I teach the A-level in History which is an exam primarily focused on essay writing (in a very short time span - typically 45minutes per essay - which could come up to 8pages if done right!) and primary and secondary source analysis. Although this assessment is academically very rigorous there are certain weaknesses to it when considering broad and inclusive ways of skills assessment

The traditional history exam :

1. It is quite restrictive in terms of timing and pacing there are students that do not function as ‘quickly’ as others - these leaves them ‘behind’ if assessed based on the Norm

2. Different types of skills and ways of thinking and processing are not explored

Therefore, Project Based Learning and Assessment especially when it comes to the History lesson would be a great addition to the discipline.

Project Based Learning (PBL) is a teaching method in which students learn by actively engaging in real-world and personally meaningful projects.Students work on a project over an extended period of time – from a week up to a semester – that engages them in solving a real-world problem or answering a complex question. They demonstrate their knowledge and skills by creating a public product or presentation for a real audience. As a result, students develop deep content knowledge as well as critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, and communication skills. Project Based Learning unleashes a contagious, creative energy among students and teachers.

1. A Challenging Problem or Question -The project is framed by a meaningful problem to be solved or a question to answer, at the appropriate level of challenge
2. Sustained Inquiry - Students engage in a rigorous, extended process of posing questions, finding resources, and applying information.
3. Authenticity - The project involves real-world context, tasks and tools, quality standards, or impact, or the project speaks to personal concerns, interests, and issues in the students’ lives.
4. Student Voice & Choice - Students make some decisions about the project, including how they work and what they create, and express their own ideas in their own voice.
5. Reflection - Students and teachers reflect on the learning, the effectiveness of their inquiry and project activities, the quality of student work, and obstacles that arise and strategies for overcoming them.
6. Critique & Revision - Students give, receive, and apply feedback to improve their process and products.
7. Public Product - Students make their project work public by sharing it with and explaining or presenting it to people beyond the classroom.

All of the skills that are developed in project based learning are in line with how the ‘real world’ works and the skills that are necessary to function and thrive in the real world something which is not reflected in the current traiditional History exam. This type of Assesment is arguably Formative instead of Summative. Arguably, as Dr Cope and Dr Kalantzis argue in their book New Learning, in the ‘old’ teaching and assessment practises the learner was subservient - there was a wrong and right answer and agency of the learner was diminished. In project based learning the agency of the learner is fundamental to the process. This is in line with a new world of diversity and change. In the process - ‘The New Learning adds the dimensions of practical capability and collaborative social learning so that thinking is also connected with an ability to act and to be adaptable, responsive and flexible in a world of diversity and change’. Learning and Assessment can go hand in hand as part of a whole instead of separate entities. 

How could this apply to History? Historical concepts are constant - no wonder the phrase ‘history repeats itself’ is so common. Therefore, project based learning for Students could include historical concepts that they are being taught currently such as the development of right-wing extremists in Weimar Germany and explore their development in another time period, country. In this way they could process the concepts and terminology they are learning from the ‘official’ syllabus, and translating them to other time periods in this exploring and developing transferable skills which is arguably, a fundamental educational target. As a result, the teacher can assess the student throughout the entire process instead of just at the end and thus, the teacher will have a fuller picture of how the student has integrated the concepts and adapted them to the project - which is, arguably - a real world skill to be developed. 

References 

1. What is Project Based Learning? | PBLWorks
2. https://www.pblworks.org/what-is-pbl/gold-standard-project-design
3. https://newlearningonline.com/new-learning/chapter-1-new-learning/whats-new-about-new-learning