Multi Domain Assessment Tasks - Your Pursuit

History, Thinking Processes and Communication, Level 5

This multi domain task and other presented in this section were developed by teachers for teachers.

Students individually create a board game based on Trivial Pursuit (TM) in order to test the historical knowledge of an audience of Year 7 or Year 8 students.

Design Guidelines

Design question 1: Is the purpose of the task assessment FOR, AS or OF learning?

Purpose
Primary purpose: Assessment OF learning

Reflection
While the primary purpose of the task is assessment of learning, this task will also provide me with information about student knowledge, understanding and skills which will enable me to re-shape my learning and teaching program either for the class as a whole or for groups within the class.

I have also built in a small self-assessment element which will allow for assessment as learning.

Design question 2: Which domains, dimensions, standards and levels did the learning and teaching program focus on?

Purpose
Focus domains, dimensions and levels in the learning and teaching program
Level 5 History - Historical knowledge and understanding
Levels 4 and 5 - Thinking Processes, Reasoning, processing and inquiry

Reflection
Class work in History has focused on features of medieval society in England (Level 5 History – Historical knowledge and understanding). Students have read and viewed both primary and secondary sources such as videos, web sites and textbooks to identify and explore key aspects such as the political and economic structure of feudal society, everyday life, culture, customs and religion, including key individuals and their achievements. To assist us in our research we have designed key questions to guide our investigations and to assist in the location of appropriate sources. Much of this process is also relevant to the domain of Thinking Processes, Reasoning, processing and inquiry, Level 4. In addition, I have encouraged the students to begin to use a range of strategies of reasoning and analysis to evaluate their sources (Level 5 Thinking Processes).

We have also looked at how medieval society has helped influence modern society, especially in terms of the beginnings of written law and the origins of democracy.

Design question 3: Which domains, dimensions, standards and levels will this assessment task focus on?

Purpose	Reflection
Level 5 History Historical knowledge and understanding	In this task I particularly want to assess the students’ knowledge and understanding of the Level 5 History content because that has been the focus of the class work.
Levels 4 and 5 Thinking Processes Reasoning, processing and inquiry	In terms of Thinking Processes, I would like to assess students’ ability to pose questions. The complexity of the question types that they are capable of using will not only reveal the extent of their knowledge and understanding of the subject matter, but will also alert them to features of the testing genre, for example, the way in which multiple-choice questions are framed. I expect some students will be better at this than others will, so the task needs to provide opportunities for students to perform both above and below Level 5, which will be the primary focus.
Level 5 Communication Presenting	I have decided to ask students to design a board game as a way of demonstrating what they know and are able to do because they will find this engaging. This format will also provide an opportunity for them to demonstrate their communication skills, particularly in terms of writing a set of instructions for this particular context, purpose and audience. If I build in some peer feedback then I will also be able to see how well they can respond to that feedback in order to improve their communication skills.

Design question 4: What specific knowledge, skills and behaviours will this task focus on?

Purpose
History – Historical knowledge and understanding

• knowledge of the key aspects of medieval society
• ability to compare key aspects of medieval society with our present society.

Thinking Processes – Reasoning, processing and inquiry

• ability to locate and select relevant information from varied sources
• ability to construct a range of question types.

Communication – Presenting

• ability to design a board game.
• ability to communicate the rules of the game
• ability to act on constructive feedback.

Reflection
In order to decide what I am looking for as part of student performance, I need to be very clear about the knowledge, understanding and skills on which the task will focus on. It is also important that the students understand what I am looking for and so I will communicate this to my students in the assessment criteria.

Design question 5: What will be the key features of the task?

Purpose
Students individually create a board game based on Trivial Pursuit (TM) in order to test the historical knowledge of an audience of Year 7 or Year 8 students.

Students identify a number of game categories which correspond to aspects of medieval society and then create a bank of between two and four questions for each category. At a minimum they are required to create fifteen questions in total. They also provide answers for the questions and an indication of the source of the information used to create the question.

They write the rules of the board game, design category symbols to be placed on the board and playing pieces to be used by individual players.

Students then play the game with a group of students, requesting feedback from them to be submitted on the feedback form.

Students make any necessary amendments in response to the feedback and submit:

• the board game
• the list of questions and answers along with the name of the sources that provided the information
• the feedback form from the group who played the game
• a completed self-assessment sheet.

Reflection
This task will be completed largely in class, although students can do some of the research out of class if they wish. I estimate that they will need about two sessions to create questions and list questions and answers with relevant sources, two sessions to write questions on to cards, create the symbols for categories and attach them to the board, one session to create rules and colour the board, one session to play another’s game and provide feedback and one session to review and amend the game and write a self-assessment.

Resources used as part of the learning associated with the task and which can be referred to again by students as necessary include SOSE textbooks and previously found web sites, for example:

• www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/world/world.html
• www.historylearningsite.co.uk
• www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/index.html

I have been explicit about the requirements of the task. Students will be issued with a Task Sheet (PDF - 37Kb) and I will share the Feedback Form (Word - 34Kb), individual Self-assessment Sheet (Word - 25Kb), rubric (PDF - 34Kb) and assessment criteria with them so that they are fully aware of the assessment process.

The feedback form is completed by the class members who play the board game. I will use the information on the form to help me decide whether or not the student has been able to respond to constructive feedback. I will use this form in conjunction with the teacher rubric which describes levels of performance in relation to this criterion.

In conjunction with the feedback form, this form will provide me with information about how the student responds to the feedback. It will also provide an opportunity for Assessment as Learning as the students reflect on the process of creating the board game.

Design question 6: What key features of student performance am I expecting to see? What evidence am I looking for?

Standard
History – Historical knowledge and understanding
At Level 5, students analyse and describe key events in ancient and medieval society. They compare key aspects of past and present societies, for example social and political ideas and structures, and cultural values and beliefs. They analyse change and continuity over time, sequence events and develop timelines, and use a range of evidence to describe features of past societies.

Key features and evidence
Knowledge of the key aspects of medieval society
For example, work, division of labour, family, clothing, housing, education, myths and legends, religious beliefs, the political system, significant events and key individuals and their achievements.

Criteria or rubric

	At the level
Identifies fewer than five key aspects of the society to represent each of the categories in the game	Identifies five key aspects of the society to represent each of the categories in the game	Identifies more than five key aspects of the society to represent each of the categories in the game

Key features and evidence
Ability to compare key aspects of medieval society with our present society.

	At the level
Constructs fewer than 10 relevant questions; does not include ones which compare medieval society with modern society. Provides correct answers to some of these	Constructs between 10 and 15 significant questions relevant to each of the key aspects, including ones that compare medieval society with modern society, and provides mostly correct answers to all of these	Constructs more than 15 significant questions relevant to each of the key aspects, including ones that compare medieval society with modern society, and provides correct answers to all of these

Standard
Thinking Processes – Reasoning, processing and inquiry
At Level 4, students develop their own questions for investigation, collect relevant information from a range of sources and make judgments about its worth. They distinguish between fact and opinion. They use the information they collect to develop concepts, solve problems or inform decision making. They develop reasoned arguments using supporting evidence.

At Level 5, students use a range of question types, and locate and select relevant information from varied sources when undertaking investigations. When identifying and synthesising relevant information, they use a range of appropriate strategies of reasoning and analysis to evaluate evidence and consider their own and others’ points of view. They use a range of discipline-based methodologies. They complete activities focusing on problem solving and decision making which involve an increasing number of variables and solutions.

Key features and evidence
Ability to locate and select relevant information from varied sources.

Criteria or rubric

	At the level
Locates and selects some relevant information in a single source.	Locates and selects a range of relevant information from more than two sources.	Locates and selects a wide range of relevant information from several sources.

Key features and evidence
Ability to construct a range of question types.

Criteria or rubric

	At the level
Develops questions which are of one or two different types for example, closed or multiple choice, and true or false.	Correctly constructs questions of three different types, for example, closed or multiple choice, true or false, analytical and evaluative.	Correctly constructs questions of four or more question types for example, closed or multiple choice, true or false, analytical and evaluative.

Standard
Levels 5 Communication – Presenting
At Level 5, students use the communication conventions, forms and language appropriate to the subject to convey a clear message across a range of presentation forms to meet the needs of the context, purpose and audience. They provide and use constructive feedback and reflection to develop effective communication skills.

Key features and evidence
Ability to design a board game.

Criteria or rubric

	At the level
Creates and uses appropriate symbols for some of the five categories selected to represent key aspects of the society	Creates and uses an appropriate symbol for each of the five categories selected to represent key aspects of the society	Creates and uses clearly identifiable symbols for all categories selected

	At the level
Creates playing pieces to use with the game	Designs and creates playing pieces that relate to the society in some way	Designs and creates playing pieces that reflect a knowledge of the culture, religion and myths of the society

Key features and evidence
Ability to communicate the rules of the game.

Criteria or rubric

	At the level
Provides rules but explanations do not cover all situations	Rules are clearly expressed and how game is won is explained	Rules cover all eventualities and how the game is won is clearly articulated

Key features and evidence
Ability to act on constructive feedback.

Criteria or rubric

	At the level
Uses some of the provided feedback to improve the clarity of the game	Uses the provided feedback to improve the clarity of the questions or the rules of the game	Annotates the feedback to show how it was used to improve the clarity of the questions or the rules of the game

Reflection
I was able to describe the expected characteristics of performance at, below and above the level, by starting with the key features; that is, the evidence of achievement that I wanted to see in the completed assessment task. From there it was easy to ask myself: What would performance at the level look like? What would performance below and above the level look like?

All elements of the task are reflected in the assessment criteria as set out in the rubric.

The process used to develop this multi domain assessment tasks was based on sound design principles and guidelines. Detailed information on this design process can be found on the Multi domain assessment tasks page.