Thinking about what you want to measure with regard to student learning ("What should students be able to do?" "How will students demonstrate their learning?") can help you design effective—and creative—authentic assessments. If you've received any training around writing learning objectives, these two questions will sound very familiar. An effective learning objective will be measurable and observable; authentic assessment begins with a clear, actionable objective.
Authentic assessment strives to engage students in using and applying skills and knowledge to address either ‘real world’ problems (Lund, 1997) or plausible situations, giving the task a sense of relevance and authenticity. The aim is to ask for more than simply being able to recall answers or respond predictably to set questions.
In her scholarly article, "Rethinking Authentic Assessment: Work, Wellbeing, and Society,Links to an external site." Jan McArthur argues for the importance of moving from simply focusing on the authentic task (as it relates to the world of work) to considering, "Why does this task matter? What is its social value?" This can be layered on top of the academic learning goal to broaden the value, and sense of achievement, derived from the activity.
Authentic assessments typically have more than one “right” answer yet can be evaluated using explicit grading guidelines or rubric that means the data gained from the assessment is valid.
Authentic Assessment Toolbox
Jon Mueller, psychology professor at North Central College in Illinois, has developed an Authentic Assessment ToolboxLinks to an external site. that may prove a helpful resource to you. Dr. Mueller describes a 4-step process for creating authentic assessments:
Develop Your Standards (What should students be able to do?)
Develop Your Tasks (How can students demonstrate mastery?)
Develop Your Evaluative Criteria (What does good performance on this task look like?)
Assess Student Performance (How well did students do?)
Authentic Assessment Quick Guide
Heriot Watt University in Edinburgh has developed a similar "quick guideLinks to an external site." to designing more authentic assessments. Their approach drills more deeply into the importance and how-to of developing the learning outcomes that serve as the foundation for your assessments.
What Does Authentic Assessment Look Like?
If assignments are complex, it can be most effective to break the end goal down into smaller components which allows you to assess students and provide feedback at several points in the learning process.
The first three categories below (case studies, peer review, problem-based learning) will be most effective when assigned to a pair or team of students rather than individually. The back-and-forth discussion, collaboration, and collective knowledge results in more robust learning and a richer outcome.
We want to draw a distinction between "group work" as opposed to "team work"—a group being a collection of variably engaged individuals acting for their own benefit whereas true team work involves goals that individual learners can't accomplish on their own. Team-based learning represents a shift from an instructor-based strategy to a student-centered approach.
The goal shifts from knowing content to applying concepts.
The instructor shifts from delivering information to creating opportunities that will engage students in learning.
The responsibility for learning shifts from the instructor to the student.
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Case studies—long used in higher education—are stories or scenarios used as a tool for analysis and discussion. Case studies depict realistic scenarios that help students grasp the practical applications of what they're learning. They also prompt reflection as students consider alternative solutions/actions in arriving at a satisfactory outcome. In a national survey, polled faculty agreed that case studies helped students view an issue from multiple perspectives.1
Case studies can be particularly useful where situations are complex and solutions are variable. As the instructor, your involvement is vital to a successful case study curriculum in jump-starting the critical thinking process by questioning, guiding, and refocusing students on problem resolution.
1. Yadav A, Lundeberg M, Deschryver M, Dirkin K, Schiller N, Maier K, Herreid Clyde. Teaching science with case studies: A national survey of faculty perceptions of the benefits and challenges of using cases. Journal of College Science Teaching. 2007; 37; 34-38.
Peer review is a structured way to give students practice in critiquing and offering feedback on the work of another. It can be used in a variety of situations; additionally, students can be asked to assess either the outcome of their peer's work or the process of that work.
Peer review lets students solidify their own ideas as they explain them to classmates and as they articulate questions and feedback about their classmates’ work. Students report that they learn as much or more from identifying and describing strengths and weaknesses in a peer’s work as from incorporating feedback into their own work.1 It's a natural method of formative assessment as students apply the feedback they received.
Because our students come to us with differing abilities in the skills of peer review (critical analysis, giving feedback, clear communication), it's important to take time to train students for the peer review exercise so that they can all participate with the same knowledge base. Using a peer review strategy on a regular basis enhances students' expertise in giving and receiving meaningful feedback.
1. Southwestern University. “Benefits of Peer Review.” Southwestern.edu, 2019, www.southwestern.edu/offices/writing/faculty-resources-for-writing-instruction/peer-review/benefits-of-peer-review/.
Problem- and project-based learning (PBL) are open-ended strategies that involve complex learning issues from real-world problems. A somewhat oversimplified distinction between the two is that in project-based learning, students produce an artifact to demonstrate their mastery of content, while in problem-based learning, students present a solution to a clearly defined authentic problem. Both methods encourage students to understand concepts through problem-solving skills rather than simply learning a set of facts.
The benefits are many: fosters student-centered learning, promotes long-term retention of concepts, tends to increase student motivation and engagement, stimulates creativity, and reinforces interpersonal skills like communication and negotiation. (We know as part of developing 21st Century skills, employers want employees that can collaborate with others to solve problems and create new products and services.)
PBL can be applied to any discipline, from social studies and literature to mathematics and science. Consequently, it can take shape in a variety of ways. For example, students might evaluate news stories for validity and bias. They might create their own business plan for addressing a societal need. Or they might be asked to use their knowledge of organic chemical reactions to develop a new fragrance.
In its strictest definition, PBL is used over the course of a term. But broader applications include use as the basis for an individual unit, crafting a discussion prompt, or designing assessment questions.
The transfer of knowledge from classroom and laboratory activities to clinical and other contexts can be challenging for many students. Role plays and simulations allow students to practice different actions and responses that would be required in a similar situation in real life. Because they are ambiguous or open-ended, these strategies encourage students to contemplate the implications of the scenario in which they find themselves. The situation feels real and, as a result, leads students to engage with the activity more enthusiastically and more interactively.
There is certainly a host of technology-based simulation applications across disciplines out there but many are beyond the budgetary reach of most colleges and instructors. "Low tech" simulations and role plays can serve the same ultimate purpose. Examples might include scripting, creating, and editing short films and documentaries; participating in a simulated newspaper or journal; writing a policy brief that can be shared with a legislator; writing an informational pamphlet geared toward a lay audience; participating in a virtual stock market.
Community-based learning (also called service learning) is the experience of engaging in the community through a disciplinary lens. It involves field-based (experiential) research or project development with and for community partners. These activities extend learning beyond the classroom and can give students opportunities to use newly acquired academic skills and knowledge in real life situations that have an impact in their communities. Internships or practicums would be service learning on an individual basis.
"The idea is to give students direct experience with issues they are studying in the curriculum and with ongoing efforts to analyze and solve problems in the community. A key element in these programs is [that] students must both apply what they are learning in real-world settings and reflect in a classroom setting on their service experiences. These programs model the idea that giving something back to the community is an important college outcome, and that working with community partners is good preparation for citizenship, work, and life.”
There is nothing inherently different about open educational resources (OER) over "traditional" content. But because OER are published under open licenses, they both reduce the economic burden for students and provide more opportunities for instructors to actively engage with their teaching materials. The set of pedagogical practices that include engaging students in content creation and making learning accessible is known asopen pedagogy. Evidence suggests that Open Pedagogy leads to positive student outcomes, such as development of critical thinking skills, greater self-direction, and increased enjoyment of education (Dermody, 20191; Hilton et al., 20192; Tillinghast, 20203; Werth & Williams, 20214; Wiley et al., 20175). What's not to love about that?!
Dermody, R. (2019). Open pedagogy for teaching structures. In C. Brause, P. L. Clouston, & N. Darling (Eds.), Building technology educator’s society: 2019 (art. 3). University of Massachusetts. https://doi.org/10.7275/s9xd-h436.
Hilton, J., III., Wiley, D., Chaffee, R., Darrow, J., Guilmett, J., Harper, S., & Hilton, B. (2019). Student perceptions of open pedagogy: An exploratory study. Open Praxis,11(3), 275–288. https://doi.org/10.5944/openpraxis.11.3.973.
Tillinghast, B. (2020). Developing an open educational resource and exploring OER-enabled pedagogy in higher education. IAFOR Journal of Education: Technology in Education,8(2), 159–174. https://doi.org/10.22492/ije.8.2.09.
Werth, E., & Williams, K. (2021). What Motivates Students About Open Pedagogy? Motivational Regulation Through the Lens of Self-Determination Theory. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 22(3), 34–54. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v22i3.5373.
Wiley, D., Webb, A., Weston, S., & Tonks, D. (2017). A preliminary exploration of the relationships between student-created OER, sustainability, and students’ success. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning,18(4), 61–69. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v18i4.3022.
Self-assessment is an important educational practice that supports students in building metacognitive and self-efficacy skills. Self-assessment can be categorized in two ways: content-based and metacognitive. With content-based assessments, you're checking for understanding of course content ("Name three causes of inflation."). Metacognitive self-assessment asks students to evaluate their learning skills in general ("What's one thing you can do to be more successful in this course?"). Depending on your discipline, your self-assessment activities could involve tasks like tracking nutrition choices, tracking personal/professional goals, or participating in a personality trait inventory. Activities such as creating a research portfolio, an academic portfolioLinks to an external site. or a professional portfolioLinks to an external site. could fall into this category as well.
A key aspect to effectively utilizing self-assessment is providing a concomitant opportunity for students to make adjustments and corrections. Having them identify their own misconceptions and mistakes and where they can improve enhances their learning, helps to develop their metacognitive abilities, and is representative of what a professional must do when they err. The more students learn to assess their performance at your direction and the more strategies and techniques they have to self-assess, the more likely they are to make it a habit they do on their own.
Because authentic assessments are tied directly to the learning objectives of a course, program, or discipline, the ideas above are of general categories/types of authentic assessments rather than detailed descriptions. You can find more specific examples on the Peer Examples page.
Requirements Changed
Exploring Myths and Benefits of Authentic Assessment AI/ChatGPT and Academic Integrity Considerations