Too often we assess practical skills through an indirect assessment: the humble lab report. However, this is not an accurate reflection of student ability in this domain. When assessing practical skills from a lab report, we make inferences on their competence based on just a few sections of their report (e.g. methodology and recorded data). Understanding can be obscured by poor language production skills, while also being prone to plagiarism and AI use. This is not to mention the onerous task that the lab report places on teachers: grading them. Abrahams and Reiss (2015) argue that competence in practical skills is best measured through direct assessment, while when assessing understanding, the more familiar indirect assessment may be appropriate. How then can we make direct assessments of a student’s competence in performing laboratory techniques without overburdening the teacher? What alternatives exist for indirect assessment of understanding? In this session, I present an evidence-backed approach to practical skills teaching and assessment that I have trialled in my grade 9 and 10 physics classroom to success.
