What is Authentic Assessment? Show
DefinitionsWhat Does Authentic Assessment Look Like?Definitions What does Authentic Assessment look like? An authentic assessment usually includes a task for students to perform and a rubric by which their performance on the task will be evaluated. Click the following links to see many examples of authentic tasks and rubrics.
How is Authentic Assessment similar to/different from Traditional Assessment?The following comparison is somewhat simplistic, but I hope it illuminates the different assumptions of the two approaches to assessment. Traditional Assessment By "traditional assessment" (TA) I am referring to the forced-choice measures of multiple-choice tests, fill-in-the-blanks, true-false, matching and the like that have been and remain so common in education. Students typically select an answer or recall information to complete the assessment. These tests may be standardized or teacher-created. They may be administered locally or statewide, or internationally. Behind traditional and authentic assessments is a belief that the primary mission of schools is to help develop productive citizens. That is the essence of most mission statements I have read. From this common beginning, the two perspectives on assessment diverge. Essentially, TA is grounded in educational philosophy that adopts the following reasoning and practice: 1. A school's mission is to develop productive citizens. In the TA model, the curriculum drives assessment. "The" body of knowledge is determined first. That knowledge becomes the curriculum that is delivered. Subsequently, the assessments are developed and administered to determine if acquisition of the curriculum occurred. Authentic Assessment In contrast, authentic assessment (AA) springs from the following reasoning and practice: 1. A school's mission is to develop productive citizens. Thus, in AA, assessment drives the curriculum. That is, teachers first determine the tasks that students will perform to demonstrate their mastery, and then a curriculum is developed that will enable students to perform those tasks well, which would include the acquisition of essential knowledge and skills. This has been referred to as planning backwards (e.g., McDonald, 1992). If I were a golf instructor and I taught the skills required to perform well, I would not assess my students' performance by giving them a multiple choice test. I would put them out on the golf course and ask them to perform. Although this is obvious with athletic skills, it is also true for academic subjects. We can teach students how to do math, do history and do science, not just know them. Then, to assess what our students had learned, we can ask students to perform tasks that "replicate the challenges" faced by those using mathematics, doing history or conducting scientific investigation. Authentic Assessment Complements Traditional AssessmentBut a teacher does not have to choose between AA and TA. It is likely that some mix of the two will best meet your needs. To use a silly example, if I had to choose a chauffeur from between someone who passed the driving portion of the driver's license test but failed the written portion or someone who failed the driving portion and passed the written portion, I would choose the driver who most directly demonstrated the ability to drive, that is, the one who passed the driving portion of the test. However, I would prefer a driver who passed both portions. I would feel more comfortable knowing that my chauffeur had a good knowledge base about driving (which might best be assessed in a traditional manner) and was able to apply that knowledge in a real context (which could be demonstrated through an authentic assessment). Defining Attributes of Traditional and Authentic AssessmentAnother way that AA is commonly distinguished from TA is in terms of its defining attributes. Of course, TA's as well as AA's vary considerably in the forms they take. But, typically, along the continuums of attributes listed below, TA's fall more towards the left end of each continuum and AA's fall more towards the right end. Traditional --------------------------------------------- Authentic Selecting a Response ------------------------------------ Performing a Task Contrived --------------------------------------------------------------- Real-life Recall/Recognition ------------------------------- Construction/Application Teacher-structured ------------------------------------- Student-structured Indirect Evidence -------------------------------------------- Direct Evidence
Teaching to the Test These two different approaches to assessment also offer different advice about teaching to the test. Under the TA model, teachers have been discouraged from teaching to the test. That is because a test usually assesses a sample of students' knowledge and understanding and assumes that students' performance on the sample is representative of their knowledge of all the relevant material. If teachers focus primarily on the sample to be tested during instruction, then good performance on that sample does not necessarily reflect knowledge of all the material. So, teachers hide the test so that the sample is not known beforehand, and teachers are admonished not to teach to the test. With AA, teachers are encouraged to teach to the test. Students need to learn how to perform well on meaningful tasks. To aid students in that process, it is helpful to show them models of good (and not so good) performance. Furthermore, the student benefits from seeing the task rubric ahead of time as well. Is this "cheating"? Will students then just be able to mimic the work of others without truly understanding what they are doing? Authentic assessments typically do not lend themselves to mimicry. There is not one correct answer to copy. So, by knowing what good performance looks like, and by knowing what specific characteristics make up good performance, students can better develop the skills and understanding necessary to perform well on these tasks. (For further discussion of teaching to the test, see Bushweller.) Alternative Names for Authentic AssessmentYou can also learn something about what AA is by looking at the other common names for this form of assessment. For example, AA is sometimes referred to as
What types of assessments are used to assess student learning?Common types of assessment for learning include formative assessments and diagnostic assessments.. Diagnostic assessments.. Formative assessments.. Summative assessments.. Ipsative assessments.. Norm-referenced assessments.. Criterion-referenced assessments.. Which of the following is referred to as assessment of learning?Assessment as learning: occurs when students reflect on and monitor their progress to inform their future learning goals (formative assessment) Assessment of learning: occurs when teachers use evidence of student learning to make judgements on student achievement against goals and standards (summative assessment).
What type of assessment is used during the learning process?Assessment of Learning (Summative Assessment)
Assessment of learning is the snapshot in time that lets the teacher, students and their parents know how well each student has completed the learning tasks and activities. It provides information about student achievement.
What two types of assessments are used in special education?Adaptive Diagnostic Assessment vs. Formal Assessment in Special Education. To ensure that a special education program is effective for all students with disabilities, the IDEA Act requires schools to monitor progress toward the annual goals described in the IEPs of students with disabilities.
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