Intel Education: Designing Effective Projects: Planning Projects

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	Designing Effective Projects: Planning Projects Assessment in Projects

Assessment Goals Redefined
Traditional classroom settings offer limited assessment tools, such as test-taking and oral speeches. These methods are quick and easy, but they provide relatively limited information about a student’s progress and the effectiveness of instruction within a unit. Ongoing and broader types of assessment provide more meaningful information. Specifically, use assessment tools to:

Gauge students’ prior knowledge
Clearly define and communicate learning goals to students
Provide diagnostic feedback to teachers and students
Assess and improve teaching effectiveness
Identify students’ strengths and weaknesses
Improve students’ awareness of learning progress
Engage students in self-assessment and communication of learning progress

Good projects are designed with the end in mind. This means starting with the goals, determining what students need to know, and then defining how to assess understanding. All of this is considered before activities are developed. This “backwards” approach to instructional design helps a project stay focused on learning targets. Assessment for project-based units should be planned to:

Use a variety of assessment methods
Embed assessment throughout the learning cycle
Assess the important objectives of the unit
Engage students in the assessment processes

Integrating Assessment throughout Instruction
Before beginning a project, use assessment data to determine a starting point by addressing the following questions:

What prior knowledge needs to be addressed?
What types of activities are required?
How will students be grouped for collaborative learning?

During the project, use assessments with students to:

Share learning goals and criteria
Provide self-direction opportunities for students to set goals, make plans, and reflect on learning
Monitor progress towards goals
Monitor learning and understanding
Foster peer feedback
Identify misconceptions
Determine if knowledge is being applied in new situations

After the project, use assessments with students to:

Identify areas for further study
Plan upcoming learning opportunities
Set new goals

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