Module 26 & 28: Blog Post 2

Blog Post 2

• Discuss a question or confusion from reading Module 28

There are many ways for teachers to assess performance in the classroom. I feel as a student and an individual who does not speak well in front of others, that all performance assessments are not credible of how well an individual understands the material. For example giving a presentation about something may be extremely difficult for someone, but if given a test, he/she could pass with an A. I think this is discrepancy is something teachers often forget and is not necessarily a reliable assessment tool. I wonder if many teachers realize that the fear of getting up in front of students may significantly reflect the outcome of their speech or presentation?

• Performance assessment is important for most of you because you are assessing a performance or action of some kind. How is this kind of activity different from other kinds of assessment? What might performance assessment look like in your content area and how, specifically, might you assess learning through performance?

Performance assessment is where students develop a product or carry out an activity to demonstrate knowledge and understanding. This is different from other types of assessments because it involves students using higher level problem-solving skills to perform a task and demonstrate proficiency, rather than just completing it on paper. Performance assessments can be formative or summative, are often completed in groups, and some may have written components that accompany the product or activity.

In the field of Dietetics, you would assess an individuals performance in a variety of ways. For an individual with diabetes that is having a difficult time controlling their blood glucose levels, you could ask them to keep a food, blood sugar and insulin log. By doing this, it will allow me to see how their glucose levels are at different times during the day, how much insulin they are taking and how their diet or insulin shots should be regulated and/or changed. To make sure they are actually doing this day-to-day, I will ask them to get a Hemoglobin A1c test done. This test checks for blood sugar regulation over a long period of time. If they have a high response, then it means that are not controlling their blood glucose levels. This test holds the patient accountable for their health and regulating their diabetes. This assessment allows me to see their performance and whether they have adequately controlled their diabetes.