March 2006 — Features
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25 Tools, Technologies, and Best Practices
3 ] Choices of Assessment Tools. A variety of different assessment tools is useful in evaluating student progress with PBL. The tools chosen depend on the project: Assessing individual creativity, for example, will require a different set of tools than is needed for assessing the more traditional tasks of writing, math, or reporting factual information. Get a detailed explanation of teacher/student developed rubrics and how they are a useful evaluation tool. Links are provided to online rubric makers that have proven successful in evaluating PBL. Check out pblmm.k12.ca.us.
4 ] Aligning Assessment and Learning. Jeffrey Nowak and Jonathan Plucker of Indiana University characterize PBL as “interdisciplinary of necessity,” and call attention to a common weakness in assessment: Evaluation is often not aligned with the project. Compelling examples drive home the need for better alignment between what is being learned and what is being assessed. Nowak and Plucker point to the need to have students know the assessment guidelines, and the benefit of conducting ongoing assessment throughout a project. Helpful, explicit examples make this a worthwhile read for teachers who want to ensure their assessments are actually measuring the impact of PBL on student gains. Visit www.indiana.edu.
5 ] Assessing “Understanding” in PBL. Diane McGrath, associate professor of Educational Computing, Design and Online Learning at Kansas State University, provides an overview of important aspects in PBL assessment. Her basic premise is that the role of PBL is to “improve student understanding” of a range of issues and topics, and assessment is one of the tools a teacher uses to do the job. McGrath says that welldesigned PBL ensures a common thread connecting teaching, learning, and assessment. She leads readers to look at pertinent questions concerning the design of the assessment instruments, and offers examples of how and why some assessment tools are successful. Use her helpful insights. Visit www.coe.ksu.edu/McGrath.
Cool Products—Making PBL Engaging
6
] Fun With Science: Digital Microscopes. Forget the bad old
days of stiff necks from bending over a microscope in the biology lab. Today’s
digital microscopes display images on a computerscreen for easy printout and
discussion. These powerful and rugged units are perfect for sciencefocused PBL.
Available in desktop or handheld models with touch-and-view technology and automatic
focusing— perfect for fieldwork—they start as low as $239 and are
available from dozens of manufacturers. Check features and prices with a Google
search of digital microscopes. Go to www.discoverthis.com/shopbyage.html
to find ageappropriate student models.
