How
Can We Flip Assessment to Build a PBL Culture?
Students must become aware that they “are their own
first assessor” (Bentley, 2016) . How do teachers go
about fostering that mindset in their learners? Classrooms must first become a
place where learners give more than a correct answer. Learners also need to
learn and practice reflection on themselves and their work.
Learners need “frequent opportunities to individually
reflect on tasks within Project Based Learning units prior to discussing their
work” (Bentley, 2016) . This works by
slowing them down and forcing learners to think about what they learned; how
they learned; even if they learned, and eases them past the “is this right or wrong mentality” that
has been instilled in them throughout their earlier school careers.
Bentley suggests using rubrics to promote
self-reflection and autonomy. I agree with him. By providing learners with
rubrics, it allows them to work, assess what they are doing, and think about
where their work should progress, or regress! He also suggests allowing
students to peer review each other’s work. The project based learning (PBL)
framework outlines how learners should be working with one another and growing
collaboratively. Rubrics are an essential tool to them
to assess both their individual and group progress towards project completion.
In
summary, we flip classroom assessment by changing the learner paradigm from
them telling teachers that they are “finished”
to them beginning to think and reflect about how to revise what they finished
into a more complete artifact. This occurs through practice and opportunities
to reflect. Offering rubrics and differentiating assessment puts learners in
charge of their learning. They will grow and become better individuals for it.
Bentley, J. (2016, July 14). How can we flip
assessment to build a PBL culture? Retrieved from Buck Institute for
Education:
http://www.bie.org/blog/how_can_we_flip_assessment_to_build_a_pbl_culture
Hi Robert,
ReplyDeleteYou make some valid points in this post about the purpose and value of assessment and the possibility of it's use within a project based learning framework. You explained how assessment can be tool for students when it provides them with opportunities to reflect and self-assess on not just their ending product, but on their process and their work in progress so that they can be better equipped to dive back in and make changes that will impact both the final product but also the learner themselves. I agree with you that the use of rubrics/checklists and more importantly the opportunity given to students in the middle of their work puts students in charge of their learning which fosters agency.
Thank you!
Dawn