SportaPolis

Column - "The New P.E. & Sports Dimension" - # 10 May 2002

The column that opens your day by opening your mind

To start with the discussion and how to: click here

Assessing student learning is one of the key features in physical activity programs today and can be used to point to areas that need improvement, identify whether new programs have served students well, and provide proof when new projects succeed (Peterson, 1997).

Unfortunately, many practitioners look at assessment as problematic or as an inconvenience, citing large class sizes and lack of space and/or time as reasons for not assessing effectively (Veal, 1992; Everhart, 1996). However, I believe physical educators must not lose site that learning is cumulative and therefore demands that assessments must be embedded throughout the curriculum.

There are basically two different assessment methods a teacher can use to evaluate student learning: traditional or authentic assessment.

The traditional approach encompasses the use of:

• cognitive exams (i.e. written exams: multiple choice, true/false, etc.),
• psychomotor tests (i.e. skills tests), and
• fitness evaluations (i.e. sit-ups, push-ups, etc.).

Authentic assessment is similar to the traditional approach in that it exams cognitive, psychomotor and fitness domains. However, authentic assessment tests these domains using "real life" situations. Authentic assessment also includes examining student progress in the affective domain, which is generally not addressed in the traditional approach.

Authentic assessment is a very powerful tool that accurately evaluates student learning. It emphasizes problem solving, higher order thinking and performance skills as well as provides students, teachers, parents and administrators with more realistic information about the tasks students have completed.

Assessing students authentically shows the public physical education has a curriculum as well as content, which then improves the image of our profession. It sharpens teachers' skills by causing him/her to monitor students more closely and refine teaching techniques. In addition, authentic assessment offers teachers a variety of ways to sample student learning, rather than just one test and provides students with a variety of ways to demonstrate an understanding of what they have learned.

Finally, I believe one of our goals as physical educators is to expand the teaching of physical education to include physical, social, emotional, and mental experiences on which students can draw in order to make wise personal choices. Students with broader experiences can make positive selections with regard to lifetime healthful living. Therefore, I believe physical educators should use alternative, authentic assessments to help students become more self-directed learners and better reflective thinkers in physical activity.

Everhart, B. (1996). Assessing motor and sport skill performance: Two procedures. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, 67(7), 49-51.

Peterson, K. (1997). Authentic assessment and schoolwide projects. http://www.wcer.wisc.edu/ccvi/zz-pubs/newsletters/winter1997_weavingauthenticassessment/AuthAssessment_SchoolwideProj.html

Veal, M.L. (1992). The role of assessment in secondary physical education: a pedagogical view. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, 63(7), 88-92.

What are your thoughts on this matter of traditional assessment versus authentic assessment?

1. Do you believe students should be tested using the traditional method, or through authentic assessment, or a combination of both?

2. In what domains do you test?

3. What tests do you currently use to assess those domains?

4. Have you designed any alternative assessments that have been implemented to evaluate student progress and learning in physical activities? If you have, would you be willing to share them with us?

- just copy and paste the above questions into your e-mail program and submit your answers to: guy.vandamme@skynet.be

- he collects your replies.

- The author reads your ideas/reactions and if needed will add his feedback.

- This all - your reactions and feedback - will be posted again onto the list.

June 2002 - Dr. Debby Mitchell will start with a new article.

Have a good discussion,

co-ordinator

Guy Van Damme