Project-based learning is complex because you are asking students to create something authentic and unique in nature that represents actual learning that should have occurred during the unit of instruction leading up to the project. This year, which was my first year at a school with a total emphasis on project-based assessment, I have realized that I teach better and the students have better results when I have a complete understanding and relatively concrete expectation of what I want them to create. This means that I need to be able to conceptualize what I am asking them to conceptualize, and I need to be able to create what I am asking them to create. I need to have a clear understanding of how the content and exercises from my unit should contribute to the creation of their project. When I have established these expectations, it is completely possible for students to go beyond those expectations to create things that never thought of, but it is my responsibility as the teacher to establish a clear standard to meet and how to meet that standard.
In a more traditional classroom, tests are concrete assessments of learning. In a way, written tests simplify teaching and learning because it is a clear product towards which you are preparing students to be able to complete on their own. It is comparatively simple to conceptualize the answers to specific questions on a test and deliver straightforward instruction and examples to prepare students to answer them independently.
Project-based assessment requires a more creative vision of what a learning process and product should be. It is still crucial, however, that I am clear with what my expectations are so that I can clearly answer questions and direct students towards successful projects. If I lack that vision, then projects come in that also lack real vision and purpose. They may be creative and interesting in production but lack the depth and nuance of disciplined and applied knowledge to support them.
