Activity 2.5

How Knowledge of Performance Criteria Affects Performance-
Robotic Arm or Bowling Scores

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Purposes:

1. To illustrate the importance of performance criteria for helping students understand the requirements of an assignment or task

2. To illustrate what can happen when criteria for judging success are not clear

3. To illustrate that performance criteria are really part of the task description

4. To illustrate the required match between performance criteria and tasks

Uses:

This is an intermediate level activity. It can be used in Chapter 2 to illustrate the importance of criteria as a tool for communication and learning in the classroom. It could also be used as a follow-up to activity 1.5-Clapping Hands to remind folks of the importance of up-front criteria to give to students. In Chapter 3 it can be used to demonstrate how performance criteria help define the task. A prerequisite would be Activity 1.3-Post-it Notes (definitions).

Rationale:

Many times teachers don't realize the extent to which a task might be confusing or misleading for students. This activity is designed to illustrate how, without clearly stated criteria, students might not approach an activity in the way intended by the teacher. Stated another way, having clearly stated criteria for success on an activity assists students in knowing what to do.

Note: Although the Robot Arm handouts (A2.5,H1 and A2.5,H2) are a science task and Bowling handouts (A2.5,H3 and A2.5,H4) are a mathematics task, this activity emphasizes both student process skills and student knowledge of science or mathematics content, so it can be used in many contexts.

Materials:

Overhead projector, screen, blank transparencies and pens or flip chart pens

Overheads A2.5,O1-How Knowledge…Purpose, and A2.5,O2-Discussion Questions

Copies of either Handout A2.5,H1-Tube and Tendon Robotic Arm and Handout A2.5,H2-Tube and Tendon Robotic Arm Criteria, or Handout A2.5,H3-Bowling and Handout A2.5,H4-Bowling Criteria

For Robot Arm you will need (for each 6 people): scissors, string, straight pins, straws, and masking tape

Time Required:

30-45 minutes

Facilitator's Notes:

1. (5 minutes) Introduction

Distribute handouts for either Tube and Tendon Robotic Arm (A2.5,H1) or Bowling (A2.5,H3). For Robotic Arm, divide the participants into groups of about 6 and give one set of materials to each group. For Bowling, you may wish to have a small volunteer group of about 6 participants solve the problem aloud in front of other participants. (This is a "fishbowl" technique.)

2. (5-10 minutes) Do the task.

a. Start groups working on the assigned task (without telling them what the criteria are).

b. After about 5 minutes, stop the groups and ask them what they think the criteria are for success. For Robot Arm, participants usually judge success by the extent to which the robotic arm "works." For Bowling, participants usually judge success by how close the group feels they are to getting the right answer.

3. (5 minutes) Tell participants the teacher's intended criteria for success on the task using Handouts A2.5,H2-Tube and Tendon Robotic Arm Criteria or A2.5,H4-Bowling Criteria. These handouts illustrate the difference between what participants originally thought were the criteria for success and other possibilities for criteria.

1. (5-10 minutes) Ask groups to alter their course (as needed) to match the criteria.
2. (5-10 minutes) Discuss the questions on Overhead A5.2,O2-Discussion Questions.
3. (5-10 minutes) Summarize with Overhead A2.5,O1-Purposes.