What is
Authentic Assessment
Authentic assessment is where students thoughtfully apply their acquired skills to a new situation or environment. Authentic assessment, a concept partly developed by educational director Grant Wiggins, refers to evaluations that closely match the learning goals of a course or educational activity and involve students tackling “real-world” challenges. These assessments often allow for multiple “correct” solutions but can still be reliably assessed using a rubric, ensuring that the results are valid. There are a few key differences between traditional versus authentic assessment. Traditional assessments offer a snapshot at a student’s level of understanding at that moment in time. This type of assessment doesn’t allow students to fully show what they have learned through the course of the term. On the other hand, authentic assessments require students to complete a real-world task where they can apply what they have learned in their academic journey. Unlike traditional assessments, authentic assessments are where students are asked to justify their response to a problem and the steps they took to arrive at a solution. Authentic assessment examples also enable students to incorporate feedback from their peers and instructors in a timely manner.
Authentic assessment refers to integrating learning and assessments to ensure that students’ needs are being met. Instructors can create authentic assessments by identifying standards for student performance, selecting authentic tasks and separating them from traditional tasks, identifying criteria for the task and creating a rubric to measure performance. There are several authentic assessment examples. As part of a case study assignment, Business students might develop a marketing strategy for a struggling company or solve a financial problem for a fictional client. As part of a group presentation, Engineering students might present a prototype they’ve developed and explain its design process. Comparatively, History students might deliver a lecture on historical research findings. As part of a community-based project, Public Health students might design and implement a health awareness campaign in a local community, or Architecture students develop design proposals for a community space. When completing a research project, Environmental Science students might assess the impact of local pollution on wildlife and then prepare a written account of their observations.
Authentic assessment has gained popularity over the years. The importance of authentic assessment couldn’t be overstated. Implementing authentic assessment examples often requires more effort and planning. However, the benefits for both students and instructors make this effort worthwhile. One major advantage is the increased interest and engagement from both parties. For instructors, evaluating a diverse range of answers and approaches is more stimulating and can even be a learning experience in itself. Students, on the other hand, are more motivated because the assessments are novel, have a clear connection to real-world applications, and transparently show their progress and areas for improvement. Instructors also gain a better understanding of individual and collective student strengths and areas for growth, as authentic assessments provide clear insights into which learning objectives are being met and which are not. These authentic assessment examples allow instructors to connect with students by observing their unique problem-solving approaches. This is especially valuable for online instructors who may not have the chance to interact with students face-to-face, as it provides more opportunities to engage with learners on a personal level.