Product-Oriented Performance-Based Assessment

A. Product - Oriented Performance Based Assessment

Performance-based education poses a challenge for teachers to design

instruction that is task-oriented. The trend is based on the premise that learning needs
to be connected to the lives of the students through relevant tasks that focus on
students’ ability to use their knowledge and skills in meaningful ways. In this case,
performance-based tasks require performance-based assessment in which the actual
student performance is assessed through a product, such as a completed project or
work that demonstrates levels of task achievement.

B. Product-oriented learning competencies

Student performances can be defined as targeted tasks that lead to a product or

overall learning outcomes. Product can include a wide range of student works that
target specific skills.

Examples:

1. COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Reading Writing
Speaking Listening

2. PSYCHOMOTOR SKILLS (requiring physical abilities to perform a given

task).

Using rubrics is one way that teachers can evaluate or assess student
performance or proficiency in any given task as it relates to a final product or leaning
outcomes.

C. The Learning Competencies

The leaning competencies associated with products or outputs are linked with an
assessment of the level of “expertise” manifested by the product. Thus, product
oriented learning competencies targets at least three (3) levels: novice or
beginner’s level, skilled level, and expert level.

There are other ways to state product-oriented learning competencies. For

instance, we can define learning competencies for products or outputs in the following
way:
Level 1: Does the finished product or project illustrate the minimum expected
parts or functions? (Beginner)

Level 2: Does the finished product or project contain additional parts and
functions on top of the minimum requirements which tend to enhance the final
output? (Skilled level)

Level 3: Does the finished product contain the basic minimum parts and
functions, have additional features on top of the minimum, and us
aesthetically pleasing? (Expert level)
 Example:

1. The desired product is a representation of a cubic prism made out of

cardboard in an elementary geometry class.

Learning Competencies: The final product submitted by the students

must:
a. possess the correct dimensions (5” x 5” x 5”) –
(minimum specifications)
b. be sturdy, made of durable cardboard and properly
fastened together – (skilled specifications)
c. be pleasing to the observer, preferably properly colored
for aesthetic purposes – (Expert level)

2. The desired product is a scrapbook illustrating the historical event

called EDSA I People Power.

Learning Competencies: The scrapbook presented by the

students must:
a. Contain pictures, newspaper clippings and other
illustrations for the main characters of EDSA I People
Power namely: Corazon Aquino, Fidel V. Ramos, Juan
Ponce Enrile, Ferdinand E. Marcos, Cardinal Sin. –
(minimum specifications)
b. Contain remarks and captions for the illustrations made
by the student himself for the roles played by the
characters of EDSA I People Power – (skilled level)
c. Be presentable, complete, informative and pleasing to
the reader of the scrapbook – (expert level)

Performance-based assessment for products and projects can also be used for
assessing outputs of short-term tasks such as the one illustrated below for outputs in a
typing class.

Example: The desired output consists of the output in a typing class

.
Learning Competencies: The final typing outputs of the students must:
● Possess no more than five (5) errors in spelling – (minimum
specifications)
● Possess no more than five (5) errors in spelling observing proper
format based on the document to be typewritten – (skilled level)
● Possess no more than five (5) errors in spelling, has the proper
format, and is readable and presentable – (expert level)

Notice that in all of the above examples, product oriented performance based
learning competencies are evidence-based. The teacher needs concrete evidence
that the student has achieved a certain level of competence based on submitted
products and projects.
D. Task designing

How should a teacher design a task for product-oriented performance based

assessment? The design of the task in this context depends on what the teacher
desires to observe as output of the students. The concepts that may be associated
with task designing include:

1. Complexity. The level of complexity of the project needs to be within the range
of ability of the students. Projects that are too simple tend to be uninteresting for
the students while projects that are too complicated will most likely frustrate
them.

2. Appeal. The project or activity must be appealing to the students. It should be

interesting enough so that students are encouraged to pursue the task to
completion. It should lead self-discovery of information by the students.

3. Creativity. The projects need to encourage students to exercise creativity and

divergent thinking. Given the same set of materials and project inputs, how does
one best present the project? It should lead the students into exploring the
various possible ways of presenting the final output.

4. Goal-Based. Finally, the teacher must bear in mind that the project is produced
in order to attain a learning objective. Thus, projects are assigned to students not
just for the sake of producing something but for the purpose of reinforcing
learning.

Example:

Paper folding is a traditional Japanese art. However, it can be used as an

activity to teach concept of plane and solid figures in geometry. Provide students
with a given number of colored papers and ask them to construct as many plane
and solid figures from these papers without cutting them (by paper folding only)

E. Scoring rubrics

Scoring Rubrics are descriptive scoring schemes that are developed by teachers or
other evaluators to guide the analysis of the products or processes of students’ efforts
(Brookhart, 1999). Scoring rubrics are typically employed when a judgment of quality is
required and may be used to evaluate a broad range of subjects and activities.

For instance, scoring rubrics can be most useful in grading essays or evaluating
projects such as scrap books. Judgements concerning the quality of a given writing
sample may vary depending upon the criteria established by the individual evaluator.
One evaluator may heavily weight the evaluation process upon the linguistic structure,
while another evaluator may be more interested in the persuasiveness of the argument.
A high quality essay is likely to have a combination of these and other factors. By
developing a pre-defined scheme for the evaluation process, the subjectivity involved
evaluating an essay becomes more objective.
 The ultimate consideration is using a scoring rubrics for assessment is really the
“purpose of the assessment.” Scoring rubrics provide at least two benefits in the
evaluation process: 1) they support the examination of the extent to which the specified
criteria have been reached, and 2) they provide feedback to students concerning how to
improved their performances. If these benefits are consistent with the purpose of the
assessment, then scoring rubric is likely to be as appropriate evaluation technique.

Criteria Setting

The criteria for scoring rubrics are statements which identify “ what really counts”
in the final output. The following are the most often used major criteria for product
assessment
a. Quality
b. Creativity
c. Comprehension
d. Accuracy
e. Aesthetics

From the major criteria, the next task is to identify sub-statements that would
make the major criteria more focused and objective.

. Example:
1. If we were scoring an essay on: “Three Hundred Years of Spanish
Rules in the Philippines”, the major criterion “Quality” may possess
the following sub-statements:
● Interrelates the chronological events in an interesting manner
● Identifies the key players in each period of the Spanish rule and
the roles that they played
● Succeeds in relating the history of Philippine Spanish rule (related
as Professional, Not quite professional, and Novice)
 The example below displays a scoring rubric that was developed to aid in the
evaluation of essays written by college students in the classroom (Leydens
&Thompson, 1997)

The scoring rubric in this particular example exemplifies what is called a “holistic
scoring rubrics”. It will be noted that each score category describes the characteristics
of a response that would receive the respective score.
When are scoring rubrics an appropriate evaluation technique?

Grading essay is just one example of performances that may be evaluated using
scoring rubrics. There are many other instances in which scoring rubrics may be used
successfully: evaluate group activities, extended projects and oral presentations.

Also scoring rubrics scoring cuts across disciplines and subject matter for they
are equally appropriate in English, Mathematics and Science classrooms. Where and
when a scoring rubric is used does not depend on the grade level or subject, but rather
on the purpose of the assessment.

Other Methods

Authentic assessment schemes apart from scoring rubrics exist in the arsenal of
a teacher. For example, checklists may be used rather that scoring rubrics in the
evaluation essays. Checklists enumerate a set of desirable characteristics for a certain
product and the teacher marks those characteristics which are actually observed. As
such the checklists are an appropriate choice of evaluation when the information that is
sought is limited to the determination of whether or noy specific criteria have been met.
It can be noted that scoring rubrics are based on descriptive scales and support
the evaluation of the extent to which criteria have been met.

General versus Task-Specific

In the development of scoring rubrics, it is well bear in mind that it can be used to
assess or evaluate specific tasks or general or broad category of tasks. For instance,
suppose that we are interested in assessing the student’s oral communication skills.
Then, a general scoring rubric may be developed and used to evaluate each of the oral
presentation given by that student.

Process of Developing Scoring Rubrics

In the development of scoring rubrics, bear in mind that scoring rubrics can be
used to assess or evaluate specific tasks or general or broad category of tasks.

The first step in the process entails the identification of the qualities and
attributes that the teacher wishes to observe in the students’ outputs that would
demonstrate their level of proficiency. (Brookhart, 1992).

The next step after defining the criteria for the top level of performance is the
identification and definition if the criteria for the lowest level of performance.

ACTIVITY
Answer the following questions.

1. Differentiate between a “process – oriented” and a “product – oriented “

performance based assessment.
2. Differentiate between a “general” and “specific” task oriented scoring rubrics.
3. What factors determine the use of scoring rubrics over other authentic
assessment procedures? Explained.
4. Identify and describes the process of developing scoring rubrics for product –
oriented performance – based assessment?
5. Design 3 projects or tasks with learning objectives related to your course.
6. Develop scoring rubrics for each of the project or task you designed.