Ideas for Individual Products
Individual products for assessment may include the following:

Concept Maps
A good way for a student to organize information is to construct a "concept map." The process of constructing a concept map forces students to pull together what they already know with new information they have learned in the module. Concept maps made at the completion of a module can reveal how well students retained concepts from the module and how they organized what they retained.

Audio-tapes (songs / raps / self-interviews)
Most students have access to audio-tape recorders. Their recorded answers to a list of interview questions can be used for assessment. Questions might include:

Did you get any new ideas from this activity?
Did you change your mind about something because of this activity?
What did you conclude was the best solution to the problem presented in this activity?
Did the activity suggest steps you might take when you face a similar problem at some other time in your life?

Knowledge Charts (Murphy, 1994)
Knowledge charts combine what the students already knew about a topic, with what they learned from an activity, with what they still need to know. Key questions would include:

What do I already know?
What have I learned so far?
What do I still want to find out?

Response Worksheets (Murphy, 1994)
Response Worksheets can guide students through group activities as individuals rather than as group members. A student can use the worksheets to record their individual thoughts and results. Some worksheet items would include:

In your own words, write a brief description of the module problem.
List at least two resources you personally have found useful about the topic.
List a least five observations you have made during this module.
List measurements you have made, if any.
Display any data (evidence / graphs / tables).
State your conclusions, supported by the evidence.

Individual Portfolios (Murphy, 1994)
An individual portfolio is a purposeful collection of student work that exhibits the student's efforts and conveys his or her learning within a given module. The portfolio should include the rationale for a particular selection. Key questions students should ask themselves include:

Why did I select this item for my portfolio?
What have I learned from my work on this item?
If I could go on working on this item, what would I do?
What particular area of interest would I like to try out in the future that stems from my work on this item?
What problems did I encounter while creating this item, and how did I solve them?

Special Writing Assignments
Below are some variations on the traditional essay.

Assuming a Persona.
A student might assume the identity of a well-known scientist and write an essay on an assigned topic.

Authoring a Newspaper Article.
A student could write an article for a newspaper the class is compiling.

Keeping a Journal.
Scientists and professionals use journals to record their thoughts, feelings, reactions, and opinions. Individual students might enjoy doing the same.

References
Murphy, N. (1994, March). Helping preservice teachers master authentic assessment for the learning cycle model. In L. E. Schafer (Ed.), Behind the methods class door: Educating elementary and middle school science teachers. Columbus, OH: ERIC Clearinghouse for Science, Mathematics and Environmental Education.

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Last updated January 11, 1999