Authentic assessment is “a
form of assessment in which students are asked to perform real-world tasks that
demonstrate meaningful application of essential knowledge and skills” --
Jon Mueller (2014). This type of assessment allows for teaching to be more
student-centered and focused on providing students with the proper knowledge,
experiences and resources to be able to complete such real life tasks. It
shifts from the teacher having all the right answers and trying to fill
students heads with knowledge to 'pass the
test', to gaining real life experience.
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| Retrieved from CartoonStock |
Students are able to show they know the
information, skills and strategies to succeed in given real life task(s). These
tasks look at not just assessing the final product, but also the process and
they tend to give students more choice and voice in the tasks. These tasks
should also be engaging and fun which can be seen as a potential motivator for
students. In my grade 10 food and nutrition class in high school we did an
authentic performance assessment. Throughout the year we learned proper cooking
techniques and skills and our way around the kitchen, as well as some recipe
ideas and helpful hints. We practiced cooking certain foods once a week and by
the end of the year had the opportunity to prove our ability on our own. We
chose a meal we wanted to make and were assessed throughout the process. Our
teacher walked around and watched that we followed all the kitchen rules and
examined what techniques/skills we used, she also asked us questions about what
we were making or why we were doing certain things specific ways (allowing for
further inquiry). This task was great because it was a hands on way to work
with the material we learned about all year and demonstrate our knowledge of
the kitchen and materials. We were not only marked on the food itself but how
we were able to use the material we learned throughout the year in this real
life scenario. The assessment allowed for variation and allowed us to put our
own spin on things such as the presentation of the food.
In the following video a teacher candidate speaks
about her experiences with, and knowledge of authentic assessment within the
classroom, while also providing ideas on how to incorporate this type of
assessment into your own teaching.
Retrieved from Michelle Chelvanayagam's Channel
The idea of authentic assessment relates greatly
to John Dewey’s idea of progressive education. It demonstrates a shift from the
set, traditional, standardized teaching and assessment of children to a more
modern and flexible method. Students are more active and apart of authentic
assessment, just as they are supposed to be in progressive education. Also
according to Dewey students are the problem solvers who are actively engaging,
experimenting and planning with materials just as in these assessments. More
and more schools are shifting away from the tradition standardized testing and
assessments which I think is great! It gives students the opportunity to put a
unique spin on their work, which will help motivate them and keep them
interested to learn more. I think more authentic assessments should be done
with students of all ages because it’s more relevant to their lives, giving
them an opportunity to demonstrate what they can really do and it can take off
some potential stress and anxiety associated with being evaluated through the
typical ways of testing knowledge. In this assessment teachers are guiding
children with the knowledge they will need to be able to use this information
in real world situations, outside the classroom.
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| Retrieved from Lifehack Quotes-John Dewey |
Education should not be about ensuring children
have memorized the information we have set out as 'need to know', but rather we
should ensure they are able to use this knowledge in real life
situations, which is what authentic assessment aims to do. For some
ideas on what tools you can use to create authentic assessments visit education to save the world's webpage.
References
7 Tools for Authentic Assessments. (2013, May 8). Retrieved October 4, 2015, from http://edtosavetheworld.com/2013/05/08/7-tools-for-authentic-assessments/
John Dewey Quote [Online Image].
Retrieved from http://quotes.lifehack.org/quote/john-dewey/education-is-not-preparation-for-life-education/
McGookin, M. (Artist). (n.d.). Pouring knowledge into kids [Photograph].
Retrieved from https://www.cartoonstock.com/directory/f/flip_top.asp
Mueller, J. (2014). What is Authentic
Assessment? (Authentic Assessment Toolbox). Retrieved October 5, 2015, from
http://jfmueller.faculty.noctrl.edu/toolbox/whatisit.htm
Novack, G. (1960). John Dewey’s Theories of
Education. Retrieved October 5, 2015, from
https://www.marxists.org/archive/novack/works/1960/x03.htm
Chelvanayagam, M. (2014, May 26). Authentic Assessment [Video] retrieved
from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlHUqHTxgLc
What Is Authentic Assessment? (1997).
Retrieved October 4, 2015, from
http://www.eduplace.com/rdg/res/litass/auth.html
