performanceassessment

Performance assessment, sometimes written as performanceassessment in plain-text contexts, is a method of evaluating a learner's competence by requiring them to perform tasks that demonstrate the integrated application of knowledge, skills, and dispositions. Unlike traditional tests that emphasize recall or recognition, performance assessments ask students to produce a product, perform a procedure, or carry out a task in contexts that resemble real-world situations. They are often called authentic assessments and use scoring rubrics that describe criteria for quality work.

Common forms include performance tasks, portfolios, exhibitions or demonstrations, laboratories, design projects, and simulations. They may be used at K-12, higher education, or professional training. Scoring typically involves rubrics or scoring guides, often with multiple raters to improve reliability; feedback is usually detailed to support learning.

Implementation considerations include alignment with objectives and standards, explicit criteria, accessibility and accommodations, resource demands, and teacher training. Reliability and validity are addressed through clear rubrics, exemplars, and calibration of scorers. Performance assessments can be formative, providing ongoing feedback, or summative, contributing to final grades or licensure.

Examples span sciences, humanities, and professional fields: a science investigation or lab report, a literary analysis presented as a performance, an architectural design portfolio, a clinical skill demonstration, or a software prototype with user testing.

Related concepts include authentic assessment, rubrics, and portfolios; performance assessment is valued for promoting transfer of learning and higher-order thinking, though it poses challenges in fairness, reliability, and resource needs.