LESSON 1

AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT: AN OVERVIEW

OVERVIEW

This lesson re-introduces authentic assessment. The topic has been initially
introduced in Assessment in Learning 1. Hence, there are topics in this lesson that serve
as a review. Lesson 1 includes topics regarding the definition and description of relevant
concepts and the characteristics of authentic assessment. Moreover, it includes a
discussion on the importance of authentic assessment which gives distinction from test
assessment. In addition, a review on the principles of assessment is also included since
such principles cover the use of authentic assessment.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

At the end of the lesson, you are expected to:

1. describe an authentic assessment and how it is different from test assessment;
2. discuss the characteristics of an authentic assessment;
3. reflect on the importance and principles of using authentic assessment; 4. exhibit
collaboration and creative thinking in the development of the required output; and
5. show appreciation of the value of authentic assessment in teaching and learning.

LEARNING CONTENT

1. Definition and Description of Concepts

1.1 Assessment

Walvoord (in Gravells, 2013) defined assessment as a systematic collection of

information about student learning, using the time, knowledge, expertise, and
resources available to inform decisions that affect student learning.

The Glossary of Education Reform (2014) has a similar definition of the term
assessment which refers to the wide variety of methods or tools that educators use
to evaluate, measure, and document the academic readiness, learning progress,
skill acquisition, or educational needs of students.

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INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS IN EDUC 30193: ASSESSMENT IN LEARNING 2 WITH FOCUS ON TM1 AND TM2 / L. R. REBUSQUILLO / 2023
 Assessment is an integral part of teaching and learning. Hence, it has a
specific set of roles for learners and teachers. Below is a table showing how both
parties may benefit from the use of assessment in education.
LEARNER TEACHER

• To clarify what is expected or • To make teaching, learning, and

required of them assessment activities aligned among
• To help them discuss with the each other
teacher their learning • To determine how the learner’s progress
milestones and concerns and milestones
• To evaluate their learning • To help learners in developing self
progress assessment skills
• To help them plan and • To identify the support needs of the
achieve the learning learners
objectives • To empower learners to take control of
• To know what they have their learning
achieved • To improve learner motivation and self
• To know what they have to esteem
do • To learn from their • To make decisions and give feedback
mistakes

There are basically two categories of assessment strategies that provide data to
determine the learning milestones and learning outcomes of the student: test
assessment and authentic assessment.

1.2 Authentic Assessment

Authentic assessment is also considered as non-conventional assessment or

alternative assessment since the traditional or non-conventional form of assessment is
test.

An authentic assessment is related to tasks relevant to professional practice or

real life (Crisp, 2011). Teachers use authentic assessment to demonstrate the skills and
concepts that they have learned.

Clay (2001) claimed that authentic assessment aims to evaluate students’ abilities
in a real-world context where they can learn how to apply their skills to authentic tasks
and projects. It goes beyond learning and passive test-taking. Instead, it focuses on
student’s analytical skills, ability to integrate what they learn, creativity, ability to work
collaboratively, and written and oral expression skills.

Sridharan and Mustard (2015) described authentic assessments as similar to those

tasks that are encountered in the real-life workplace, where individuals are free to use
various reference resources, consult with experts and take guidance from supervisors. In
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INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS IN EDUC 30193: ASSESSMENT IN LEARNING 2 WITH FOCUS ON TM1 AND TM2 / L. R. REBUSQUILLO / 2023
simple terms authentic assessment helps students to relate their learning content to
meaningful situations that are relevant to students’ lives (such as professional life). They
shared a checklist to self-assess if the assignments or tasks set by the teachers are
authentic.

2. Authentic Assessment in Comparison with Typical Test Assessment

The Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning of Indiana University states
that conventional tests is important but it cannot take the place of authentic
assessments. It adapted Wiggin’s illustration of the differences between typical tests and
authentic assessments.
Typical tests Authentic tasks Indicators of authenticity

Require correct Require a high-quality Correctness is not the only

responses product or performance, criterion; students must be
and a justification of the able to justify their answers.
solutions to problems
encountered

Must be Should be known in advance The tasks and standards for

unknown to the to students as much as judgment should be known or
student in possible predictable.
advance to be
valid
 Are Are tied to real-world The context and constraints of
disconnected contexts and constraints; the task are like those
from real-world require the student to “do” encountered by practitioners
contexts and the subject. in the discipline.
constraints

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INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS IN EDUC 30193: ASSESSMENT IN LEARNING 2 WITH FOCUS ON TM1 AND TM2 / L. R. REBUSQUILLO / 2023

Contain items Are integrated challenges in The task is multifaceted and

that isolate which a range of skills and complex, even if there is a
particular skills knowledge must be used in right answer.
or facts coordination

Include easily Involve complex tasks that The validity of the assessment
scored items for which there may be no is not sacrificed in favor of
right answer, and that may reliable scoring.
not be easily scored

Are “one shot”; Are iterative; contain Students may use particular
students get one recurring tasks knowledge or skills in several
chance to show different ways or contexts.
their learning

Provide a score Provide usable diagnostic The assessment is designed to

information about students’ improve future performance,
skills and knowledge and students are important
“consumers” of such
information.

Authentic assessments have several advantages over conventional tests. They are
likely to be more valid than conventional tests, particularly for learning outcomes that
require higher-order thinking skills. Because they involve real-world tasks, they are also
likely to be more interesting for students, and thus more motivating. And finally, they
can provide more specific and usable information about what students have succeeded
in learning as well as what they have not learned.

However, authentic assessments may require more time and effort on an

instructor’s part to develop, and may be more difficult to grade. To address the difficulty
of grading authentic assessments, it is often useful to create a grading rubric that
specifies the traits that will be evaluated and the criteria by which they will be judged.
 3. Characteristics of Authentic Assessment
Several authors have articulated various characteristics of authentic assessment as
per the review made and posted in
https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/uploads/production/document/path/10/10105/AUT
HENTIC-ASSESSMENT_adapted_.pdf. Accordingly, authentic tasks:
✓ Are perceived by students as being authentic. Perceptions of authenticity are
subjective so students and teachers may have different perceptions of what
constitutes an authentic task.
✓ Are similar to the real work done in professional contexts and highlights
situational and contextual knowledge including the acquisition of relevant
professional attitudes and competencies.

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INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS IN EDUC 30193: ASSESSMENT IN LEARNING 2 WITH FOCUS ON TM1 AND TM2 / L. R. REBUSQUILLO / 2023
✓ Are performance-based and require students to demonstrate mastery of
professional practices. The closer the tasks are to real practice, the greater the
degree of authenticity.
✓ Reflect clear alignment between desired learning outcomes, curriculum content,
and future career-based knowledge.
✓ Emphasize assessment for learning purposes rather than just for grading, and
incorporates social, cognitive, and reflective processes of learning.
✓ Are fair and free from bias so they do not advantage or disadvantage any
groups of students
✓ Are motivating, enjoyable, sustain interest, and are challenging but achievable
✓ Are based on criteria that have been developed with, or negotiated with
students to ensure they understand the nature of the task and what constitutes
quality in terms of the outcome.
✓ Achieve an appropriate balance between tasks that are too complex and too
simple.
✓ Often incorporates self, peer, and client assessment in conjunction with
academic teacher assessment.
✓ Ensure that students have opportunities to develop critical thinking and
problem solving skills needed in real-life situations, as well as the cognitive
and performance skills relating to graduate attributes
✓ Provide clear evidence that students have achieved the desired learning
outcomes
✓ Require timely feedback relating to criteria that students can act upon ✓ Are
quite often interdisciplinary because that reflects many real world contexts

4. Importance of Authentic Assessment

Various pressures and opportunities have led to current strong interest in

designing authentic curriculum, pedagogies, learning and assessment:

• Increasing concerns amongst educators and students about the lack of alignment
between stated curriculum objectives emphasizing the development of
competencies and assessments tasks, hence, lacking relevance to those purported
learning outcomes.
• Educational technologies enabling experiential learning and teaching in cost--
effective ways.
• Demands of external stakeholders (e.g. industry, the professions) to offer more
relevant courses and enhanced graduate employability, including the
development of so-called generic or transferable practical skills.
• Educators’ search for ways of making their courses more engaging to better meet
the needs, preferences and circumstances of new generations of learners with
more educational and life choices, and greater demands for their studies to be
applied and useful.
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INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS IN EDUC 30193: ASSESSMENT IN LEARNING 2 WITH FOCUS ON TM1 AND TM2 / L. R. REBUSQUILLO / 2023
• The need for teaching and learning experiences to develop knowledge and skills on
one hand, and supportive attitudes and values on the other to develop learners
or graduates who are informed, well-rounded and productive workers and
citizens.
• Educators’ need to teach their courses more cost-effectively by using appropriately
self- and peer- assessment strategies to share judgment making on the quality of
student work amongst key parties in the educational process.
• Ever-increasing and pressing (by this we mean demanding of attention) bodies of
knowledge (both theory and practice) on the ways learners learn, and ways in
which their learning can be best enabled in well-designed contemporary teaching
and learning environments.

5. Principles of Assessment

This has been discussed in Assessment in Learning 1. The principles stated below
covers both test and authentic assessments. With the following principles, teachers can
practice assessment in a way that will best complement to teaching and learning.

Two important principles are known as VARCS and SMART.

Following VARCS will help ensure assessment is conducted and assessed correctly.
▪ Valid – the work is relevant to what has been assessed and is at the right level. ▪
Authentic – the work has been produced solely by the learner.
▪ Reliable – the work is consistent over time.
▪ Current – the work is still relevant at the time of assessment.
▪ Sufficient – the work covers all of the requirements at the time.

Planning SMART assessment activities will ensure all the assessment

requirements will be met by learners:
▪ Specific – the activity relates only to what is being assessed and is clearly stated. ▪
Measurable – the activity can be measured against the assessment requirements,
allowing any gaps to be identified.
▪ Achievable – the activity can be achieved at the right level.
▪ Relevant – the activity is suitable and realistic, relates to what is being assessed, and
will give consistent results.
▪ Time-bound – target dates and times are agreed upon.

Other principles that teachers should abide when assessing are the following: 1.
Communication – must take regularly with the learners by providing feedback and
how learning is progressing.
2. Equality and Diversity – ensuring all assessment activities embrace equality,
inclusivity, and diversity. Types of diversity that may exist among the students
include Socio-Economic Status, access to devices, access to and the stability of

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INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS IN EDUC 30193: ASSESSMENT IN LEARNING 2 WITH FOCUS ON TM1 AND TM2 / L. R. REBUSQUILLO / 2023
Internet connection, the stability of electricity supply, and racial, ethnic, and
cultural differences.
3. Ethics – ensuring the assessment process is honest and moral and takes into
account confidentiality and integrity. The learner’s welfare, health, safety, and
security are not compromised.
4. Fairness – ensuring the assessment activities are fit for purpose, and planning,
decisions, and feedback justifiable. All learners should have an equal chance of an
accurate assessment decision.
5. Health and Safety – ensuring these are considered throughout the full assessment
process, carrying out risk assessments as necessary
6. Motivation – encouraging and supporting your learners to reach their maximum
potential at an appropriate level
7. Quality Assurance – ensuring assessment activities and decisions meet the
required standards
8. Record-Keeping – ensuring accurate records are maintained throughout the
assessment process
9. Responsibility – making objective decisions, following all organizational
guidelines, keeping records, and producing required reports

REFERENCES

• Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning, Indiana University. Authentic

Assessment. https://citl.indiana.edu/teaching-resources/assessing-student
learning/authentic-assessment/index.html
• Clay, B. (2001). Is This a Trick Question? A Short Guide to Writing Effective Test
Questions. Kansas Curriculum Center, Kansas State Department of Education.
 https://www.k-state.edu/ksde/alp/resources/Handout-Module6.pdf
• Crisp, G. (2011). Teacher’s Handbook on E-Assessment.
https://www.dkit.ie/system/files/Teachers%20Handbook%20on%20e
Assessment%20G%20Crisp%20Transforming%20Assessment.pdf
• Glossary of Education Reform (2014). Assessment.
https://www.edglossary.org/assessment/
• Gravells, A. (2016) Principles and Practices of Assessment: A Guide for Assessors
in the FE and Skills Sector, 3rd Edition, Sage Publications, UK. pp. 6, 22-23.
https://books.google.com.ph/books?id=G3M0CwAAQBAJ&pg=PA2&source=g
bs_toc_r&cad=4#v=onepage&q&f=false
• https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/uploads/production/document/path/10/10105
/AUTHENTIC-ASSESSMENT_adapted_.pdf
• Price J.K., Pierson, E., and Light, D. (2011). Using Classroom Assessment to
st
Promote 21 Century Learning in Emerging Market Countries.
http://cct.edc.org/sites/cct.edc.org/files/publications/Using%20Classroom%2
0Assessment.pdf

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INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS IN EDUC 30193: ASSESSMENT IN LEARNING 2 WITH FOCUS ON TM1 AND TM2 / L. R. REBUSQUILLO / 2023
• Sridharan, B. and Mustard J. (2015). Authentic Assessment Methods: Practical
Handbook for Teaching Staff Part 1.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/289996648_Authentic_Assessment_
Methods_A_Practical_Handbook_for_Teaching_Staff_Part-I_Deakin_University

ASSESSMENT:

Output 1
Interview three (3) teachers (from Junior or Senior High School) using the
question guide provided in the matrix. After getting information from them, write your
generalization.
Question Teacher Teacher Teacher Generalization
Guide Respondent 1: Respondent 2: Respondent 3:
_________________ ________________ _______________

Subject Handled: Subject Subject Handled:

________________ Handled: ________________
__ _______________ __
__
How
often do
you use
authentic
assessme
nt in
your
class?

How
important
is the use
of
authentic
assessme
nt in the
subject
you are
teaching?

What
authentic
assessment
strategies
do you
usually
apply?

How do
you grade
outputs or
performance

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INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS IN EDUC 30193: ASSESSMENT IN LEARNING 2 WITH FOCUS ON TM1 AND TM2 / L. R. REBUSQUILLO / 2023

in
authentic
assessmen
t?

Based on the lessons learned from this material and the results of your interviews,
write a reflection of how will you be an effective teacher when it comes to assessing your
students’ learning with the use of authentic assessment. Each participating member will
give an individual reflection, around 250 words.

Post the output in PDF file in our google classroom, labeling it as

Program/Section_Group No. X_AL2_Output 1. Take note to document your interviews.
Only ONE member of each group must upload the group output.

Take note of the criteria in evaluating your output:

Criteria Highest
Possible
Points

Accuracy and Sufficiency of the Content 10

Organization and Presentation of Insights 10

Proof of Collaboration and Interviews (Screen shots 5

of group meetings and/or communication /
interviews)

Total 25

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INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS IN EDUC 30193: ASSESSMENT IN LEARNING 2 WITH FOCUS ON TM1 AND TM2 / L. R. REBUSQUILLO / 2023