Practice Six – Authentic Assessment

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Authentic Assessment is the measurement of learning that is meaningful, relevant, and has real world application. These assessments can be created by a teacher, the learner or a group of learners. Giving the learners a voice in the learning process produces a more comprehensive view of their understanding of the material, concepts, or skills learned. With goal setting, planning, and creative thinking, assessment can become an interactive reflection of all the work that is done.

Traditional assessments were designed to check the level of comprehension of the material. This was usually in the form of true/false question, multiple choice answers, or essay responses. These forms of assessment cannot show the full extent of the learners interactions with the material or their learning process.

Authentic Assessment examples:

  • Discussion partners or groups.
  • Student portfolios - may use apps like Seesaw - a free app for educators compatible with Google Classroom. Students get excited being able to choose from Seesaw's creative tools. They express themselves, reflect on their learning and create a portfolio they're proud to show others.
  • Conduct research and write a report/media presentation.
  • Character analysis - presentation as character
  • Student debates (individual or group)
  • Drawing, writing, or media project about a story or chapter.
  • Experiments - trial and error learning.
  • Journal entries (reflective writing)
  • Student self-assessment and self-reflection. (multiple strategies)
  • Creative projects.
  • Presentations.
  • Goal setting and Goal Progress Worksheet .

This article gives 10 tips for developing a more authentic form of assessment within your instructional process. https://www.edutopia.org/10-assessment-tips-for-class

Great Expectations suggests the use of the following GE tools to guide teachers and learners in developing effective authentic assessment.