Assessment and Grading practices
Proficiency-based (skills or performance-based) assessment: more than 7 years ago, I moved from points, numbers, and percentages to a proficiency-based (or skills-based) system of evaluation. It's pretty simple, really. Students demonstrate (perform) a particular skill and work towards mastering that skill. If they don't get it the first time they revise and rework that performance until they do. (with only a few exceptions) Mastering the course content (resulting in an A) means the student has mastered the required skills.
Skills (a.k.a. learning targets, proficiencies): There are a finite number of skills required to master any course, though the nuances are many. The skills assessed for this course are set, in part, by the federal and state departments of education. They are set by master educators with decades of time and experience in the classroom. They are also set by the students in the feedback and course evaluations they provide.
For Introduction to Photography, the skills/targets are:
For Introduction to Videography, the skills/targets are:
Calculating your grade:
There are five skills (learning targets) for each semester. Each skill area is worth 20% of your grade. Within each skill, you will have many opportunities to demonstrate your abilities. Each assignment is graded 1-7. Each skill is calculated by averaging all scores.
Assignments: some assignments are focused on one skill area while others speak to many skills. Producing a series of three photographs for a portrait assignment involves visual skill, project management skill, and presentation skills in how it is displayed on one’s website.
Transparency: Each assignment, each performance is guided by a comprehensive rubric (explanation) for what is expected and what must be demonstrated to achieve proficiency. Students should always know how they will be graded, what the expectations are, and when a project is due.
Revisions: each assignment can be revised once. All revision work MUST be accompanied by the original, evaluated work to establish the revision process. There are some hard deadlines for revisions to allow student and teacher sufficient time to process their work. These deadlines are published each semester.
What cannot be revised is timeliness (project management skill). If you are due to present your video or turn in your storyboards, you are either on time or you are not. There are no 'do-overs' for presentations.
It's not perfect, but it's much more authentic: I appreciate that this system is messy, confusing, and a little frustrating. While it may not be as 'easy' as points/numbers/percentages, it is much more illustrative of what a student knows and what they need to learn. I find that it shifts the conversation from "what can I do to get my grade up" to "how do I revise this to make it better." It asks students to take the lead with their education, be in the driver's seat, and focus on the skills they need to learn rather than accumulating points in the areas they already know.
As always, I hope you will contact me with any questions about the system. Thank you for your patience.
Vanessa Hughes 503.916.5120 x75042 [email protected]
Skills (a.k.a. learning targets, proficiencies): There are a finite number of skills required to master any course, though the nuances are many. The skills assessed for this course are set, in part, by the federal and state departments of education. They are set by master educators with decades of time and experience in the classroom. They are also set by the students in the feedback and course evaluations they provide.
For Introduction to Photography, the skills/targets are:
- visual literacy - the ability to "read" an image
- executing the photograph - making images with intention
- photography post production - working with the image after making it
- project management - time management, website portfolio
- passion project - a photography project of your choosing
For Introduction to Videography, the skills/targets are:
- pre-production - screen writing, storyboarding, planning your story
- production - making a video story including process
- post-production - editing and publishing your story
- project management - time management, website portfolio
- passion project - a video project of your choosing
Calculating your grade:
There are five skills (learning targets) for each semester. Each skill area is worth 20% of your grade. Within each skill, you will have many opportunities to demonstrate your abilities. Each assignment is graded 1-7. Each skill is calculated by averaging all scores.
- 6-7 = highly proficient
- 4-5 = proficient
- 2-3 = developing proficiency
- 1 = insufficient evidence (likely the student did not turn in that assignment)
Assignments: some assignments are focused on one skill area while others speak to many skills. Producing a series of three photographs for a portrait assignment involves visual skill, project management skill, and presentation skills in how it is displayed on one’s website.
Transparency: Each assignment, each performance is guided by a comprehensive rubric (explanation) for what is expected and what must be demonstrated to achieve proficiency. Students should always know how they will be graded, what the expectations are, and when a project is due.
Revisions: each assignment can be revised once. All revision work MUST be accompanied by the original, evaluated work to establish the revision process. There are some hard deadlines for revisions to allow student and teacher sufficient time to process their work. These deadlines are published each semester.
What cannot be revised is timeliness (project management skill). If you are due to present your video or turn in your storyboards, you are either on time or you are not. There are no 'do-overs' for presentations.
It's not perfect, but it's much more authentic: I appreciate that this system is messy, confusing, and a little frustrating. While it may not be as 'easy' as points/numbers/percentages, it is much more illustrative of what a student knows and what they need to learn. I find that it shifts the conversation from "what can I do to get my grade up" to "how do I revise this to make it better." It asks students to take the lead with their education, be in the driver's seat, and focus on the skills they need to learn rather than accumulating points in the areas they already know.
As always, I hope you will contact me with any questions about the system. Thank you for your patience.
Vanessa Hughes 503.916.5120 x75042 [email protected]