Assessments in PE?
Assessing student learning has always been an important aspect in physical education, but has often been underutilized. Having formal and summative assessments integrated in regular classroom instruction is an imperative aspect of documenting student growth alongside teaching effectiveness. Physical education gives students a break from their usual structured classroom setting, and these written assessments bring back the formality of classroom activities. Let’s be honest, students dread written work in a class designated to increase physical activity and improve social skills. We can make these assessments more exciting and fun for students. Yeah, that’s right, fun assessments.
Storyboard That offers the ability for students to express their comprehension of psychomotor, cognitive, and affective domains in a formal but fun format. Bring a class to the computer lab for half the class or use an iPad/laptop cart as a station during a regular class. This can be especially useful during observations or the colder seasons, when there is an abundance of students in one gymnasium at a time. Do you have students who cannot participate in activities for medical reasons? Here is a way to include them in a more interactive way. The following assessments are examples of how to use Storyboard That and can be modified to different cognitive levels with various unit plans.
Cognitive Domain Assessment
Assessments that focus in the cognitive domain are designed to measure student understanding and knowledge of various aspects in specific classroom topics. The following example assesses student learning on tennis rules and this activity could be used as a formal, formative assessment. Adapting this assessment to any sport, activity, or concept in the classroom is easily done. Questions can be tailored for a specific sport. In the case of tennis, asking the students what type of hit is being used (forehand, backhand, etc.) is a great way to check their understanding of multiple aspects of the game. It reinforces basic student understanding of foundation skills for game play.
Cognitive assessments using Storyboard That can include having students create visuals of different rules of games and sports. Examples include asking students to differentiate between a ground rule double and an automatic double, or college football touchdown rules and professional football touchdown rules, or showing the different areas covered in zone defense. These assessments can also look into strategies in a game situation, such as asking students to show what a "give-n-go" strategy looks like vs. a "pick-n-roll". Students may also practice different strategies by creating plays, routes, or other plans within a storyboard. This will help them better conceptualize plans of action and make them ready for a game setting.
The following activity can be used as a summative assessment of a student’s ability to analyze a situation in a game setting. Giving the students the scenarios on the left and asking the student to complete the cells on the right will allow students to analyze a game situation. Asking students to create both cells will help them think critically about the game as a whole and challenge students on a higher cognitive level. Using two examples will allow you to see a bigger picture of the student's comprehension.
| Proficient | Emerging | Beginning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Structure | Four cells were used in a chart formation with a title and description. The title was used to describe what was happening in each cell. The description for the right cells explained why the main character took the shot. Both singles and doubles examples where shown. | Four cells were used in a chart formation with a title and description. The title was used to describe what was happening in each cell. The description for the right cells did not aduqetly explain why the main character took the shot. Both singles and doubles examples where shown. | Four cells were used in a chart formation with a title and description. The title was did not clearly describe what was happening in each cell. The description for the right cells did not adequately explain why the main character took the shot. |
| Set Up and Execution | The right cells depicted a effective shot to attempt to win the point. The shot and placement depicted was the best possible choice with the information provided. | The right cells depicted a adequate shot to attempt to win the point. The shot and placement depicted could have been a more effective shot when considering the scenario provided. | The right cells depicted a ineffective shot to attempt to win the point. The storyboard that the student created us incomplete. |
| Use of Conventions | There are few to no grammar or spelling mistakes. Each cell used exemplary scenes, characters, and or text to convey a real world scenario. | There are some grammar or spelling mistakes, but understanding of content is clear. Each cell used exemplary scenes, characters, and or text to convey a real world scenario. | There are too many grammar or spelling mistakes creating an unclear understanding of content. |
Psychomotor Domain Assessment
Assessments in the psychomotor domain measure student’s understanding of motor skills during gameplay or specific activities. This example assessment evaluates student understanding of proper volleyball form as a summative assessment. The activity does not challenge the ability to perform, but gauges student's concept of form and techniques. Specifically, the focal point is on the proper form of a bump in volleyball.
Other psychomotor assessments might include different types of performance like variations of pitches in baseball. Concepts like adding spin on the ball using different tennis strokes can be easily understood as a visual concept. Asking students to create extensive form examples for the bump, set, and spike in volleyball could also be a great summative assessment.
Affective Domain Assessment
Assessments in the affective domain determine students' values, attitudes, and feelings about different aspects of a sport, game, or physical activity. Proper sportsmanship, effort, and teamwork are all measurable aspects of the affective domain and are assessed in the example below. This assessment could be used as a formal formative or summative assessment at all grade levels. Teachers can easily modify this to a higher grade level by setting improvement goals.
The affective aspects of game-play is critical in the early stages of development. If students recognize how to make sports fair, they will be likely to participate as life-long player. A great way to do this could be providing scenarios where a student is being challenged by someone from the opposite team. Ask students to create positive support scenes for opposing teams that help to foster more gracious winners and less sore losers. Failing in front of people is tough, but even the professionals strike out sometimes. Having the students create a three-cell story with the first showing a failure, second cell showing practice, and the final cell showing success, will help get the message across that hard work pays off.
| Proficient | Emerging | Beginning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Structure | Three cells were used with a title and description. The title was used to indicate the terminology (effort, teamwork, fair play). There is a brief description explaining how the scene depicts the title terms. | Three cells were used with a title and description. The title was used to indicate the terminology (effort, teamwork, fair play). One description provided does not explain how the scene shows either effort, teamwork, or fair play. | Two - three descriptions provided does not explain how the scene shows either effort, teamwork, or fair play. The storyboard was incomplete or unfinished. |
| Effort | The cell used exemplary scenes, characters, and or text to convey an example of effort. The scene depicted someone tying their best in an attempt to complete a task. | The cell used adequate scenes, characters, and or text to convey an example of effort. The scene depicted someone tying their best in an attempt to complete a task. | The scene did not depict someone tying their best in an attempt to complete a task. The storyboard is incomplete. |
| Fair Play | The cell used exemplary scenes, characters, and or text to convey an example of fair play. The scene depicted respect for one another or the rules of the game. | The cell used adequate scenes, characters, and or text to convey an example of fair play. The scene depicted respect for one another or the rules of the game. | The scene did not depict respect for one another or the rules of the game. The storyboard is incomplete. |
| Teamwork | The cell used exemplary scenes, characters, and or text to convey an example of teamwork. The scene depicted more than one person working together to overcome obstacles. | The cell used adequete scenes, characters, and or text to convey an example of teamwork. The scene depicted more than one person working together to overcome obstacles. | The scene did not depict more than one person working together to overcome obstacles. The storyboard is incomplete. |
How to Design Skill-Based Assessments in Physical Education
Identify the Key Skills:
Determine the specific skills you want to assess in your physical education class. Consider the objectives of your curriculum and identify the fundamental skills that students should develop.
Define Assessment Criteria:
Clearly define the criteria for each skill you will assess. Break down the skill into its key components and determine the essential elements students need to demonstrate proficiency in.
Select Appropriate Assessment Methods:
Choose assessment methods that align with the nature of the skill being assessed. Consider using a combination of formative and summative assessments, such as skill demonstrations, performance tasks, observations, or video recordings.
Design Assessment Tasks:
Develop assessment tasks that provide students with opportunities to showcase their skill mastery. Ensure that the tasks are authentic and relevant to real-life physical activities or sports. Consider incorporating both individual and group-based assessment tasks to assess various aspects of skill development.
Develop Clear Rubrics:
Create rubrics that clearly outline the assessment criteria and performance expectations for each skill. Include detailed descriptors or indicators for different levels of performance. Make the rubrics student-friendly and easily understandable.
Provide Feedback and Growth Opportunities:
Use assessment results to provide meaningful feedback to students. Highlight areas of strength and areas for improvement, and provide specific suggestions for growth. Offer opportunities for students to practice and refine their skills based on the feedback received.
Frequently Asked Questions about PE Assessment
Why is it important to have physical education assessments in the classroom?
Assessments in physical education are important as they allow educators to measure a student's progress and identify areas that need improvement. Assessments can be used to track physical development, skill acquisition, and overall fitness. Regular assessments also provide students with a sense of achievement and progress in their physical abilities.
What are some common physical education assessment templates?
Some common assessment templates used in physical education include fitness assessments, skills tests, and rubrics. Fitness assessments may include measuring endurance, strength, and flexibility, while skills tests may focus on specific sports or activities. Rubrics can be used to evaluate performance in a specific skill or activity and provide a detailed breakdown of performance.
How should teachers design physical education assessments?
Teachers should design physical education assessments based on their learning objectives and student needs. They should ensure that the assessment aligns with the curriculum and provides a clear indication of student progress. Teachers should also consider the specific needs and abilities of their students and adjust the assessment accordingly.
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