PBAs in/as music education and other non ‘academic’ learning
As I’ve read people’s responses over the week, I’ve been reflecting on how… natural… PBAs seem to me.Then I realized – in my youth, I trained in classical music for 13 years. I’m sure that *lots* of us took music lessons. Classical music education has historically and continues to be about learning repertoire (in addition to technique… scales and such). Through learning a given piece of music, one develops and demonstrates skills in a wide variety of musical competencies. Our teachers, adjudicators and examiners listen for these skills – and overall performance – in assessing our performances. PBA at its best!
As I’m writing, looking at my sewing machine, I realize that my learning in sewing is also all product-based (though mercifully not assessed! I’m self-taught.). A student would not be asked to demonstrate his/her proficiency in attaching a button on a random piece of fabric; rather, it would be assessed within the context of the product – the finished garment. PBA.
It therefore strikes me that PBA is a quite old method of teaching, learning and assessing, usually associated with non-academic learning. Indeed, within the broad landscape of teaching and learning – from the kitchen table to music lessons to formal and informal apprenticeships – the test-based assessment most often associated with academic schooling appears to be the exception or the outlier, not the rule.
Posted in: Week 10: Product-Based Assessments
verenanz 9:30 am on November 11, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Allie!
Excellent examples. It is truly ironic how as educators we are searching for alternative methods of learning and assessment…as the traditional way, being used as the “only way” just doesn’t work. That’s why I included Sir Ken Robinson’s video as well at the end of our project…he is a true advocate of the arts in Education…but really I think he looks at the way the arts are assessed, just like you pointed out so well in your post.
Thanks for your post!
Verena:)
Tamara Wong 10:28 am on November 13, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Allie,
Thanks for the great examples! It is funny that it makes so much sense to have a final product in some subject areas but in others it seems as if tests are the only option. PBAs make so much more sense because you are actually demonstrating that you can do what you are actually learning to do.
Tamara