School-Based Assessment (SBA) refers to an evaluation system where students are assessed based on their learning progress and achievements throughout the academic year, rather than relying solely on final exams. This type of assessment is often used in various educational systems to provide a more comprehensive view of a student's abilities.
Key features of School-Based Assessment (SBA) include:
Continuous Evaluation: SBA involves the ongoing assessment of students' performance across different tasks and assignments. These could include quizzes, projects, presentations, group work, assignments, and even class participation.
Focus on Diverse Skills: It not only evaluates academic knowledge but also assesses critical thinking, creativity, communication, teamwork, and other skills that are important for holistic development.
Teacher Involvement: Teachers are typically the ones who design, implement, and grade SBA tasks. This allows for more personalized feedback and guidance to help students improve.
Formative and Summative Assessments: SBA includes both formative assessments (which help guide learning and provide feedback) and summative assessments (which typically occur at the end of a unit or term to summarize what students have learned).
Practical and Real-Life Application: Tasks in SBA often involve real-world problems or practical activities that help students understand the relevance of their learning.
Transparency and Flexibility: Since the assessments are often more varied and involve multiple formats, students have a better understanding of what is expected of them. It also offers more flexibility in terms of how they can demonstrate their understanding.
Moderation and Standardization: To ensure fairness, some schools or examination boards may moderate or standardize the SBA to make sure the assessments are reliable and consistent across different teachers and schools.
SBA can be particularly beneficial as it promotes a deeper understanding of subjects and encourages students to engage actively in the learning process. It can also help reduce the pressure associated with high-stakes exams and offer a more balanced approach to student evaluation.