PERFORMANCE TESTS AS A ALTERNATIVE ASSESMENT
(PRUEBAS DE RENDIMIENTO COMO EVALUACIÓN ALTERNATIVA)
Autor 1*, Autor 2**…n
*Nombre correo1@dominio.com . ** Nombre correo2@dominio.com …n
(SAN PEDRO SULA, 04/23/2021)
Summary:
Since alternative assessment is all about putting
knowledge to work, design effective performance
tests to help you rate a student's level of skill or
knowledge. A performance test requires the learners
to execute complex tasks while the instructor
observes how they go about them.
Keywords: Evaluation, performance, alternatives,
knowledge.
1. INTRODUCTION
Alternative assessment refers to new procedures and
techniques that can be used within the context of
teaching and incorporated into the daily activities in
the classroom, gathering evidence about how
students process and complete actual tasks on a
particular topic and include a variety of evaluation
techniques, these techniques can be adapted to
different situations. Authentic assessment focuses
primarily on processes rather than on the results,
and the student is the one who takes responsibility
for their own learning with a participatory role and
continuous improvement.
2. PERFORMANCE TESTS
A performance task is any learning activity or
assessment that asks students to perform to
demonstrate their knowledge, understanding and
proficiency. Performance tasks yield a tangible
product and/or performance that serve as evidence
of learning. Unlike a selected-response item (e.g.,
multiple-choice or matching) that asks students to
select from given alternatives, a performance task
Resumen:
Dado que la evaluación alternativa se trata de poner
el conocimiento en práctica, diseñe pruebas de
desempeño efectivas para ayudarlo a calificar el nivel
de habilidad o conocimiento de un estudiante. Una
prueba de rendimiento requiere que los alumnos
ejecuten tareas complejas mientras el instructor
observa cómo las realizan.
Palabras claves: Evaluación, desempeño,
alternativas, conocimineto.
presents a situation that calls for learners to apply
their learning in context.
Performance tasks are routinely used in certain
disciplines, such as visual and performing arts,
physical education, and career-technology where
performance is the natural focus of instruction.
However, such tasks can (and should) be used in
every subject area and at all grade levels.
3. CHARACTERISTICS
1. Performance tests call for the application of
knowledge and skills, not just recall or
recognition.
2. Performance tests are open-ended and
typically do not yield a single, correct
answer.
3. Performance tests establish novel and
authentic contexts for performance.
4. Performance tests are multi-faceted.
5. Performance tests can integrate two or
more subjects as well as 21st century skills.
6. Performances on open-ended tasks are
evaluated with established criteria and
rubrics.
 4. DISCUSSION
Performance tasks should be "worth teaching to";
that is, the tasks need to present interesting
possibilities for applying an array of curriculum-
related knowledge and skills. The best performance
tasks are inherently instructional, actively engaging
students in worthwhile learning activities. Students
may be encouraged by them to search out additional
information or try different approaches, and in some
situations, to work in teams.
These positive features of performance assessment
come at a price. Performance assessment requires a
greater expense of time, planning and thought from
students and teachers. One teacher reports, "We
can't just march through the curriculum anymore.
It's hard. I spend more time planning and more time
coaching. At first, my students just wanted to be
told what to do. I had to help them to start thinking."
Users also need to pay close attention to technical
and equity issues to ensure that the assessments are
fair to all students. This is all the more important as
there has been very little research and development
on performance assessment in the environment of a
high stakes accountability system, where
administrative and resource decisions are affected
by measures of student performance.
5. EXAMPLES
Performance tasks are routinely used in certain
disciplines, such as visual and performing arts,
physical education, and career-technology where
performance is the natural focus of instruction.
However, such tasks can (and should) be used in
every subject area and at all grade levels.
Dramatic performances are one kind of
collaborative activities that can be used as a
performance-based assessment. Students can create,
perform, and/or provide a critical response.
Examples include dance, recital, dramatic
enactment. There may be prose or poetry
interpretation.
This form of performance-based assessment can
take time, so there must be a clear pacing guide.
Students must be provided time to address the
demands of the activity; resources must be readily
available and meet all safety standards. Students
should have opportunities to draft stage work and
practice.
Developing the criteria and the rubric and sharing
these with students before evaluating a dramatic
performance is critical.
6. CONCLUSION
In sum, performance tests like these can be used to
engage students in meaningful learning. Since rich
performance tasks establish authentic contexts that
reflect genuine applications of knowledge, students
are often motivated and engaged by such “real
world” challenges.
When used as assessments, performance tests enable
teachers to gauge student understanding and
proficiency with complex processes (e.g., research,
problem solving, and writing), not just measure
discrete knowledge. They are well suited to
integrating subject areas and linking content
knowledge with the 21st Century Skills such as
critical thinking, creativity, collaboration,
communication, and technology use. Moreover,
performance-based assessment can also elicit Habits
of Mind, such as precision and perseverance.
7. BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. Lyman, P. & Varian, H. R. (2003). How much
information. School of Information Management
and Systems, University of California, Berkeley.
Retrieved February 11, 2010, from
http://www.sims.berkeley.edu/how-much-info-
2003/
2. McCain, T. & Jukes, I. (2001). Windows on the
future: Education in the age of technology.
Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
3. Ng, P. T. (2008). Educational reform in
Singapore: From quantity to quality. Education
Research on Policy and Practice,
7, 5-15.
4. Silva, E. (2008). Measuring the skills of the 21st
century. Washington, DC: Education Sector, p. 5.
5. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, (sec 1111
B 2 c (1)). Retrieved February 11, 2010, from
http://www2ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/esear02/pg2.ht
ml