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    Assessment Methods - Project Work

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    Joanne Beverley
    Project work involves students independently researching a self-selected topic over an extended period of time, with the teacher acting as an advisor. It can be practical, performance-based, or involve library research. Key advantages are that it can motivate students by allowing them to follow their interests, promote independent learning, and encourage applying knowledge to real-world skills. However, it also has disadvantages like requiring significant time, losing some students' interest, and needing careful design. Project work is best for assessing higher-order thinking skills when accompanied by a clear brief and regular formative feedback.

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    Assessment Methods - Project Work

    Uploaded by

    Joanne Beverley
    515 views3 pages
    Project work involves students independently researching a self-selected topic over an extended period of time, with the teacher acting as an advisor. It can be practical, performance-based, or involve library research. Key advantages are that it can motivate students by allowing them to follow their interests, promote independent learning, and encourage applying knowledge to real-world skills. However, it also has disadvantages like requiring significant time, losing some students' interest, and needing careful design. Project work is best for assessing higher-order thinking skills when accompanied by a clear brief and regular formative feedback.

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    Project work involves students independently researching a self-selected topic over an extended period of time, with the teacher acting as an advisor. It can be practical, performance-based, or involve library research. Key advantages are that it can motivate students by allowing them to follow their interests, promote independent learning, and encourage applying knowledge to real-world skills. However, it also has disadvantages like requiring significant time, losing some students' interest, and needing careful design. Project work is best for assessing higher-order thinking skills when accompanied by a clear brief and regular formative feedback.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as doc, pdf, or txt
    515 views3 pages

    Assessment Methods - Project Work

    Uploaded by

    Joanne Beverley
    Project work involves students independently researching a self-selected topic over an extended period of time, with the teacher acting as an advisor. It can be practical, performance-based, or involve library research. Key advantages are that it can motivate students by allowing them to follow their interests, promote independent learning, and encourage applying knowledge to real-world skills. However, it also has disadvantages like requiring significant time, losing some students' interest, and needing careful design. Project work is best for assessing higher-order thinking skills when accompanied by a clear brief and regular formative feedback.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as doc, pdf, or txt
    of 3

    Assessment Methods/Strategies - Project Work

    Definition
    There is no universally agreed definition of the term ‘project work’ however Henry
    (1994) suggests that the following 6 criteria act as working definition:-
    The Student:-
    • usually selects the topic- from the subject area given by the teacher

    • undertakes their own research to find the information


    • presents an end product – usually a report and often for assessment
    • undertakes an independent piece of work
    The Project:-
    • lasts over an extended period
    The Teacher
    • assumes the role of advisor

    Projects can be practical –vocational, performance based or library based with the
    focus being on individual project work

    Advantages
    • Can be highly motivating students are able to follow their own interest
    • Can promote independent learning
    • It encourages active learning
    • Students can find their own level
    • Can encourage the application of knowledge to practice and develop practical
    skills (Reece and Walker 2007)
    • Enhances study and key skills- e.g. research, analysis, evaluation, time
    management, communication etc (Atherton 2010)
    • For practical based projects can provide realistic situations for students (Henry
    1994)

    Disadvantages
    • Can take a long time to complete and some students may lose interest,
    enthusiasm and motivation (Bourner et al, 2001).
    • Students may want to deviate from the teacher’s original instruction and it is hard
    to keep the students on track (Seet, 2010).

    1
    • Some students will need a lot of managing and support
    • Need careful design if it is to work well
    • Information and library services need to be available so that students will be able
    to access the relevant resources
    • Can be costly particularly for practical projects

    • Projects often take longer to mark than a conventional assignment (Hargreaves,


    2006:23).

    Appropriate usage and Learning Style


    • Good method of assessing the use of the higher cognitive skills –analysis,
    synthesis and evaluation (Henry 1994)
    • For practical projects can be a good method of assessing psychomotor skills
    (Reece and Walker 2007)
    • To have much value projects require a clear brief, given in writing, together with a
    marking scheme which directs students where to put their major efforts and there
    needs to be regular formative assessments (Atherton 2010)
    • A recognised and realistic alternative to traditional exams (Reece and Walker
    2007)
    • Project work takes account of Visual, Audio and Kinaesthetic learners

    • A student with disabilities may need a learning support tutor, writing length may
    need to be reduced and more time may be needed to complete the project (Open
    University, 2010 [online]).

    References

    Atherton JS (2010) Learning and Teaching; Assessment; projects (on-line) UK


    available from http: www.learningandteaching.info/teaching/assessment_projects.htm
    (Accessed 19/10/10)

    Bourner , Jill et al (2001) First Year Undergraduate Experiences of Group Project


    Work, Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 26 (1), 19-39.

    2
    Hargreaves, G. EIAT Consultancy Ltd (2006) An Introduction to Assessment, The
    Higher Education Academy – HE in FE: Teaching and Learning [online]. Available
    from http://www.palatine.ac.uk/files/740.pdf [Accessed 13/10/2010].

    Henry, J (1994) Teaching through projects. Kogan Page Limited

    Open University (2010) Making Your Teaching Inclusive. Available from


    http://www.open.ac.uk/inclusiveteaching/pages/inclusive-teaching/assessment.php.
    [Accessed 13/10/2010].

    Reece, I and Walker, S (2009) Teaching, Training and Learning (6th edition)
    Sunderland; Business Education Publishers

    Seet, L (2010) Evaluating Students Perceptions and Attitudes Towards Computer


    Mediated Project Based Learning Environment: A Case Study, Learning
    Environment Research, 13, 173 – 185.

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