Assessment is an important part of any physical education (PE) program. It helps teachers to track student progress, identify areas where students need additional support, and make necessary adjustments to their instruction.
Student personal development should be a massive focus and physical education can be a driving factor in improvement and more engagement.
There are a variety of ways to assess students’ PE skills and progress. However, two essential assessment types can track the progression of students which are:
- Formative assessments – These assessments are conducted throughout the school year to monitor student progress and provide feedback. Formative assessments can be informal, such as observing students during PE lessons or providing verbal feedback. They can also be more formal, such as written quizzes or skills tests.
- Summative assessments – These assessments are conducted at the end of a unit or semester to measure student learning and achievement. Summative assessments are often more formal than formative assessments and may be used to assign grades.
There are other variants of assessments which can be integrated. These can include performance assessments, fitness tests and peer assessments. Using multiple types of assessments can keep students attentive and allow them to evaluate their knowledge and skill level.
Specific tips for assessing students
Students will need guided support, constant feedback and extensive evaluation if they are to achieve their educational potential. Implementing assessments can elevate their understanding of particular skills or theory elements. Here are a few tips that can be used when assessing students’ PE skills and progress:
- Be clear about what you are assessing. Make sure that students know what skills and concepts they are being assessed on and what the criteria for success are.
- Use a variety of assessment methods. This will help you to get a more complete picture of students’ learning.
- Provide students with opportunities to practise their skills and receive feedback before they are assessed.
- Be fair and objective in your assessments.
- Use assessment results to inform instruction and provide feedback to students.
Use online platforms to your advantage
Online learning is here to stay, and there are innovative platforms that can reduce the workload and stress placed on teaching staff. Platforms like PE Office can provide an extensive bank of knowledge of both practical and theoretical resources that PE teachers can deploy when delivering lessons and assessments.
Assessments can also be more efficient using online platforms. Time spent marking assessments or watching video evidence can be reduced with effective analysis tools and automatic marking.
If you would like to learn about a platform that can provide high-quality lesson plans and schemes of work call the PE office on 01909 776900, send an email to mail@peoffice.co.uk or book an online demonstration here.
