THE ADELPHI COLLEGE, INC.

LINGAYEN, PANGASINAN
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

WRITTEN REPORT IN

ASSESSMENT IN LEARNING 1

CHAPTER TOPIC: PERFORMANCE-BASED TESTS

SUB-TOPICS
• Introduction
• Performance-Based Tests
• Performance Tasks

JONWILLE MARK M. CASTRO

Discussant/Student
Introduction
Over the past few years, there has been a general dissatisfaction over the results of traditional
standardized objective tests. Concerted efforts have, therefore, been expended to find alternative
assessment mechanisms of measuring educational outcomes and processes and measure more
complex processes in education. For example, multiple choice tests have been criticized because
they, purportedly, are unable to measure complex problem-solving skills, are hopeless in
measuring processes that occur in daily classroom activities, gauge the processes involved in
accomplishing the task performance and examine learners’ application skills rather than superficial
learning of the material. Educators have therefore focused their attention to finding alternative
assessment methods that would hopefully address these difficulties with the traditional methods of
objective assessment. Performance-based assessment is one alternative assessment technique that
has been proposed.
Performance-based assessment procedures believe that the best way to gauge a student or pupil
competency in a certain task is through observation en situ or on site. Such a belief appears
consistent with the constructivist philosophy in education. A performance-based test is designed
to assess students on what they know, what they can do and the learning strategies they employ in
the process of demonstrating it.
Many people have noted serious limitations of performance-based tests and their vulnerability
toward subjectivity in scoring and creating or providing the real or closer-to-the-task environment
for assessment purpose. However, the concerns for subjectivity may be addressed simply by
automating the test. The second issue is obviously a bigger problem, and there is no guarantee that
ideas from one domain will apply to another.
There are generally two kinds of data used in educational assessment or evaluation:
quantitative and qualitative. A quantitative measurement uses values from an instrument based on
a standardized system that intentionally limits data collection to a selected or predetermined set of
possible responses. Qualitative measurement is more concerned with detailed descriptions of
situations or performance; hence, it can be much mor subjective but can be more valuable in the
hands of an experienced teacher.
The underlying concept is that the student should produce evidence of accomplishment of
curriculum goals which can be maintained for later use as a collection of evidence to demonstrate
achievement, and perhaps also the teacher’s efforts to educate the child. The process that the
learner goes through is given premium in this type of learning activity and how it will be assessed.

Performance-Based Tests
Performance-based assessment is characterized as assessing real life situation, with students
assuming responsibility for self-evaluation. The overriding philosophy of performance-based
assessment is that teachers should have access to information that can provide ways to improve
achievement, demonstrate exactly what a student does or does not understand, relate learning
experiences to instruction, and combine assessment with teaching. It measures what students can
do with what they know, rather than how much they know. It is rather odd to compartmentalize
between the process and the product of student learning. There is a continuity of these activities to
prove that indeed learning has taken place. Simply assessing the process and not the end-product
is incomplete and the other way around. However, it is recognized that there are learning activities
that appear to only be the process like delivering a speech, operating a learning equipment and
there is no tangible output. On the other hand, there can be no product without going through a
process.
Examples of Performance-based Learning Activities:
• Conducting experiments to test how well students understood scientific concepts and
can carry out scientific processes.
• Demonstrations – Giving students opportunities to show their mastery of subject-area
content and procedures.
 • Group projects – Enabling a number of students to work together on a complex problem
that requires planning, research, internal discussion, and group presentation.
• Essays – Assessing students’ understanding of a subject through a written description,
analysis, explanation, or summary.
There are many testing procedures that are classified as performance tests with a generally
agreed upon definition that these tests are assessment procedures that require students to perform
a certain task or activity or perhaps, solve complex problems. For example, Bryant suggested
assessing portfolios of a student’s work over time, students’ demonstrations, hands-on execution
of experiments by students, and a student’s work in simulated environments. Such an approach
falls under the category of portfolio assessment (i.e., keeping records of all tasks successfully and
skillfully performed by a student). According to Mehrens, performance testing is not new. In fact,
various types of performance-based tests were used even before the introduction of multiple-
choice testing. For instance, the following are considered performance testing procedures:
performance tasks, rubrics scoring guides and exemplars of performance.
Importance of Performance-based Assessment:
a. It requires students to actively demonstrate what they know. Students actively construct
meaning of their own understanding.
b. It is a more valid indicator of students’ knowledge and abilities. There is a big
difference between answering multiple choice questions on how to make an oral
presentation and actually making an oral presentation. Students become more actively
engaged when they have to organize structure and apply their knowledge.
c. It can provide impetus for improving instruction and increase students’ understanding
of what they need to know and be able to do. In preparing students to work on a
performance task, teachers describe what the task entails and the standards that will be
used to evaluate performance. This requires a careful description of the elements of
good performance. This allows students to judge their own work as they proceed.

Performance Tasks
In performance tasks, students are required to draw on the knowledge and skills they possess
and to reflect upon them for use in the task at hand. Not only are the students expected to obtain
knowledge from a specific subject or subject matter, but they are in fact required to draw
knowledge and skills from other disciplines to fully realize the key ideas needed in doing the task.
Normally, the tasks require students to work on projects that yield a definite output or product, or
perhaps, following a process which tests their approach to solving a problem. In many instances,
the tasks require a combination of the two approaches. Of course, the essential idea in performance
tasks is that the students or pupils learn optimally by actually doing (Learning by Doing) the task
which is a constructivist philosophy.
As in any other test, the tasks need to be consistent with the intended outcomes of the
curriculum and the objectives of instruction; and must require students to manifest (a) what they
know and (b) the process by which they came to know it. In addition, performance-based tests
require that tasks involve examining the processes as well as the products of student learning.
Classifications of Performance-based Learning Activities:
a. Process-oriented Performance
Belonging to alternative or authentic assessment, it is a form of assessment that requires
students to demonstrate or exhibit a task rather than select an answer from a ready-
made list. It enables students to prove and display their knowledge and skills, including
the process by which they solve problems.
The utilization of this method supports the principles that assessment of learning should
reflect learning as multi-dimensional and integrated; it reveals the progress and mastery
of learning.
 b. Product-oriented Performance
Over and over, it was emphasized that learners must prove what they can do with what
they know, a common principle in authentic assessment. Coming up with a tangible
output or completed work that indicates knowledge and understanding, as well as the
values that went with it falls under this category of performance-based learning. This
type of learning is evidence-based.
Types of Performance-based Assessments:
a. Restricted-response performance tasks usually require relatively narrow scope of
materials or activities to be carried out. The end results are indicated.
Examples:
1. Determine which of two liquids contain sugar and explain what results support
your conclusion.
2. Type a letter of application for a job.
3. Construct graphs on the average amount of rainfall per month for two identified
regions in the Visayas.
Note: Sometimes a restricted response item may begin with a multiple choice or short
answer question, then require the student to justify their answer.
Example: Given
A. 3(3 + 2)2 = 75 B. 3(3 + 2)2 = 21 C. 3(3 + 2)2 = 30
Questions: Which of the three choices above has the correct answer? Explain why you
chose the answer. Explain why you did not choose the other two answers.
b. Extended-performance tasks require students to seek information from a variety of
sources beyond those provided by the tasks. Students will use the library, make
observations, collect, and analyze data in an experiment, conduct a survey, or use a
computer or other types of equipment. Students often have to identify relevant tasks
and select the process or procedures to be utilized. Allow students to demonstrate their
ability to select, organize, integrate, and evaluate information and ideas.
Examples:
1. Design and carry out an investigation to estimate the acceleration of a falling
object such as a baseball. Describe the procedure used, present the data
collected and analyzed, and state your conclusion.
2. Prepare and deliver a speech to persuade people to take actions to protect the
environment.
3. Write a computer program in BASIC that will sort a list of words alphabetically.