The judges randomly select one of the problems and ask a team member to explain the problem. The students must be comfortable with all of the problems, as each will be asked to answer one of the six individually. After the judges hear a student discuss the problem, they may probe more deeply, or they may open the discussion to other students on the team. After the panel assessment, each judge rates the individual students on both their understanding of the mathematics concepts described and on their ability to present what they know. This form of assessment gives students a much broader picture of their mathematical understanding, as well as of their teamwork and communication skills.
Students wait anxiously for the results of their panel assessment.
The Payoffs Organizing panel performance assessment does require a considerable amount of time. The time, however, is a trade-off against the time spent grading traditional exams, as the grading is completed on the spot. More important, this form of assessment is a rich supplement to the written methods used in the math classes. Many students do not memorize information well, or they freeze when faced with a sheet full of complex computational exercises. During the performance assessment, these students have the opportunity to seek clarification from the judges and to express themselves orally as well as in writing or with other visual aids.