CHAPTER 2:

AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT:

MEANING,

CHARACTERISTICS AND PRACTICES

Topics:AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT:

MEANING, CHARACTERISTICS

AND PRACTICES

Why Authentic assessment?

CHARACTERISTICS OF

AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT (AA)

WHAT IS AUTHENTIC

ASSESSMENT?

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:1. identify the relationship of assessment, evaluation and marks to determine the attainment of student learning outcomes.2. discuss the authentic assessment meaning, characteristics and practices.3. illustrate the phases of authentic assessment.

Inroduction:

In 1935, the distinguished educator Ralph Tyler

proposed an "enlarged concept of student

evaluation," encompassing other approaches

besides tests and quizzes. He urged teachers to

sample learning by collecting products of their

efforts throughout the year. That practice has

evolved into what is today termed "authentic

assessment," which encompasses a range of

approaches including portfolio assessment,

journals and logs, products, videotapes of

performances, and projects.

Both assessment and evaluation are

based on the judgmental of an

experienced, thoughtful human being

– an expert. Machines don’t assess,

papers don’t assess, test don’t

assess. Humans assess. And what

better person is there to assess the

progress and development of his or

her students than the classrooms

teacher. LARRY MALONE

Lawrence Hall of Science, University of California,

The term assessment, evaluation,

testing and marks are term often used

in determining the degree of

attainment of students learning

outcomes. At times they are used

interchangeably, it will be useful to

clarify their meaning to distinguish

them from one another.

Assessment- refers to the process of gathering data and information about what students know and can do. Through assessment, the teacher can find out what students are learning.

Evaluation – involves the task of interpreting, forming conclusions and making judgment about the information which was gathered in the process of assessment.Testing- is an instrument of

Marks- are reports of the result of evaluating information

obtained in assessment process. Marks have certain

components related to the learning activities undertaken by

the students.

Example of such components are:

20% for class participation

10% for completed assignments

20% for quizzes

30% for submitted reports

20% for oral presentation of completed project

______________________________________

100% TOTAL

Assessment involves review of evidence of

learning such as journal entries, written

work, portfolios, skill demonstrations, and

performance in learning activities, test

result and rubrics ratings which cover a

period time and should reveal the progress

of students in competencies. Evaluation in

the other hand occurs when a mark or grade

is assigned after a quiz, a presentation or a

completed task.

Why Authentic assessment?

“The common practices of using recall and

recognition objective the skills and knowledge

they have mastered”. --- Richard Stiggins (1987)

“Authentic assessment is products and/or

performances correlated with real experiences”. --

- Newton Public Schools

Other names of authentic assessment are

performance assessment, alternative

assessment, and direct assessment.

CHARACTERISTICS

OF AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT (AA)

1. Authentic Assessment starts with clear definite

criteria of performance made known to the

students.

2. Authentic Assessment is a criterion- referenced

rather than norm- referenced and so it identifies

strengths and weaknesses, but does not compare

students nor rank their levels of performance.

3. Authentic Assessment requires students to make

their own answer to questions rather than select

from given options as in multiple choice items, and

requires them to use a range of higher order

thinking skills (HOTS).

4. Authentic Assessment often emphasizes

performance and therefore students are required

to demonstrate their knowledge, skills or

competencies in appropriate situations.

Authentic assessment does not rely on ability to

recall facts or memorize details, instead

students are asked to demonstrate skills and

concepts they have learned.

5. Authentic Assessment encourages both

teacher and students to determine their rate of

progress in cooperatively attaining the desired

student learning outcomes.

6. Authentic Assessment does not encourage rote

learning and passive taking of test; instead, students are

required to demonstrate analytical skills, ability to

integrate what they learn, creativity, and ability to work

in group, skills in oral and written communications. In

brief, authentic assessment values not only the finished

products which are the learning outcomes, but also the

process of learning.

7. Authentic Assessment changes the role of students as

passive test takers into become active and involve

participants in assessment activities that emphasize

what they are capable of doing instead test to measure

students’ skills or retained facts has come under

scrutiny because of the limitation encountered in

determining the students’ capability to utilized their

knowledge and skills in work and professional practice.

WHAT IS AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT?Here are some definitions:

“A form of assessment in which students are asked to perform real-world task that demonstrate meaningful application of essential knowledge and skills..” –Jon Mueller (2011)

“Engaging and worthy problems or questions of importance, in which students must use knowledge to fashion performances effectively and creatively. The tasks are either replicas of or analogous to the kind of problems faced by adult citizens and consumers or professionals in field.” – Grant Wiggins (1987)

“Performance (authentic) assessments call upon

the examinee to demonstrate specific skills and

competencies; that is, to apply of their

weaknesses. This results is diminished fear of

tests and improvement of self-esteem.

From teacher- centered activities, authentic

assessment encourages a learner-centered class

where the teacher’s major role is to help students

accept responsibility for their learning and

become self-evaluators.

Phases of

Authentic

Assessment

The purpose of assessment is to improve

student learning. Assessment achieves this

purpose by gathering pieces of evidence of

student performance over a period of time.

Such evidence may be in the form of

written works, journal entries, oral

presentations, research paper results, essay,

story writing, and examination results.

“Closing the loop” encourages the use of

assessment results for further improvement.

In general, Outcome assessment goes

through five (5) phases

Identifying the most important knowledge and skills that students should be able to demonstrate as a result of their learning activities.

Determining the criteria and standards of outcomes performance and the acceptable evidence that may be presented as proof of outcomes’ attainment.

Implementation of the supporting activities that will facilitate the attainment of the desired student learning outcomes.

Measuring the extent at which the student is attaining the desired learning outcomes.

Interpreting the assessment results and evaluating whether they indicate attainment of the desired outcomes and utilizing them for continuous improvement

Phase I

Identity learner outcome.

Determine criteria and acceptable evidences of performance.

Phase II

Evaluate results to determine attainment of outcome and ensure continuous

improvement.

Phase V Phase III

Implement supporting learning experiences and instructional activities.

Implement assessmentstrategies.

Examples of Authentic Assessment Activities:

1. Doing science experiments.2. Conducting social science field research.3. Writing stories and reports.4. Reading and interpreting literary pieces.5. Solving mathematical problems that have real-world implications.

6. Performing particular skills/competencies7. Simulation or role playing.8. Exhibiting and displaying completed works.9. Submitting portfolios 10. Submitting original creative projects.

Traditional Assessment- Is commonly associated with pre- determined choice measure of assessment such as multiple choices tasks, fill-in-the blanks, true – false, matching type and others. Students typically recall or select the answers. Essentially, TA springs from the educational which involves the following principles and practices.

1.A School’s mission is to develop useful

citizens.

2.To be a useful citizen, one must process a

certain body of knowledge and skills;

3.The school is entrusted to teach this body of

knowledge and skills;

4.To determine if the student have acquired

these knowledge and skills, the school must

test the student on these knowledge and

skills.

Authentic Assessment- on the other hand is grounded on the following principles and practices:1. A school’s mission is to develop useful citizen; 2. To be a useful citizen, one has to be capable of performing useful tasks in the real-world;3. The school’s duty is to help students develop proficiency in performing the tasks that 4. they will be required tom perform after graduation in the work place;4. The school must then require students to perform tasks that duplicate or imitate real-world situations.

Attributes Traditional Assessment Authentic Assessment

1. Action/ options Selecting a response Performing a task

1. Setting Contrived/ imagined Simulation/ Real-Life

1. Method Recall/ recognition Construction/ applications

1. Focus Teacher –structured Student- structured

1. outcome Indirect evidence Direct evidence