What happened
Cult of Pedagogy reports Jay McTighe’s guidance on designing performance tasks. In an interview, McTighe says teachers should plan tasks from the start of a unit, so learners apply and explain learning rather than encounter a project only as a final grade. The article gives examples in history, civics and math.
Why it matters
The examples show performance tasks need not be long projects: in the math task, students use mean, median or mode to make and defend a choice about their grades. The article says strong tasks pair application with explanation, offer a realistic purpose and multiple responses, and assess intended learning rather than product polish. For teachers and designers, this can show application while making goals visible early; it does not mean replacing traditional tests.
What to do next
Start by naming the learning students must demonstrate, then use McTighe’s GRASPS prompts to define a goal, role, audience, situation, product and success criteria. Share the task early and provide smaller practice activities with feedback before independent performance. Check that the rubric assesses intended learning: a colleague should be able to infer the goals from the task and criteria. Keep the first task manageable and separate content evidence from presentation polish. These are McTighe’s recommendations, not a universal format; adjust complexity to students’ experience.
About this briefing
Reviewed by TutorFlow Editorial. We link the primary source, preserve its publication date, and distinguish reported claims from TutorFlow analysis. Our commentary focuses on practical decisions for educators and training teams.
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