A search for solutions to overcome challenges in FA tools

Introduction

The International Organization for Physical Education (AIESEP)  states that assessment is an integral part of the instructional process; it is not an add-on. Teachers should develop ways to ensure assessments in PE lessons are valid and feasible representations of those intended learning outcomes so that they can periodically determine the student's learning progress (2020, AIESEP). There is increasing acceptance and importance of using formative assessment to enhance the quality of learning in PE lessons. We have also witnessed how involving students in assessment can enable students to play a more independent role in monitoring their performance during lessons and use this information to improve learning.  This has led many PE teachers to experiment with various solutions ranging from pen and paper to technology. Several operational challenges (e.g. tedious collection of data, labour-intensive, error prone, lack of data consolidation) have slowed down the adoption of formative assessments in PE. 

Personal experiences in assessment in PE

As an assessor for the O Level Exercise Sports Science (formerly known as O Level PE), I have developed a deeper appreciation of the role of assessment in learning and how assessment, if utilised appropriately, can shape positive learning behaviours in class. Thus, the search for ways to explore how formative assessment can enhance the quality of learning in PE lessons began. Beyond just collecting data for teaching and learning, any solution should help change the perception of formative assessment to promote the joy of learning. 

One key consideration is how an assessment tool can shape the student’s view on assessment, which can be perceived as demotivating due to the high-stakes assessments in other subjects. However, there are several practical challenges in implementing formative assessment in PE. Besides the challenges faced by the user experience, greater challenges are faced by the PE teacher, who has to overcome issues such as the collection of assessment data and the accessibility of data for teaching and learning.

Challenges in assessment in PE

In research conducted by M.J Anderson and team, some problems associated with PE assessment are insufficient time to observe sports skills in a class and the effectiveness of measurement or evaluation tools in promoting learning. Browne (1998) shared that one of the critical findings for PE assessments is "rarely game-authenticated". Hensley (1990) and Wood and Safrit (1990) agree that there is a need to work together to simplify how assessment is delivered in PE. While there has been much development in using formative assessment (Chng, L., & Lund, J, 2021) in PE such as a framework to guide formative assessment in PE and assessment tools such as the use of plickers (Chng, 2018), more could be done to integrate assessment in PE lessons effectively. 

One of the key challenges faced was the cumbersome nature of data collection for assessment purposes. While there were attempts to switch from pen-and-paper to whiteboards to magnetic number tags, we can do more to reduce time spent on operational and administrative matters and more to raise engagement levels in PE lessons. 

Data collected for assessment remains accessible to only the use or, at most, a small group of students, thus reducing the effectiveness of using data to move learning forward. Data makes sense if there is some level of comparison among individuals or teams. Data collected can be made more accessible to the class so that feedback offered to students or the class could be data-driven and evidence-based. For instance, eight concurrent groups could play a possession game of 4v1 or 3v2. As a PE teacher, I would like to have an instant view of how the eight groups are performing in terms of the number of passes executed or completed and to use data to make some form of evaluation. 

A search for solutions

Using different apps, such as scoreboards and stats counters, has helped overcome some of the challenges in assessment. However, their uses are limited to students at an individual level. Data collected by students should be made readily available to all in the class, including the PE teacher so that the PE teacher can help their students make sense of the data collected to improve their performance quality. Any decision made in the class to optimise the learning experience should be data-driven and evidence-based. 

Data collection should be as simple as possible from a student's perspective. From a teacher's perspective, data collected by a class of 40 students should be made readily available to the PE teacher for feedback and decision-making. Students can also access the data either from one session or across sessions to gauge their progress levels and be guided by the PE teacher to make evidence-based decisions to improve performance. More importantly, any tech solution can enable a PE teacher to customise the type of data collected so that PE teachers can ensure assessment practices are integrated and support teaching and learning in PE lessons.

Moving forward

During last semester’s team sports modules, my students and I experimented with a new PE app that helped solve the challenges I have been facing with formative assessment in PE. 

Below are some examples of how this web-based app has helped to enhance the effectiveness of formative assessment in lessons.

The app has provided many opportunities for students and teachers to access the data quickly, either individually, in practice groups or as a class. The web-based app has also allowed PE teachers to share the data instantaneously during lessons, which is useful for PE teachers to provide evidenced-based feedback and to make modifications to the learning task, such as changing members within teams or to other opponents to optimise the learning experience for each student based on their individual learning needs. 

Conclusion: 

Back to content page.  Click here for previous issues of the newsletter.

Keen to share any ideas or practices, comment on key issues or contribute to the newsletter. Click here for more details.

Be part of the community. Join SPEA as a member. Enjoy members' benefits! We like to thank our partners for their generosity and continual support. 

Stay connected with us at SPEA Instagram Page.

References

Anderson, M. & Blanksby, B. & Whipp, P. (2006). A retrospective evaluation of assessment in Physical Education. South African Journal for Research in Sport, Physical Education and Recreation. 27. 10.4314/sajrs.v27i1.25903. 

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/272460270_A_retrospective_evaluation_of_assessment_in_Physical_Education

Browne, T. B. J. (1998). Assessment under sport education: Three case studies of change in physical education. Unpublished doctoral thesis, Edith Cowan University, Perth.

Chng, L. S., & Lund, J. (2018). Assessment for learning in physical education: The what, why and how. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 89(8), 29-34.

Chng, L., & Gurvitch, R. (2018). Using Plickers as an assessment tool in health and physical education settings. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 89(2), 19-25.

Chng, L., & Lund, J. (2021). Assessment for learning in physical education: Practical tools and strategies to enhance learning of games. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 92(7), 31-38.

Lund, Jacalyn & Hilvoorde, Ivo & van der Mars, Hans & Penney, Dawn & Borghouts, Lars & Slingerland, Menno & Weeldenburg, Gwen & MacPhail, Ann & López-Pastor, Víctor M. & Leirhaug, Petter & Iserbyt, Peter. (2020). AIESEP Position Statement on Physical Education Assessment. https://aiesep.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AIESEP-Position-Statement-on-PE-Assessment-FINAL1.pdf

Hensley, L. D. (1990).  Current measurement and evaluation practices in professional physical education.  Journal of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, 61: pp. 32–33.

Wood, T. & Safrit, M. (1990).  Measurement and evaluation in professional physical education - A view from the measurement specialists.  Journal of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, 61: pp. 29–31.