I took US History as a freshman in high school. This was not my favorite class. That being said, during the course I experienced my best assessment. The task was to creatively show our understanding of popular culture and folk culture. We were required to define each of the ideas and compare them. My best friend and I took our project idea and ran with it! We wrote a song and recorded a 90s-inspired music video. You know, the type where the performers are singing into the camera from a birds-eye-view? It was extremely cheesy and engaging and we loved every minute of it! Not only were we having a blast, but we were also successful in showing our understanding of the content.
As I look back on this, I wonder why this assessment was so successful. What made it my “best assessment?” I believe the answer to that question is several factors. First, we were able to collaborate with our peers. In Shepherd's (2003) call for improved assessment practices, she grounded her rationale in the social processes and factors in development and learning. This argues that having the ability to socialize with a partner on this task allows us to deepen our understanding of the content.
Choice was another important factor of this assessment. Giving us the autonomy to decide how we would show our knowledge allowed all students to tailor the assessment to our strengths and interests. Wayne Au explains in his book “Unequal by design: High-stakes testing and the standardization of inequality,” that standardized testing perpetuates systematic racism and is biased towards students belonging to higher-income families (2008). Because of this, assessments that do not follow the rigidity of standardized tests prove to be more accessible to a diverse group of students.
This assessment also engaged our technological knowledge as we were able to use iPads to record our song, the music, and the video. This technology allowed us to incorporate artifacts from our houses that supported our understanding. For example, my friend had an old wood stove in her house as well as a brand-new stove in her kitchen. Without the use of technology, our project would not have been as meaningful. Therefore, by allowing us the use of a variety of tools and technology, we were able to enhance our learning through this assessment.
There is one aspect of this assessment that I cannot recall, which is the actual grade we received. I believe the reason for this is because I was so engaged with the content we were learning that the score was of no significance. The grade we earned was not as important to me that the actual learning that was happening. And, in my opinion, that might be the most important reason that this assessment is my best.
This is a photo of the wood burning stove from our music video. I obtained this photo from Zillow.
Resources
Au, W. (2008). Unequal by design: High-stakes testing and the standardization of inequality. Routledge.
Shepard, L. A. (2000). The role of assessment in a learning culture. Educational Researcher, 29(7), 4-14.
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