How can I make authentic assessment a central part of my teaching?
Authentic
When a person has a sense of real meaning, hands on learning, they are more likely to understand the processes, learn from mistakes and integrate their new learning with prior learning. This is a naturalistic learning process, occurs every day of our lives in a life-long learning fashion. It is easier to understand when it comes to a physical activity like playing golf, driving a car or making a cake. We cannot always provide an authentic experience so we can substitute a simulated or hyper-real proposition. Simulated flying instruction, trial projects or pilot studies are good examples of these propositions.
Assessment
A central part of the natural cognitive learning process is to Do, Assess, Modify, and Learn. If assessment is central to learning, then serial modifications and learning can be constructed. This is the basis of social constructivism or connectivity towards learning. These pedagogies have been found to help a student develop skills towards life-long learning. Assessment can be summative or formative. Feedback assessment can be provided by the facilitator, peers or be a self- assessment.
Assessment is also performed as feedback about the course, curriculum programmes and facilitators or administration towards better teaching.
If you place aims and objectives, assessment requirements, assessment rubrics at the start of a learning activity, you assist the student and the learning group to become outcome focused towards authentic learning.
Discussion within the learning triad ( Student- Teacher- Peers) provides authentic feedback. Pedagogies use assessment and feedback for learning.
Authentic assessment differs from Traditional assessment in a number of fundamental ways.
Traditional Assessment
Cognitive and theoretical
Theoretical, contrived task
Memorising or recall
Teacher centred
Indirect measurement
Norm based
One assessment
Teacher assessment
Authentic Assessment
Behavioural, task oriented
Authentic or simulated real life task
Constructivism and deep learning
Student centred
Assessment is of direct output
Criteria Based
Multiple assessments and practices
Self-assessment, reflection
Instead of the curriculum driving the assessment, the assessment drives the curriculum.
Perhaps you can add some more differences.
Is there any reason why we can’t have both traditional and authentic assessment?
Different types of authentic assessments:
Self-testing
Pre-labs
Pre-tests
Portfolio
Past examinations
Worked solutions which models expectations
Multiple-choice questions, 
Projects
Dilemmas for discussion,
Research,
Reflective journals.
Performance assessment
Short investigations
Open response questions
Self -assessment
Rubrics
Online, asynchronous learning
Wikis and Blogs,
Pod-casts and web-quests,
Games
Some extra readings:
Mueller, J (2006) What is Authentic Assessment (Authentic assessment toolbox) retrieved 10/5/2007
http://jonathan.mueller.faculty.noctrl.edu/toolbox/whatisit.htm
Sandova, P & Wigle, S.E. (2006) Building a unit assessment system: creating quality evaluation of candidate performance. Education 00131172 . 126 (4)
retrieved Academic Search Primer 19/4/2007
Pearson Education Development Group (2007) Authentic Assessment Overview retrieved 10/5/2007
http://www.teachervision.fen.com/teaching-methods-and-management/educational-testing/4911.html
19 comments:
I have found your information clear and thought provoking.
The idea of the assessment driving the curriculum can be a powerful one in that it does tend to focus on the learning outcome. We use this approach in our child care course. As a VTE competency based approach this makes a lot of sense - as its all about doing a particular job at a certain level of competence. I have found that the descriptive wording in the criterian referenced system allows for individual differences in a fair way.
I would like to include more opportunites for real work based (on-the job) assessments. These form a small part of our assessment as well as some simulations in the form of role plays. We have also recently introduced reflective journals to supplement summative tasks as well as to provide for some formative self assessment. For the most part we rely on written work. While this is very practical in its focus it is a little too close to the traditional assessment for my liking. I see the authentic assessment approach as something to aspire to and get better at. This is truly learner focused assessment - always with clear up-front criteria to assist learning focus.
I think that a key challenge with assessment is the curriculum is finding the right balance. You can go I think too far in the assessment driving the curriculum and students (I am thinking of early undergrads) get frustrated by this. However, scaffolding and intensive induction to assessment is also very important at the early undergrad level.
Thank you Trudi and Cassandra for your feedback.
Thoughts
I like the idea of fair and respect for individual differences, diversity and flexibility. This seems to resound with ethical principles of the Rights of Man.
2.Trudi it is intereting that you have more practical experience in authentic assessment, especially relevant in skills based training.
3. Is there a way Cassandra to include an assessment driven programme without making it seem to be assessment?
Joyce
In a second language environment such as the one I am in, authenticity is really important. Students enjoy and are enthusiastic doing assessments that are unusual and not conventionally based. They do however sometimes find themselves uncertain of just what they must do. Few of them really study the rubric or boundaries of the assessment until they have had practice doing similar exercises. They enjoy having other students read their work in peer assessments and will work harder sa as not to appear to be a weak student. Use of reflective journals work well with students who have the language to impart real meaning to the learning experience. Most times Elementary learners have to present their journals for 1st and 2nd draft marking. through this they learn the language and the content.
Jenny
To anyswer your question, I do believe there is a place for both the traditional assessments and authentic assessments.
Another authentic assessment that nursing students benefit from is case senarios. They can be effective for individual or groups. Learners engage with the content,analyse the facts, discuss the implications and options with their peers all within an authentic context. These also help to prepare the students for their practicum because the scenarios are hospital based.
Hi Joyce
I found your summary clear and well explained.
I am currently studying another subject Assessment Principles and Practices and authentic assessment was the theme for our latest assignemtn so I can relate well to this.
One article I read (by Jan Herrington and others, I think) commented on the common stle of maths word problems adn gave an example along the lines of "If Joyce bougth 3 750ml bottles of red wine and 2 375 ml bottles of white wine how much wine had she bought. The authors questionwas "Why does anyone want or need to know this"
My thought is that if more teachers/lecturers asked ths question when developing assessments they may make their assessments more authentic. ANy comments?
There is certainly still a role of traditional assessments. For learning that requires basic comprehension and knowledge recall, traditional methods such as multiple-choice questioning may still be an appropriate option.
Just as learning should be relevant to real-world contexts, so should assessment. Assessment activities that are meaningful and relevant are more likely to engage and benefit learners, by encouraging them to be active learning participants rather than recipients of knowledge.
Assessment should be continuous and integrated throughout the learning event utilising multiple methods, rather than a final token appraisal of achievement. This may overcome some of the prominent issues associated with online assessment, such as collusion and plagiarism. An integrated assessment strategy would include assessing prior knowledge, formative assessment during the instruction, and summative assessment at the conclusion of the learning event. To achieve this, a combination of traditional and alternative assessment may be appropriate, depending on the type of learning required. Web-based technologies provide many ways of achieving an integrated assessment strategy, and with timely and effective feedback, assessment can be an invaluable way of affording students the opportunity to learn at critical points in their learning.
Cathy.
Hi everyone,
thanks for sharing your feedback and contributing to this online conference. Your input is what makes it an authenic learning experience.
Jenny, I like your thoughts about the need for second languages to be authentic, conversatinal and practical learning.In comparison to the lists of conjugated verbs I parrotted in High School, peer and collaborative learning, learning circles, peer feedback and learning to speak in a realistic fashion is so much more stimulating. Motivation would be higher because of the interest generated.I wonder if the rubrics could be part of the inital discussion so that the students could own the strategy and give feedback?
Judy, I agree that case studies is an important learning tool. I was loking at these to teach business ethics. Case studies can include simulated experiences, real patients, business issues, etc and involve role play.
Most of my medical training was apprentice style, authentic learning in case studies and real patients. I still remember many of hte patients I learned with, 30 years on, and can vouch for the experiential learning in a case study. Does anyone else have other areas of teaching where they have uused case examples?
Hazel, thank you for your eedback , I really appreciate the positives.
I was thinking that 3 x 750 mls re and 2 x 375 mls white added up to too much wine, dependng on how many people were visiting. My son's experience of maths was exactly that- its not relevant- so he gave up senior maths to do music extension.Now he is at uni studying maths which he loves because he sees the relevance to the computer programming he is learning.Why are we doing this is an extremely important question to ask I believe.
Cathy - well put, I agree,
Do ou think the word 'assessment' is the scary bit? I think that it sets up authority, oedipal conflict and anxiety or rage in many people. Only the obsessional , perfectonists take it on as a challenge and would fancy continual assessment.
Should we call this rose by another name?
Should we include continuous assessment in the outcome assessment? If the progressive assessments are just for learning then they are places where you can fail and repeat etc until you learn. Then they might be counterproductive for learning if we use then for final marks.
Your comments!
Joyce
Hi Joyce
I enjoyed your explanation - it's very clear and written in a friendly academic way - nice balance.
I also read the first reading you provided. It blended with your discussion really well. I loved the comment in that reading, "teach to the test". That just says it - it's such a good guide - how could you say it better in four words :-)
How about combining an authentic task into a traditional assessment item? Getting people to complete an activity so that they can then answer T/F or ABC ... Would that be authentic assessment too?
I've done this with self-assessment online quizzes to help students be sure that they're understanding important aspects of databases that can influence their search efficacy when they're looking for information to support evidene-based practice. How's that for a clumsy sentence :-)
They responded very well and it gave me the chance to check that the learning was happening without taking massive amounts of time (that I didn't have). I think that it was good for the lecturer too - she could see the results of the Library's input & she could see the sorts of things that challenged students.
The challenges are really obvious to librarians because we are helping, educating & training students in these things as part of our day to day practice but academics rarely get exposure to the specific issues causing information seeking problems for their students. In the end it became an assessment tool that supported our teaching collaboration.
Thank-you for a thought-provoking activity. Sandra
Thanks Sandra
for all the positive comments and feedback. Hmmm didnt think of it in context of a library, but there is the epitome of authentic learning.
So authentic learning and assessment, feedback is a win win in that student and facilitator both learn.
I think that you grasped the concept that authentic tasks can be traditional assessment, and are better assessments that way. The next dilemmas present items like project, portfolio, etc.
In teaching library capcities however, authentic assessment is most likely to be needed rather than a formal marking and pass or fail system . Maybe I am worng here
Joyce
Our MBA students consistently report that they get far more out of completing assignments based around their workplace or authentic dilemmas than they do out of sitting traditional exams - our subject that consistently scores the highest in evaluations is the one that requires students to develop a business case then a full business plan, which involves a huge time commitment, and only a short exam.
Our students' comments have recently caused our organisation to finally agree to shift away from all subjects having exams - we're in the early stages of starting to progressively develop and implement new assessment models.
However, I think it is possible to have traditional exams that have a certain level of authenticity about them. The key is to provide students with a choice of questions and focus the questions on dilemmas or scenarios that have no one right answer, or questions that require them to discuss examples from their own context, ie discuss theory in relation to reality. In other words, you're not testing right or wrong answers that require memory recall, you're instead posing questions that provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate what they've learned and that they can apply theory to the real world.
Thats interesting Sharon. Will it take a lot of change for the lecturers to cope with this loss of power, move away form set answers, pedagogies etc do you think?
Joyce
For some, yes, but the academic who was likely to be the most resistant has resigned, so that obviously simplifies things.
For others, no. In fact, the academic who is most enthusiastic and is busily developing new assessment ideas is a 70-something ex-engineer who has one of the sharpest and forward-thinking minds you could find! :)
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