Authentic assessment asks students not just to gather knowledge but also to apply and transfer that knowledge in meaningful, realistic ways. Traditional types of assessment include multiple choice quizzes and tests or other tasks that ask students to recall information. There is a place for information recall, of course, but what if our assessment choices
were driven by what we wanted students to be able to do? That is what authentic assessment is all about. This mode of assessment requires students to demonstrate skills and amplifies their learning by engaging in relevant, real-world tasks. At its best, authentic assessment stimulates critical thinking, facilitates the direct application of knowledge, connects to current issues, and is a learning experience itself. BreakdownWhat is it?
According to Wiggins, authentic assessments include the following key components:
So why authentic assessment?John Mueller (2005) shares the following:
To learn how to get started on designing a course in this way, contact the Instructional Support Team for a consultation. What does authentic assessment look like?AlignmentThere is alignment between your assessment, your content, and your content objectives. To learn more about this, visit our page on Backward Design or check out Mueller's Toolkit page entitled, How do you create authentic assessments? Formative Assessments/Knowledge Checks/FeedbackIt is important to check in with students often through multiple low stakes, formative assessment opportunities. You can also add in self checks for your learners and make them a part of assessing and reflecting on their own learning. Finally, feedback must be meaningful, timely, and supported with ways to improve. This is where rubrics come in. RubricsProvide your learners with rubrics to help them understand how you will be assessing their work – and how they can assess it themselves. For more on creating impactful rubrics, visit the IUB Rubric Creation and Use page. Back to top Resources
Back to top ReferencesReferences
Back to top What is the most authentic method of assessment?Presentations are the most common method of authentic assessment. Students get to discuss their work and validate their ideas in the presence of a mixed audience made up of their classmates, teachers, and external stakeholders like parents and technocrats.
What is an authentic task assessment?Authentic assessment is the idea of using creative learning experiences to test students' skills and knowledge in realistic situations. Authentic assessment measures students' success in a way that's relevant to the skills required of them once they've finished your course or degree program.
What type of assessment fits well with authentic learning materials?Summative assessments are used to measure how well students have mastered the entirety of the material and subject matter sometimes by the mid-point of the course (mid-term) and/or at the end of the course (final).
What are the 4 types of assessment?A Guide to Types of Assessment: Diagnostic, Formative, Interim, and Summative.
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