Video Assessment in Phys. Ed - A Reflection

-by Dean Schmeichel, Phys. Ed Teacher

This is my final blog for the Research project – Video Assessment in PE. This was an extremely worthwhile project and it has shaped the future course of assessment for me in my career. From past experience, I know that I will continue to develop, adapt and modify this process. What works one year, might need to be overhauled the next, depending on the group of students, parents, teachers and my own level of commitment and excitement.

There was an 86% response rate to the survey that I asked the Grade 9 students to complete. I targeted the Grade 9 class specifically because they were given written comments in Term 1. Both the Grade 5 and 7 classes were given recorded (verbal) assessments in Term 1. The survey that Tammy (my teaching partner and co-researcher in this project) and I designed was done collaboratively with Dave Scott (colleague and Ph.D. student) and Dr. Pam Adams from the University of Lethbridge.

Findings: 

1. The students could (more often) identify the 4 Core Goals of the Physical Education program after having gone through the interview assessment process. 
2. Over 90% of the students felt that the interview assessment format helped them (to some degree) to better understand the core goals and demonstrate their progress in Physical Education.  
3. The most beneficial part of the interview process for the students was the opportunity to have a conversation/talk with the teacher (me). The biggest problem with the interview process was the difficulty in accessing the videos from the school server and consequently sharing it with their parents. 
4. Students shared the recorded assessment with their parents LESS than they did in the past as compared to the written comment. 

Informal Findings (Parent Conversations)
After going through the Student-Led Conferences, I had the opportunity to speak to a few of our parents. I had a few unsolicited, enthusiastic compliments about the video assessment. The message was consistent, in that, parents enjoyed being able to see and hear their child advocate for him or herself. They noticed (and appreciated) the emphasis on exercise throughout the day and the focus on getting 90 minutes per day. The solicited responses were less enthusiastic, but for the most part positive. One of the complaints was the overuse of technology at our school and the lack of simplicity in receiving the assessment.

Conclusions and Inferences
I believe that the students developed a deeper understanding of the goals of the Phys. Ed. program through the video assessment process. The students believe that they developed a deeper understanding of the Phys. Ed. program after having gone through the video assessment process. The students appreciated the opportunity to have a conversation about their growth, areas for improvement, strengths and how they exercise outside of school. The students were frustrated by the technology “glitches” and did not persevere in their efforts to find their videos. A large number of the students did not share their assessment with their parents within the first two weeks of receiving their report cards. I believe that this finding is directly related to the frustrations the students had in accessing the videos.

Future Directions for Research
The direction that I want to take this project next year is linking video assessment directly to my KEY GOAL in my Phys. Ed. program. My key goal for my students is for each of them to become lifelong participants in exercise (and healthy living.) I was disappointed that this goal was recognized by only 70% of the students. I am going to narrow the focus of this project next year to see if this conversational assessment can positively impact the amount of exercise each of my students are getting each day.