Why Student Creation is the Hardest/Best Form of Assessment

The goal of assessment has traditionally been to measure student mastery. With that mindset, some students measure high while others do not measure up. While that seems pretty cut and dry, it can be problematic. The students who measure high tend to always measure high. And the students who don't measure up tend to experience disappointment over and over. For students who experience continued success, the consequence is that they believe in their abilities and continue to challenge themselves to achieve more. For students who don't measure up, the consequence is that they learn not to trust their own work and fall into a cycle of self-doubt. They tend to avoid challenging tasks and always take the easiest path to completion.

Why Students Prefer Creative Assessments

When students are able to go through a creative process (rather than taking a traditional test or quiz) to demonstrate their learning, the process includes benchmarks at which students receive feedback from their peers and their teacher. Feedback in this instance is not in the form of a score or a grade, so it feels less like a rating and more like an opportunity to improve for many students. While traditional tests and quizzes are intended by educators as an opportunity for students to improve, that is usually not how it feels from their perspective.

The final product that results from a creative assessment is a unique expression of each students thinking and learning. Because it is unique, students are often proud and empowered to share that work with an audience beyond their teacher or classmates. These creative projects tend to be the ones students choose to share via digital portfolios or as part of applications to internships or even college. If the students are younger, these are the projects that are put on display at parent nights or open houses.

Why Creative Assessments Are a Challenge for Educators

In traditional tests and quizzes, answers tend to be correct or incorrect. Grading is measurable, simple, and usually efficient. Putting a number or value on student work in the form of a creative artifact is more challenging. Sometimes teachers meet this challenge by creating instructions and rubrics that resemble step-by-step recipes. Their students follow the recipe and create a product that looks just like their classmates' products. This is actually not a creative assessment at all. It is an exercise in ensuring students can comply with instructions.

Another question from educators: How do we come up with these creative assessments? For many of us, both our experience as students and training as teachers comprised of readings, lectures, note-taking, studying, and test-taking for scores and certifications. The answer is that educators need both training in project-based learning (Ross Cooper and Erin Murphy's Hacking PBL is a great place to start) and opportunities to observe teacher leader colleagues who are successfully implementing that model in a tech-rich purpose-filled way. At St. John's Prep, a group of teachers who have excelled at this implementation and who want their colleagues to experience the same challenge and joy with their students banded together to create this video:



Wait... No More Tests and Quizzes? Ever?

That's not what I'm saying. Not even remotely. Short quizzes and summative tests have their place in every learner's academic experience. There are regulated, standardized, and necessary. They help colleges and professional organizations determine the readiness of their applicants. They have their place. At the same time, every learner deserves to experience an iterative creative process filled with plans, mistakes, feedback, and micro-successes along the way. In the course of day-to-day work for most professionals, this is the process:

  1. We pose a question or are challenged with a task by a supervisor.
  2. We do some research. Usually this includes reaching out to our networks, crunching numbers and data, and consulting academic/scholarly suggestions.
  3. Based on the unique question/challenge and what we've learned, we come up with a solution.
  4. We ask for informal feedback from colleagues and friends we trust.
  5. We use that feedback to edit and revamp our work.
  6. The first, and still somewhat rough, draft of our idea is proposed to a supervisor.
  7. More feedback.
  8. More editing and revamping.
  9. Rinse. Repeat. You get the idea.... It's a process.
If the purpose of school is to prepare our students for the experiences that await...
If the purpose of school is to prepare them for the challenges and successes they will encounter...
If the purpose of school it to help learners build the skills they need for success in the modern professional world...

It is worth noting:

Source: Partnership for 21st Century Learning
If creativity is the "premier skill", then schools should focus their work on building creativity into lessons for their students. Student creation activities open the door to meaningful feedback, more honest relationships among learners and educators, and an environment that build the characteristics of creativity.

Encouraging student creation is hard, but it is also what is best for our students.

Comments

  1. Wow, What an Outstanding post. I found this too much informatics. It is what I was seeking for. I would like to recommend you that please keep sharing such type of info.If possible, Thanks. A Best Pro

    ReplyDelete
  2. A future without any such harmful environmental effects of plastic is too much a good opportunity to pass by. Morris Esformes

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hey friend, it is very well written article, thank you for the valuable and useful information you provide in this post. Keep up the good work! FYI, please check these depression, stress and anxiety related articles:

    Depression Cure

    60 Second Panic Solution

    I Love Panic Attacks

    Destroy Depression Review


    You can also contact me at depressioncure.net@gmail.com for link exchange, article exchange or for advertisement.

    Thanks

    Rachel

    ReplyDelete
  4. I’m flattened by your contents keep up the excellent work. success coach

    ReplyDelete
  5. This is my first time visit to your blog and I am very interested in the articles that you serve. Provide enough knowledge for me. Thank you for sharing useful and don't forget, keep sharing useful info: someone write my essay

    ReplyDelete
  6. Your blogs are totally worth gift quantify and liveliness. CBD

    ReplyDelete
  7. I'm planar for your article writings and contents fortunately. read manga online

    ReplyDelete
  8. You can be certain that their recommendation of hospitals is an unbiased recommendation. They may recommend a hospital that is close to your residents or one that specializes in your type of care. 남성중점치료병원

    ReplyDelete
  9. Student need help with assignment to finish their academic task, psychology assignment service have experts for providing assignment writing service online with high quality at low cost. psychology assignment service

    ReplyDelete
  10. Good day! I could have sworn I've been to this website
    before but after reading through some of the post I realized it's new
    to me. Nonetheless, 휴게텔

    I'm definitely glad I found it and I'll be bookmarking and checking
    back frequently!

    ReplyDelete
  11. It as really a great and helpful piece of info. I am glad that you shared this helpful info with us. Please keep us up to date like this. Thank you for sharing. 경마사이트

    ReplyDelete
  12. Very good article post. Really looking forward to read more. Really Cool. 토토

    ReplyDelete
  13. Our drivers have undergone thorough training to enable them to have the ability to deal with a variety asset protection in London
    of situations such as the presence of overzealous fans or media, a disgruntled crowd, car-jacking, armed ambush, or kidnap.

    ReplyDelete
  14. A limited liability company requires a minimum share capital, which is almost common in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia; However, there are different ways to invest. https://www.baltic-legal.com/banking-in-latvia-eng.htm

    ReplyDelete
  15. Hello just wanted to give you a quick heads up. The text in your article seem to be
    running off the screen in Firefox. I’m not sure if this is a formatting issue or something to do
    with browser compatibility but I figured I’d post to let you know.
    The design and style look great though! Hope you get the issue solved soon. Many thanksClick Here 오피월드


    2YOUNGYANG

    ReplyDelete
  16. Good day I am so grateful I found your website, I really found you by error,
    while I was searching on Askjeeve for something else, Nonetheless I am here now and would just like to say kudos for a tremendous post
    and a all round interesting blog (I also love the theme/design), I don’t have time to go through it all at the moment but I have book-marked it and also added your RSS feeds, so when I have time I
    will be back to read a lot more, Please do keep up
    the excellent job.JOIN US 오피월드


    3YOUNGYANG

    ReplyDelete
  17. To help put your security driver
    mind at ease, we are going to discuss some of the most common reasons why people might hire close protection London.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Hi there, I simply hopped over in your website by way of StumbleUpon. Now not one thing I’d typically learn, but I favored your emotions none the less. Thank you for making something worth reading. 먹튀검증업체


    ReplyDelete
  19. Hello, I'm happy to see some great articles on your site. Would you like to come to my site later? My site also has posts, comments and communities similar to yours. Please visit and take a look 토토사이트


    ReplyDelete
  20. I'm impressed, I must say. Actually rarely can i encounter a blog that's both educative and entertaining, and without a doubt, you could have hit the nail about the head. Your idea is outstanding; the thing is something that too few individuals are speaking intelligently about. We are delighted that we came across this around my try to find some thing with this.메이저사이트


    ReplyDelete
  21. Thank you a bunch for sharing this with all of us you actually realize what you are talking about! Bookmarked. Please also seek advice from my site =). We could have a hyperlink change contract between us 안전놀이터


    ReplyDelete
  22. Thank you for some other informative blog. Where else could I get that type of information written in such an ideal means? I have a mission that I’m just now working on, and I have been at the look out for such information. 먹튀검증 It helped me a lot. If you have time, I hope you come to my site and share your opinions. Have a nice day.


    ReplyDelete
  23. I figure this article can be enhanced a tad. There are a couple of things that are dangerous here, and if you somehow managed to change these things, this article could wind up a standout amongst your best ones. I have a few thoughts with respect to how you can change these things. 메이저놀이터


    ReplyDelete
  24. This is the perfect post.casino trực tuyến It helped me a lot. If you have time, I hope you come to my site and share your opinions. Have a nice day.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Thanks for an interesting blog. What else may I get that sort of info written in such a perfect approach? I have an undertaking that I am just now operating on, and I have been on the lookout for such info 먹튀검증 It's amazing. I want to learn your writing skills. In fact, I also have a website. If you are okay, please visit once and leave your opinion. Thank you.


    ReplyDelete
  26. Recently, I have started to read a lot of unique articles on different sites, and I am enjoying that a lot. Although, I must tell you that I still like the articles here a lot. They are also unique in their own way. 메이저놀이터


    ReplyDelete
  27. Succeed! It could be one of the most useful blogs we have ever come across on the subject. Excellent info! I’m also an expert in this topic so I can understand your effort very well. Thanks for the huge help. 안전놀이터


    ReplyDelete
  28. I went over this internet site and I think you have a lot of great info , saved to favorites. 메이저사이트

    ReplyDelete
  29. I have been reading out many of your articles and it’s clever stuff. I will make sure to bookmark your blog. 카지노사이트

    ReplyDelete
  30. I have recently started a web site, the information you offer on this web site has helped me tremendously. Thanks for all of your time & work. 토토

    ReplyDelete
  31. We possibly start your task request when we're certain we have somebody who is knowledgeable in your branch of master paper knowledge and qualified to keep in touch with the grade you really want.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Beautician Jet Black Biker Leather Jacket Snow repeated that feeling, saying, "Assuming you intend to wear it all over and it will be a critical piece in your closet, as it ought to be, pick a size somewhat more modest; it will loosen up rapidly with such a lot of wear and begin to lose its shape.

    ReplyDelete
  33. this turned into really an interesting topic and i kinda accept as true 먹튀사이트

    ReplyDelete
  34. 더 비슷한 주제에 관심이 있습니다. 정말 유용한 주제를 가지고 계시 네요. 항상 블로그를 확인하겠습니다. 감사합니다. 슬롯사이트

    ReplyDelete
  35. "좋은 게시물입니다.이 게시물은 정말 좋은 정보를 제공합니다. 확실히 스포츠중계

    ReplyDelete
  36. 우리에게 제공 한이 멋진 게시물에 정말 감사드립니다. 나는 이것이 대부분의 사람들에게 유익 할 것이라고 확신합니다. 토토사이트 순위

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Three Social Media Starter Tips

Guest Post: Digital + Traditional = Teaching at Its Best

Teaching 19th Century Ideologies with 21st Century Technologies