Authentic Assessments And How It Is Changing The Way Students Learn

We grew up mugging answers and writing the same in tests without actually knowing the meaning or application of the things we learned. The focus was always just scoring the most marks. And so, teachers created assessments that were suitable for that.

Today, fortunately, the assessments and approach to learning have changed. Teachers now must design assessments to test if students can apply what they have learned and skills to real-life situations by using their judgment and their analytical and creative thinking skills as well.

What Is Authentic Assessment?

Teachers and educators need to design an assessment to measure students’ learning and improve their understanding of the skills taught.

Authentic assessment is an assessment in which students must apply what they have learned and their skills in a real-world context. It measures what students have learned by how they use their knowledge. Authentic assessments help test a student’s critical thinking and problem-solving abilities as well as their communication skills.

Importance of Authentic Assessment

Authentic assessments go beyond rot learning and mindless mugging. They improve students’ skills and learning and boost self-confidence.

• Improved Grades: With improved teaching methods and new approaches, students learn better and apply it to their assessments so their academic performances improve.
• Increased Involvement in Classrooms: Projects and authentic assessments motivate students to participate more in classes and retain more learning.
• Application-Based Learning: Authentic assessments promote tasks and tests that students can later apply for jobs, interviews, etc.
• Visible Evidence of Learning: Results are very evident with authentic assessments. Teachers can assess a student’s performance and decide the next course of action.
• Boost Confidence: Project and application-based learnings stay with students for a long time, and they can use them in their careers after many years. It makes them more confident to face any challenge.
• Overall Development: Students get a chance to share their experiences, showing their unique skills and abilities, and each child has an overall holistic development.

Types of Authentic Assessments

Authentic assessments can be designed based on the various types of teaching methods. Some types of authentic assessments are:

• Inquiry-Based Learning: It aims to make students more inquisitive and curious to find answers to real-world problems. Students develop questions, do experiments, and evaluate the learnings to come to a conclusion.
• Problem-Based Learning: This method gives students realistic problems to solve instead of just mugging textbook answers. Students are encouraged to research the task extensively and find a solution.
• Scenario-Based Learning: Students are given a real-life scenario to prompt their learning. Students use their previous experiences and learnings to complete the existing tasks.
• Project-Based Learning: It focuses on the hands-on practical application of knowledge. Students are assigned projects or tasks that require investigating, analysing, and solving the problem.
• Design-Based Learning: This involves critical thinking, creativity, and working with friends and classmates to brainstorm and find innovative solutions to human-centric problems.

Authentic Assessment Characteristics

Authentic assessment can be developed and crafted in many ways, and its features remain common across different types of authentic assessments. You can call an assessment authentic if it:

• Is real-life based.
• Needs good judgment and innovation.
• Makes students actually perform tasks.
• Gives students exposure to actual adult work and personal life scenarios and prepares them to face it.
• Can assess a student’s ability to effectively and efficiently use their knowledge and skills to complete a difficult challenge.
• It gives students opportunities to practice, use resources, and get timely feedback on their performances and assessments.

8 Best Authentic Assessment Examples

Authentic assessments are of many types and forms, where students get an opportunity to showcase what they have learned through projects and presentations. The core idea behind an authentic assessment is that it makes learning fun for the students and grading easier for teachers. Some examples of authentic assessments are:

• Projects: Students are given a task or problem to research and find a solution. Projects are long-term assignments and can be done in groups or solo.
• Performance Tasks: Activities such as debates, elocution, experiments, etc., that need students to apply their knowledge in real-life scenarios.
• Designing a Solution: Encouraging students to find solutions for a real community or cause can be an engaging activity. They can then present the solution to the said community.
• Portfolios: A portfolio contains all the work of a student, essays, poems, craftwork, projects, etc. Students are encouraged to explain their portfolio, learnings, and findings to their teachers and parents.
• Writing for Publication: If students are encouraged to write a journal article or story, they get to research the topic, draft the piece, edit it, and gain knowledge.
• Debates: A debate is a healthy platform for students to put forth their views either for or against any topic. It helps students extensively research various topics and improves their communication skills and confidence.
• Simulations: Simulations use computer programs and software to give students a feel of real-world situations.
• Staging an Exhibition, Performance, or Conference: Students get a chance to exhibit their learnings and solutions in the presence of industry experts, community members, parents, etc. They can even get constructive feedback on their performance to improve their skills.

How to Create an Effective Authentic Assessment Activity?

When designing an authentic assessment, remember the two main components of any authentic assessment: students should be given a real-life task and a set of instructions on which to evaluate their performance. These steps will help you create an effective, authentic assessment activity:

Step 1: Define Learning Goal and Outcomes: When designing an authentic assessment activity, be sure what you want to teach the students and how it will enhance their knowledge and skills. It should be clear what the students should have learned by the end of the activity.

Step 2: Developing Appropriate Strategies: Once you know the purpose and outcome of the activity, the next step is to develop authentic assessment strategies to ensure the goal is achieved.

Step 3: Design Assessment Parameters and Rules: Coming up with guidelines and rules that are fair, increase student engagement, boost memory, help teachers grade the assessment efficiently and fairly, etc., is crucial.

Step 4: Support Students with Regular Feedback and Guidance: Authentic assessment is a long-term process that goes on for a while. During the process, it is essential that students receive regular feedback on their learning, tasks, areas of improvement, etc., and get all the help and guidance required.

Step 5: Opt for Suitable Technology to Assist in Authentic Assessment Process: With the use of appropriate technology and authentic assessment tools, the mammoth task of designing and streamlining the process of authentic assessment and strategies can be made simpler.

How Extramarks Assessment Centre Help You In Creating Authentic Assessments?

There are many ways in which Extramarks can help and support authentic assessment:

• Interactive Projects: Extramarks has many tools that help create and design project-based assignments to help students learn by applying their knowledge in real-life contexts.
• Customisable Assessments: The Teachers App aids teachers in classroom planning, designing assessments, evaluating performance, etc. It allows educators to design assessments as per students’ needs and skills and the required learning outcomes.
• Digital Portfolios: With the help of digital portfolios, students can create their portfolios to track their progress and upload their work and assignments over time.
• Performance Analytics: Provides data and analysis on student performance in authentic tasks and assessments, which helps teachers give proper feedback and instructions.

Conclusion

Authentic assessment is an excellent approach to teaching and learning as it promotes lifelong learning and the transfer of skills. Students can apply their knowledge to solve real-world problems, making them more prepared to face the world.

Authentic assessment also enhances students’ cognitive and social skills, making them more confident and communicate better with the world. Authentic assessment activities are better fitted for today’s progressive and competitive world and far superior to the mugging and rotting ways of learning.

Last Updated on January 13, 2025