Assess a Scenario-Based Task

Using Principled Assessment

One of the toughest aspects of innovative instruction is demonstrating that it is effective for learning. To address these concerns, the Scenario-Based Learning project is exploring some ways to bring more rigor into the community college classroom assessment process. A centerpiece of this effort is Principled Assessment for Designs in Inquiry (PADI), an assessment design system that was developed from a $6 million grant from the National Science Foundation. Researchers from SRI International are using a key element of PADI to help community college instructors assess learning better. Using PADI, SRI assessment developers create blueprints for designing assessments for each scenario-based task.

The PADI documentation process makes it easier to:

• Understand the primary learning outcomes of a scenario-based task
• Develop multiple types of assessments
• Share assessment strategies with other instructors

The final products of the PADI process will be:

• In-class assessments that an instructor can use while students do scenario-based tasks
• Validated test items that instructors can integrate into their final exams

By:
Dr. Louise Yarnall
Center for Technology in Learning
SRI International