What Is Performance-Based Assessment?
Serving as an alternative to traditional testing methods, performance-based assessment includes the problem-solving process. These assessments require a student to create a product or answer a question that will demonstrate the student’s skills and understanding. For this reason, there tends to be no single right or wrong answer. Instead, PBAs require students to actively participate in a task to assess their process. The questions or tasks are designed to be practical and interdisciplinary. Not only do performance-based assessments provide deeper insight into how well students have learned, they also give them insight into what they understand themselves. With this knowledge, teachers are better able to understand where a student needs extra assistance and can modify their lessons accordingly.
