What is meant by the term authentic assessment?

Authentic assessment evaluates whether the student can successfully transfer the knowledge and skills gained in the classroom to various contexts, scenarios, and situations. Authentic Assessment is grounded in theoretical best practices for teaching and learning and serves as an effective measure for course learning outcomes. In many ways, it can be considered the difference between measuring what students know vs. how they can apply that knowledge. These types of assignments will vary by discipline but typically require students to complete a project. For example, you may ask students to apply an engineering problem to a real world example, develop a web application, design a model, critically review case studies, or create multimedia presentations.  This page has more information on authentic assessment.

Authentic assessment is the measurement of "intellectual accomplishments that are worthwhile, significant, and meaningful,"[1] as contrasted with multiple-choice tests.[2] Authentic assessment can be devised by the teacher, or in collaboration with the student by engaging student voice. When applying authentic assessment to student learning and achievement, a teacher applies criteria related to “construction of knowledge, disciplined inquiry, and the value of achievement beyond the school.”

Authentic assessment tends to focus on contextualised tasks, enabling students to demonstrate their competency in a more 'authentic' setting. Examples of authentic assessment categories include:

  • performance of the skills, or demonstrating use of a particular knowledge
  • simulations and role plays
  • studio portfolios, strategically selecting items

According to Meg Ormiston, "Authentic learning mirrors the tasks and problem solving that are required in the reality outside of school."[4]

This framework for assessment begins the same way curriculum design begins, with the question: What should students be able to do?[5] Once the instructor answers that question, they can then devise a rubric to evaluate how well a student demonstrates the ability to complete the task. Because most authentic assessments require a judgement of the degree of quality, they tend toward the subjective end of the assessment scale. Rubrics are an "attempt to make subjective measurements as objective, clear, consistent, and as defensible as possible by explicitly defining the criteria on which performance or achievement should be judged."[6]

Authentic vs. traditional[edit]

Traditionally, assessment follows curriculum. Authentic assessment is an example of "backwards design" because the curriculum follows from the assessment.[7]

Case studies[edit]

One case study was presented by Edutopia's Schools That Work series on New York based institution, School of the Future. This school stresses the process of authentically assessing students rather than focusing solely on test results or term papers.[8] The school measures the full range of student ability through formative assessments, presentations, exhibitions, and tests that focus on authentic tasks to assess students' skills and knowledge as they relate to real-world endeavors and skills such as effective group communication and presentation. 98% of students at this school go on to college after graduating.[9]

Classroom implementation[edit]

Teachers from The School of The Future in New York utilize authentic assessment in their school and recommend that other teachers can do the same by following the guidelines outlined below:

  • Write the assessment before the lesson plan
  • Outline learning standards on rubrics to help to ensure rigor
  • Use quick in-class assessments without warning or scaffolding to assess student understanding and inform teaching
  • Ask students to reflect and assess themselves
  • Use online or traditional tools to track a student’s work quality over time[10]

Goals[edit]

A goal of authentic assessment is to determine if student knowledge can be applied outside of the classroom. This means that a physics assessment should involve doing physics by performing experiments and solving problems the same way that a real-life physicist would. An authentic history assessment requires students to ask questions, do independent research, and formulate answers to their questions, just like a real-life historian does.[10] Authentic assessment:

  • engages students and is based in content or media in which the students actually have a genuine interest.
  • asks students to synthesize information and use critical-thinking skills.
  • is a learning experience in and of itself.
  • measures not just what students remember but how they think.
  • helps students understand where they are academically and helps teachers know how to best teach them.

See also[edit]

  • Concept inventory – Knowledge assessment tool
  • Criterion-referenced test – Criterion-referenced test
  • Educational assessment – Educational evaluation method
  • Framework for authentic intellectual work (AIW)
  • Standardized test – Test administered and scored in a predetermined, standard manner

References[edit]

  1. ^ Wehlage, Newmann, & Secada, 1996, p. 23
  2. ^ Performance-Based Pedagogy Assessment of Teacher Candidates Archived August 30, 2006, at the Wayback Machine, Washington State Superintendent of Public Instruction, June 2004
  3. ^ Ormiston, Meg (2011). Creating a Digital-Rich Classroom: Teaching & Learning in a Web 2.0 World. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press. pp. 2–3. ISBN 978-1-935249-87-0.
  4. ^ Mueller, Jon. "How Do You Create Authentic Assessments?". Retrieved 6 March 2013.
  5. ^ "A Rubric - by any other name?" (PDF). morningside.edu/. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 May 2010. Retrieved 6 March 2013.
  6. ^ Mueller, Jon. "Traditional Assessment vs. Authentic Assessment" (PDF). Jon Mueller’s Authentic Assessment Toolbox. cssvt.org. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
  7. ^ "How the School of the Future Got It Right".
  8. ^ "Comprehensive Assessment: A New York City Success Story | Edutopia". Archived from the original on 2011-02-17.
  9. ^ a b "Ten Takeaway Tips for Using Authentic Assessment in Your School | Edutopia". www.edutopia.org. Archived from the original on 2011-03-05.

  • Authentic Assessment Matters
  • Authentic Assessment Toolbox
  • What is Authentic Assessment
  • Authentic Assessment blog
  • Internet Resources for Higher Education Outcomes Assessment

What is meant by the term authentic assessment quizlet?

- Authentic assessment is a method for measuring student learning by providing developmentally appropriate, student-centered, active learning strategies that help students develop lifelong learning competencies such as effective decision making, communication, and cooperation.

What is the other term for authentic assessment?

The common names for “authentic assessment” are “performance assessment, alternative assessment, and direct assessment” (p. 10).

What is the purpose of authentic assessment?

The purpose of authentic assessment is to provide students with ample opportunity to engage in authentic tasks so as to develop, use, and extend their knowledge, higher-order thinking, and other 21st-century competencies.

What is an example of an authentic assessment?

Authentic Assessment examples: Conduction research and writing a report. Character analysis. Student debates (individual or group)