Game Performance Assessment

Shane Pill

Flinders University School of Education

Physical Education Studies

Using skill tests for anything but the decontextualised assessment of motor skill performance is problematic

PE games and sport assessment traditionally relied on skill testing to measure motor skill development and performance

Quality teaching is related to the amount of learning that occurs because of that teaching

PE has traditionally been a relatively ‘data poor’ environment because of an absence of effective strategies for capturing what learning has taken place.

Teaching for understanding is offered as a characteristic of effective teachers

Teaching physical education and sport for understanding led to the development

of game performance assessment tools.

Game assessment needs to measure all aspects of performance

Game play assessment tools developed.

Example of performance based assessment

Measures directly what students should know and be able to do in authentic contexts.

Game and Sport Assessment

Skill execution – how to do it?

Tactical Understanding – what to do and when to do it?

‘On the ball’ movement and ‘Off the ball’ movement (up to 90% of game involvement)

Two assessment instruments developed;

1. Team Sport Assessment Procedure(TSAP)

2. Game Performance Assessment Instrument (GPAI)

TSAP (Grehaigne, Richard & Griffin 2005) is based on two features

-How a player gains possession

- How a player disposes of possession

Players specific behaviours (variables) related to these two features are observed and codified.

GPAI (Griffin, Mitchell & Oslin, 1997) measures ‘on the ball’ and ‘off the ball’ game components to assess both game involvement and efficiency of game performance.

Seven identifiable game components.

Teacher selects components to be measured and codified.

The 4 ‘R’s” for tactical awareness (Hopper, 2003)

Further development of the GPAI to create a framework for students to grasp the tactical complexity of play

Combines a scoring rubric and 5 point rating scale to selected GPAI components.

Link concepts to be taught with assessment variables ~

Directing players to what they should be doing.

Communicating expectations.

SACSA At Standard 4, towards the end of Year 8, the student:

4.1 Reflects on the use of specialised skills in various social contexts (including teams) and is able to modify skills to improve performance.

• Brown, S., & Hopper , T. (2006). Can all students in Physical Education get an 'A'? Game performance assessment by peers as a

critical component of student learning. Physical and Health Education, Spring 2006, 13-21.• Collier, C., & Oslin, J. (2003). Teaching and assessing striking/fielding games. In J. Butler, L. Griffin, B. Lombardo & R. Nastasi (Eds.), Teaching Games for Understanding in Physical Education and Sport. Oxon Hill: AAHPERD.• Den Duyen, N. (1997). Game Sense – Developing Thinking Players Workbook. Canberra: Australian Sports Commission.•.Grehaigne, J. F., Richard, J. F., & Griffin, L. (2005). Teaching and Learning Team Sports and Games. New York: RoutledgeFalmer.

• Griffin, L., Mitchell, S., & Oslin, J. (1997). Teaching Sport Concepts and Skills: A Tactical Games Approach. Champaign Illinois:

Human Kinetics.

• Harvey, S. (2007). Using a Generic Invasion Game for Assessment. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, 78(4),

19-25/48.• Hopper, T. (2003). Four Rs for tactical awareness: applying game performance assessment in net/wall games, Journal of Teaching Elementary Physical Education (Vol. March 2003). Mitchell, S., & Oslin, J. (1999). Assessment in Game Teaching, from uwadmnweb.uwyo.edu/WYhpenet/MarkAssessment/AssessingGameTeaching.doc • Oslin, J. (2005). The role of assessment in teaching games for understanding. In L. Griffin & J. Butler (Eds.), Teaching Games for Understanding: Theory, Research and Practice. . Champaign, Illinois: Human Kinetics.• Richard, J.-F., & Griffin, L. (2003). Authentic assessment in games education: An introduction to the Team Sport Assessment Procedure and the Game Performance assessment Instrument. In J. Butler, L. Griffin, B. Lombardo & R. Nastasi (Eds.), Teaching Games for Understanding in Physical Education and Sport. Oxon Hill: AAHPERD.• Richard, J.-F., & Wallian, N. (2005). Emphasising student engagement in the construction of game performance. In L. Griffin & J. Butler (Eds.), Teaching Games for Understanding: Theory, Research and Practice. Champaign, Illinois.: Human Kinetics.