ABSTRACT
Project-based tasks and rubrics, including performance assessments, are alternatives to traditional types of assessments, which offer opportunities for students to engage in the application of their learning instead of passive recitation of knowledge and skills. In classrooms employing project-based tasks, students investigate issues, problems or opportunities embedded within contexts that have relevance to their interests and are appropriate for their age. “Non-traditional” assessments of these types have potential benefits for student learning, if designed and implemented correctly, including: (a) demonstrating developing expertise of a discipline; (b) increasing student motivation in both the learning and assessment contexts; (c) developing students’ critical, creative, and metacognitive skills; and (d) offering opportunities for increased access to post-secondary careers. Despite these benefits, there are also potential liabilities, particularly surrounding issues of equity and access for all groups of students and diverse classroom contexts. Examples of various approaches to non-traditional assessments will be examined from a practical lens, including considerations for employing these tools within schools and programs.
