How do you grade inquiry and project-based learning?

Inquiry and project-based learning are pedagogical approaches that engage students in authentic, meaningful, and collaborative tasks. They can foster critical thinking, creativity, and communication skills, as well as deeper understanding of the content and the context. However, grading these types of learning can be challenging, as they often involve complex, open-ended, and multidimensional outcomes. How do you assess and evaluate inquiry and project-based learning in a fair, valid, and reliable way? Here are some tips and strategies to help you.

1 Define the criteria

Before you assign an inquiry or a project, you need to clarify the expectations and the standards for the students. What are the learning objectives and the essential questions that guide the inquiry or the project? What are the specific skills and knowledge that you want the students to demonstrate? How will you measure their performance and progress? You can use rubrics, checklists, or scoring guides to define the criteria and communicate them to the students. You can also involve the students in co-creating or modifying the criteria, as this can increase their ownership and motivation.

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Dan Walker

Author of novels Secondhand Summer and Back Home, also a memoir Letters from Happy Valley. Board Member and past president KMTA
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Defining, best in conversations with students, what specifically will be graded and ideally what the acceptable standard is for the assessment. Sometimes, for example, during an inquiry activity, the final product might not be graded but the process might be. Obviously, the student should know this beforehand. Imagine playing a game like soccer but not knowing the rules or how points are scored.

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Justin Faith, M.Ed.

Professional Educator
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Inquiry should not be graded, but it should be focused through the lense of a guided question. That guided question then becomes your assessment piece for determining student learning and understanding of essential learning targets. Project based learning should be evaluated on a clear rubric. That rubric should assess how well students are able to demonstrate their depth of understanding of specific learning targets. Each element of the project should be scaffolded, requiring students to reach a higher level of thinking to complete each aspect. At each level students should be required to self-evaluate their performance so that they have an opportunity to revise and edit their work and provide evidence of their true depth of knowledge.

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Ellena Canape

Budding Data Analyst | Innovative Trainer | Musician and Teacher
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Have your students create the assessment rubric. Voice and choice not only applies to activities, but to how they want to be graded for doing them. Ask them to define what makes a final product excellent. It’s their product, right? Give them the experience of establishing their own standards collaboratively as a class. Deciding what determines your own success is a huge life skill. Let’s teach it to them!

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2 Use multiple sources

Inquiry and project-based learning often result in diverse and varied products and processes. Therefore, you need to use multiple sources of evidence to capture the full range of learning outcomes. You can use formative and summative assessments, as well as self and peer assessments, to collect data from different perspectives and stages. You can also use different formats and methods, such as portfolios, journals, presentations, interviews, or surveys, to gather information from different modes and media. You should triangulate the data from multiple sources to ensure validity and reliability.

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3 Provide feedback

Feedback is an essential component of inquiry and project-based learning, as it helps the students to monitor their progress, identify their strengths and weaknesses, and improve their performance. You should provide feedback that is timely, specific, constructive, and actionable. You should also encourage the students to reflect on their feedback and use it to plan their next steps. Feedback can be given by you, by the students themselves, or by their peers. You can use tools such as rubrics, checklists, or feedback forms to structure and guide the feedback process.

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4 Differentiate the grading

Inquiry and project-based learning can accommodate different levels of readiness, interest, and learning styles among the students. Therefore, you should differentiate the grading to meet the diverse needs and abilities of the students. You can differentiate the grading by modifying the criteria, the weight, the complexity, or the choice of the tasks. You can also use flexible grouping, scaffolding, or extensions to support or challenge the students. You should ensure that the grading is fair, transparent, and consistent for all the students.

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Irene Smith

National Board Certified Teacher
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When teachers know students and their prior performance and quality of work, it’s possible and valuable for project and assignment expectations fit that knowledge. The best scenario is to conference with the student and set clear outcome goals together in advance of their work. Then as time passes teachers review progress with students in terms of the goals. HiCap students may need expectations for deeper analysis and critical thinking. Students who struggle may need to expand and elaborate ideas. PBL allows similar projects to be evaluated completely differently based on relevance to students’ needs.

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5 Celebrate the learning

Inquiry and project-based learning can be rewarding and enjoyable for the students, as they allow them to explore their passions, express their creativity, and share their findings. Therefore, you should celebrate the learning by showcasing and celebrating the students' work. You can organize exhibitions, presentations, or publications to display the students' products or processes. You can also invite other audiences, such as parents, peers, or experts, to view and comment on the students' work. You should acknowledge and appreciate the students' efforts, achievements, and growth.

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6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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How do you grade inquiry and project-based learning?

1

2

3

4

5

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1 Define the criteria

2 Use multiple sources

3 Provide feedback

4 Differentiate the grading

5 Celebrate the learning

6 Here’s what else to consider

Teaching

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How do you grade inquiry and project-based learning?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Define the criteria

2 Use multiple sources

3 Provide feedback

4 Differentiate the grading

5 Celebrate the learning

6 Here’s what else to consider

Teaching

Rate this article

Thanks for your feedback

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