreement and a high degree of correspondence between Likert ratings of behavior and actual observations of behavior. This study demonstrates that performance-based behavioral recording procedures are precise and efficient methods of recording behavior. Applications of the use of performance-based assessments within school settings are discussed.

Performance-Based Assessment: Using Pre-Established Criteria and Continuous Feedback to Enhance a Student’s Ability to Perform Practice Tasks

Performance-based assessment is a process in which pre-established performance criteria and continuous feedback are used by both the student and instructor to improve learning with an endpoint of students demonstrating their achievement of learning by performing realistic practice tasks. This manuscript describes the issues limiting widespread use of performance-based assessment, based on findings from the pharmacy, medical, and general education literature, and then proposes a model for how to successfully implement it. Performance-based assessment methods such as direct observation, the Mini-Clinical Evaluation Exercise, simulations involving standardized patients and computers, projects, presentations, learning portfolios, and the Triple Jump Exam are discussed. Successful implementation of performance-based assessment involves: 1) inculcating a culture for assessment, 2) establishing pre-specified performance criteria, 3) implementing use of the pre-established performance criteria and formative assessment methods to provide continuous feedback during the learning period, 4) using summative performance-based assessment methods, and 5) providing mechanisms for student remediation. Successful inclusion of performance-based assessment in Doctor of Pharmacy curricula should enable instructors to better prepare graduates that can provide pharmaceutical care in a quality manner.

Broadening the Scope of Assessment in the Schools: Building Teacher Efficacy in Student Assessment

Two surveys were administered to middle school mathematics teachers participating in professional development workshops on performance-based assessment (PBA); veteran teachers, dubbed implementers of PBA, who led those workshops; and university-based teacher educators. The surveys focused on classroom assessment variables and on teachers' needs for and views about the importance of PBA experiences. Teachers indicated perceptions of high efficacy regarding their ability to effect instructional change. Most indicated experiencing freedom in instructional decisions and reported improved interactions with colleagues and students due to their use of PBA. High use of other reform-based instructional practices and high interest in more professional development on alternative assessments was also reported. Implications of these findings for teacher retention and educational reform are discussed. INTRODUCTION Educators have long recognized that their successes lie largely in the proper alignment of three fundamental components: curriculum, instruction, and assessment (Crowell & Tissot, 1986; Leitzel & Vogler, 1994; Melnick & Gable, 1989). From the standpoint of students, who may not even realize it themselves at the moment, the third component, particularly teachers' assessments of their academic work, is the most important. Children begin school wanting to learn, and the high expectations and approval of their teachers serve as strong positive reinforcers of student achievement. Conversely, low teacher expectations, lack of teacher approval, or overt teacher disapproval can serve as negative reinforcers, with related negative consequences on student performance (Aaronsohn, Holmes, Foley, & Wallowitz, 1994; Cooper, 1983; Nafpaktitis, Mayer, & Butterworth, 1985). Much of this reinforcement, in either direction, comes as the result of students' performance on assessments that seek to measure their grasp and mastery of what has been taught, which is essentially the primary significance of assessment in the educational enterprise. However, in the complicated zeitgeist of school reform, with its promotion of standards of many types and its penchant for innovative approaches to student assessment, many teachers find that their preparation for and comfort with new forms of assessment is often disturbingly low (Fuhrman & O'Day, 1996). Notwithstanding, assessment is understandably a major focus of school reform. Teachers' discomfort with assessment can be closely related to their senses of competence and efficacy, which in turn influence the quality of their instruction and which also bear upon those whom they teach and assess. A teacher's sense of efficacy and empowerment can also be a deciding factor in whether or not he or she remains, or should remain, in the teaching profession. As Woodruff (1999) has maintained, teacher efficacy is a major element in teacher job satisfaction and retention. Though teachers may leave the profession for a variety of reasons, efficacy in the major areas of functioning seems to have a motivational effect and thus encourages continuation. In their study of 10,544 classroom teachers employed in 307 Venture Capital Schools funded to implement restructuring by the state legislature in Ohio, Klecker and Loadman (1996) measured dimensions of teacher decision making, self-efficacy, autonomy, professional growth, and impact. They also measured teacher satisfaction in a number of areas including: opportunities for advancement, degree of challenge, interaction with colleagues, general working conditions, and interaction with students. They found a high, positive linear correlation between teacher empowerment and job satisfaction. School districts across the nation lose a large number of teachers in their first years of teaching, and many of these are lost to the profession permanently. Kirby and Grissmer (1993) and Murnane, Singer, Willett, Kemple, and Olsen (1991), in their studies of teacher attrition, indicated that between a fourth to a third of those teachers who leave in any given year return to teaching in subsequent years. …

How Teachers and University Faculty Perceive the Need for and Importance of Professional Development in Performance-Based Assessment

A survey examining the extent to which performance-based learning and assessment experiences are viewed as important and needed was administered to 19 middle school mathematics teachers and 18 school of education faculty members. Significant differences were found between the two groups on items rating the importance of understanding fundamental measurement concepts, distinguishing between different types of assessments, and knowing how to align classroom instruction with the goals and objectives of performance-based assessment. In all instances, teachers attached greater importance to these items. Survey results guided the planning of professional development workshops. Based on the Talent Development school reform model, these workshops focused on topics specific to teachers' needs and were aimed at helping teachers develop performancebased assessments. Teachers frequently are called upon to construct and use assessments to appraise the learning that takes place in their classrooms. They are also expected to understand the results of those assessments sufficiently enough to interpret them for students and parents, and to plan instructional programs that meet the needs identified by those results. However, as several researchers have noted, the background knowledge many teachers have for these tasks is limited (Impara, 1995). Over half the teachers in the United States have never completed a course in educational measurement, and fewer than one-third of all states require such course work for initial certification (Boothroyd, McMorris, & Pruzek, 1992). Further, the presentations of reliability, item analysis, and test interpretation found in current measurement texts are based upon classical test theory (Fleitz & Perdomo, 1994). Yet, the growing emphasis on constructed response rather than multiple-choice assessments demands hands-on learning and presentation of readings in performance assessment. Classroom use of performance-based assessment provides an opportunity for teachers to align their evaluations of student learning with a culturally responsive approach to teaching. This approach stresses that the cultural strengths and knowledge children bring with them to school can be used in both teaching and assessment as well as instruction and learning Johnson, 1997). Its focus is not on ranking, sorting, or assigning normreferenced scores. Rather, it is on incorporating classroom activities that assess student learning by evaluating-in a sustained, extended fashion-students' work on cumulatively complex activities. It also involves a rethinking on the part of faculty in teacher education programs about the types and extent of preparation in assessment teachers should have. The present article details the work of a group of researchers (the authors) from the Center for Research on the Education of Children Placed At Risk (CRESPAR), who sought to determine the extent to which school reform efforts influence instructional practices and teacher efficacy and attitudes toward teaching and assessment, specifically the use of performance-based assessment. We subsequently examined the perceptions of teachers and university school of education faculty regarding the kinds of assessment experiences they deem important and needed by teachers.' The study described here was conducted in an urban school district (Washington, D.C.) that was at the time in the process of instituting a performance-based approach to learning. It was part of a larger effort to build a relevant professional development program for teachers in consonance with the Talent Development model of instruction described by Boykin (1996); culturally responsive teaching, as described by Ladson-Billings (1994); and the Performance-based Education (PBE) learning outcomes outlined by the District of Columbia Public Schools (1994).2 The common features of all three perspectives are presented in Table I. The goal of the professional development program was to improve teachers' performance and personal efficacy in an assessment approach that builds on the cultural strengths of diverse groups of learners. …

Use of performance-based assessment to evaluate the impact of a skill-oriented continuing education program

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Assessment for Measurement or Standards: The Peril and Promise of Large-Scale Assessment Reform

The current call for performance-based assessments is, in part, a consequence of inappropriate uses of norm-referenced achievement tests. Still, the use of performance-based assessment will not automatically eliminate the negative consequences of high-stakes tests, nor support hoped-for changes in schools. School reform will be supported only if new assessment systems are developed using a model that is in harmony with the goals of reform. This article reviews two models for assessment, the measurement model and the standards model, their underlying assumptions about learners, and the resulting implications for performance-based test development. It briefly reviews the current testing debate, defines terms such as authentic assessments and performance-based assessments , and discusses the compromises that have led to the failed attempts to use testing to set standards for education. Finally, the article reflects on the power each assessment model can have on reform efforts.