Welcome to the PBL Playbook, brought to you by Magnify Learning – where we put teachers back in their sweet spot. Make sure you follow us on Twitter: @magnifylearning, @askgiebs, @MissB103, #PBLPlaybook. 

In this episode, Josh and Andrea sit down with Meganmarie Dennis, a Magnify Learning PBL Facilitator to discuss the idea of assessment in PBL. From everyday assessment practices to creating and utilizing rubrics successfully, our hosts and their guest lay down some of the basic assessment practices in PBL. First they dive into how to assess kids in PBL and how this might look different than assessment in a traditional classroom. Then they highlight benchmarking and its importance in the PBL process and assessing a project.  Then they discuss how to break up a rubric so kids understand what it is they’re being asked to do, and how to utilize a rubric throughout the entire project. They also explore the group grade versus the individual grade, and how to make sure a student’s grade reflects their understanding. Finally, they drop some advice for educators new to PBL: you don’t have to reinvent the wheel.

This episode serves as the first in a series of episodes addressing the idea and practice of assessment in PBL, one of the most frequently asked-about topics in PBL Jumpstart workshops. For tips and resources on PBL rubrics, check out the Magnify Learning Resources page.

*For more PBL Resources and PBL professional development opportunities check out the Magnify Learning Website: https://www.magnifylearningin.org/