Study Group -- Searching the Internet for Performance Assessment Activities

1.  Defining “Assessment” and related terms.

• www.aahe.org/principl.htm -- American Association for Higher Education: 9 Principles of Good Practice for Assessing Student Learning (good tips!)
• cresst96.cse.ucla.edu/CRESST/pages/glossary.htm -- The Graduate School of Education and Information Studies at UCLA sponsors this site -- every possible term having to do with assessment is defined!
• www.ed.gov/databases/ERIC_Digests/ed381985.html -- An ERIC Digest which summarizes how to create "meaningful" performance assessments / one section explains how teachers can positively influence student performance on activities
• www.ed.gov/databases/ERIC_Digests/ed381984.html -- An ERIC Digest entitled "Connecting Performance Assessment to Instruction: A Comparison of Behavioral Assessment, Mastery Learning, Curriculum-Based Measurement, and Performance Assessment."

2.  Finding “Ready-made” Performance Assessment activities

• Blue Web'n -- THERE'S NO NEED TO REINVENT THE WHEEL!!!  Search this site called "Blue Web'n", sponsored by Pacific Bell & updated regularly, which has links to ready-made Internet-based Performance Assessment Activities
• ss.uno.edu/SS/New/TecniqList.html -- 150 Teaching Methods -- Ideas you may never have thought of, including some performance-assessment type activities

3.  Using the Internet as a component of Performance Assessment activites  (example: Webquest)

• www.ozline.com/learning/index.htm -- What's a "Webquest"???  If you've never heard of this term, it's a great way to use the Internet in a directed way.  It avoids the pitfalls of having students search the Internet on their own, while allowing them to use wealth of information available to construct projects, create presentations, or write papers.  One of the links on this page, edweb.sdsu.edu/webquest/webquest.html, is the premier Webquest instruction page.
• info.ox.ac.uk/jtap/reports/teaching/chapter4.html -- A British-based site with suggestions for using the World Wide Web as a Teaching Tool
• score.rims.k12.ca.us/activity/ancientworld/ -- Click here if you're still confused about what a "Webquest" is and why it's a form of "authentic" or "performance" assessment.  This is a social studies example, which is also linked below under #4.  It's on the sixth grade level, but it shows you the potential of a Webquest.

4.  Assessing the Activity – Rubrics -- For those teachers who are still nervous about using "performance assessment activities" rather than traditional tests (because the grading can be so subjective), rubrics offer the best way to insure reliable grading.

• www.odyssey.on.ca/~elaine.coxon/rubrics.htm -- THE SEARCH IS OVER!  If you're having your students complete a project or other activity which lends itself toward rubric-style grading, then GO TO THIS WEB SITE!  No matter what subject area, chances are you'll find a rubric here that, with a little-bit of altering, will suit your purpose.
• Rubrics for Web Lessons -- Interested in writing your own rubric for a web-based project?  This web site provides wonderful guidelines.  Also included are descriptions of software which can be used for rubric development.
• horizon.nmsu.edu/ddl/performancerub.html -- A generic rubric that could be used as a model to create your own.
• www.teach-nology.com/web_tools/rubrics/ -- A rubric "generator" site.
• www.nashville.k12.tn.us/webquests/Giraffe_Pelly/rubric2.html  (MAP Rubric) & www.qni.com/~nkchigh/film/review_rubric.html  (FILM Rubric) -- Aimee Gerrets suggests using these pre-made rubrics as templates for creating your own map & film review rubrics.

5.  Social Studies Activities

• www.execpc.com/%7Edboals/boals.html -- History / Social Studies for K-12 Teachers: "The major purpose of this home page is to encourage the use of the World Wide Web as a tool for learning and teaching and to provide some help for K-12 classroom teachers in locating and using the resources of the Internet in the classroom."
• www.socialstudies.com/c/@4KvqNtTa45kjs/Pages/activities.html -- The Social Studies School Service's Online Activities home page.  One of the activities linked to this home page is the sample Webquest listed above -- score.rims.k12.ca.us/activity/ancientworld/
• ss.uno.edu/ss/homePages/SocStuHP.html -- UNO's College of Education Social Studies Home Page:  This is a virtual library which provides a wonderful starting point for teachers who are searching for social studies information and activities.  Especially good for multicultural information / web sites.
• www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/China -- This was the first Webquest to be published for public use.  This page actually demonstrated that there are several "levels" of Webquests, ranging from basic scavenger hunts, to those which required significant higher-level thinking skills.  Another web site sponsored by Pacific Bell, who sponsored "Blue Web'n" listed above under #2.
• coe.west.asu.edu/students/rkamper/intro.htm -- Just another example of a Webquest.  This one was listed as being designed for sociology, but its topic -- political parties -- would also make it appropriate for Civics / Government classes.

6.  Miscellaneous Web Resources

• www.mhhe.com/socscience/education/methods/resources.html -- McGraw Hill's site -- There's a link about EVERYTHING here! Teaching Methods, Curriculum Theory, Methods, Classroom Management, Cooperative Learning, Problem-Based Learning, etc.
• www.odyssey.on.ca/~elaine.coxon/Reporting/assessment2.htm -- This Canadian-based site offers more Assessment information & links.
• www.muskingum.edu/~cal/database/Hist2.html -- Center for Advancement of Learning: Learning Strategies Database -- If you're looking for ways to help your students better organize information and prepare for tests, try the methods suggested her.
• www.catholic.org/cen/introduction/info.html -- Catholic Education Network's Home Page.
• www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/methods/assment/as8lk30.htm -- North Central Regional Educational Laboratory (NCREL)'s Alternative Assessment page.  If you're looking for more information / articles about Alternative Assessment methods, this page provides 9 links to such articles.
• www.exemplars.com/ -- This is an advertisement for "Exemplars."  "Exemplars offers classroom-tested standards-based assessment and instruction materials.  Each of the following products is keyed to national standards and includes rubrics and annotated benchmark papers: Math; Science; Reading / Writing / Research; Professional Development."
• www.arc.missouri.edu/pa/ -- Assessment Resource Center's "Performance Assessment Clearinghouse"
• cresst96.cse.ucla.edu/index.htm -- The National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards and Student Testing Home Page.  Funded by the U.S. Department of Education and the Office of Educational Research, and affiliated with UCLA.





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