Authentic Assessment

Methods for Mathematics

By The SHARE Team
https://resilienteducator.com/classroom-resources/authentic-assessment-methods-for-mathematics/

The foundation of authentic assessment revolves around evaluating a student’s ability to apply
what they have learned in mathematics to a “real world” context.

Rather than rote learning and passive test-taking, authentic assessment math tests
focus on a student’s analytical skills and the ability to integrate what they have learned
along with creativity with written and oral skills. Also evaluated are the results of
collaborative efforts of group projects. It is not just learning the process of computation
that is important to know, but also how to take the finished product and apply it to
another situation.

This need for an improved test to accurately assess a student’s growth has been
developed. It is called the authentic assessment math test. Multiple choice tests do not
often accurately reflect the individual student’s understanding of the material. It reflects
whether a student is successful at memorization. Instead of tests that focus on recalling
specific facts, the authentic assessment math test has students demonstrate the various
skills and concepts they have learned and explain when it would be appropriate to use
those facts and problem-solving skills in their own lives.

Six ways to use authentic

assessment math in the classroom
Performance assessment
Students can demonstrate what they have learned and how to solve problems through a
collaborative effort in solving a complex problem together. Not only do they learn how to
work in a team, but also how to brainstorm and utilize their separate grains of
knowledge to benefit the whole.

Short investigations
Typically, a short investigation starts with a basic math problem (or can be adapted to
any other school subject) in which the student can demonstrate how he or she has
mastered the basic concepts and skills. As the teacher, ask the students to interpret,
calculate, explain, describe or predict whatever it is they are analyzing. These are
generally 60- to-90 minute tasks for an individual (or group projects) on which to work
independently, writing answers to questions and then interviewed separately.

Open-response questions
A teacher can assess the student’s real-world understanding and how the analytical
processes relate by, in a quiz setting, requesting open responses, like:

 a brief written or oral answer

 a mathematical solution
 a drawing
 a diagram, chart or graph

These open-ended questions can be approximately 15-minute assessments and can be

converted into a larger-scale project.

Portfolios
As students learn concepts throughout the school year, they can be documented and
will reveal progress and improvements as well as allow for self-assessment, edits and
revisions. They can be recorded in a number of ways, including:

 journal writing
 review by peers
 artwork and diagrams
 group reports
 student notes and outlines
 rough drafts to finished work

Self-assessment
After the teacher has clearly explained and provided the expectations prior to the project
and then, once the projects are complete, ask the students to evaluate their own
projects and participation. Responding to the following questions will help students learn
to assess themselves and their work objectively:

 What was the most difficult part of this project for you?
 What do you think you should do next?
 If you could do this task again, would you do anything differently? If yes, what?
 What did you learn from this project?

Multiple-choice questions
Usually, multiple-choice questions do not reflect an authentic assessment math context.
There are multiple-choice questions being developed that reveal an understanding of
the mathematical ideas required as well as integrating more than one concept. These
questions are designed to take about 2 or 3 minutes each.
Traits developed through authentic
assessment math tests
This situational type of learning in which students are learning lessons on how to solve
real-life problems can be utilized in mathematics. These ideas are presented as follows:

 Thinking and reasoning: Causing students to interact in such activities that

include gathering data, exploration, investigation, interpretation, reasoning,
modeling, designing, analyzing, formation of hypotheses, use of trial and error,
generalization and solution-checking.
 Settings: Allowing the students to work individually or in smaller groups.
 Mathematical tools: The students learn to use symbols, tables, graphs,
drawings, calculators and computers.
 Attitudes and dispositions: Students in this type of learning environment learn
persistence, self-regulating behaviors and reflection, participation and a special
enthusiasm for learning various kinds of situations.