Performance Assessment

Abstract

Performance assessments have been an integral part of educational systems in numerous countries however they have not been fully integrated in assessment systems in this country. Research has shown that the format of the assessment affects the type of thinking and reasoning skills that are used by students, with performance assessments being better suited to assessing high level, complex thinking skills. Recent advances in the design and scoring of performance assessments, including computer-based task simulations and automated scoring systems, support their increased use in large-scale assessment programs. There are also promising technical advances that support their use. The educational benefit of using performance assessments has been demonstrated by a number of researchers. When students are given the opportunity to work on meaningful, real world tasks in instruction, students have demonstrated improved performance on performance assessments. Sound educational practice calls for the alignment among curriculum, instruction and assessment, and there is ample evidence to support the use of performance assessments in both instruction and assessment to improve student learning for all students.

Is There Gender Bias on the American Board of Surgery General Surgery Certifying Examination?

“…Oral examinations provide an opportunity for a more holistic and authentic assessment process than traditional multiplechoice testing. 1 However, fairness is often a concern for both the examinees taking these assessments and the organizations and examiners administering them. Examiner subjectivity in the evaluation of performance may unfairly affect ratings, particularly when examiner rating is dependent on examinee characteristics that are independent of examinee ability or performance (e.g., gender).…”