Presentation as Assessment for Challenge Based Learning.

In June,  I will once again Made a presentation on a topic for which I have amassed a considerable amount of classroom experience.   At the Create! Conference, I presented "Individual Assessment  within Group Challenge and Multimedia Projects".

Last semester, I wrapped up a challenge/multimedia project with a group of American Government seniors. Here was the challenge:


Create a video on a policy about which you care, which has measurable impact.

Though the students completed rubrics and audio reflections, in this particular instance, the most powerful manner of self-evaluation came from the teams' presentations made for their peers. Instead of preparing a "show and tell", I urged the girls to tell their story, placing the project process into a narrative. Here were my instructions for presenters:

1)  Plan to present on the group process.  (Showing your video is not the focus)

2) All must participate in a 20 minute presentation.

3) You should not read.  (You may have one note card). Eye contact, please.

4) Explain why you chose your policy

5) The presentation should describe your group’s challenges.

6) Show a minute of your movie.

7) The presentation should indicate what you learned from your challenge.

8) Thoroughly describe your assessment process and what you concluded from it.

9) You must acknowledge contributing resources.

10) The presentation should indicate what you would have changed if you had a “do over”.

The other students attended very closely to the presentations because the information was authentic and personal.  Furthermore, as teacher I had  a window into the group process, and I found myself reassured that more thinking and effort went into the projects than I could glean from the meetings which occurred within class.  You'll note that only a minute clip of the movie each of the group produced was shown as part of the presentation.  Instead, the groups "unpacked" their experiences, discussing their interactions, challenges, resources and do-overs.

Cbl cyber bullying (1) (1) from Laurence Baker

I highly recommend this approach to student project presentations.