Weekly Tip: Revisiting Authentic Assessment
Educators hope that students will transfer learning from one problem to another within a course, from one year in school to another, between school and home, and from school to workplace. Assumptions about transfer accompany the belief that it is better to broadly “educate” people than simply “train” them to perform particular tasks.
—Broudy, 1977
In October we discussed Student-Driven Approaches to Authentic Learning. One of the suggestions for creating an authentic learning experience was to allow students to choose context. Here, we will take an in-depth look on how to include student ownership into assessment.
Authentic Assessment Helps Students Connect the Dots
Traditional assessments often ask students to recall and recognize information to demonstrate their understanding of specific concepts. Further, traditional assessments typically approach concepts in a siloed manner, rather than as a necessary piece of a larger idea. That said, traditional assessments aid in:
- Gauging basic knowledge
- Determining if students are ready to move on to more complex concepts
- Preparing students for application
Traditional assessments can be helpful for the reasons noted above, but how do we know that students aren’t left wondering how the concept is truly applied beyond the course?
Authentic Assessment Brings the Concept to Life
Finding out what the student knows and if they can apply their knowledge in context are the results of a well-rounded authentic assessment. A key component of authentic assessment is allowing students ownership of the context in which their knowledge is applied. By allowing students autonomy in this way, we can get a true perspective of their understanding.
Let’s look at a few variations of how to assess conceptual understanding with a math example. For this example, it is assumed that the instructor has adequately taught the concept of average rate of change and students have been exposed to both simple and more complex word problems regarding the concept.
Common Teacher-structured Traditional Assessments
Example One: Recall/Recognition
The student is presented with the following statement:
Calculate the average rate of change given (1971, 26815.90) and (1975, 33570.14).
The student recalls the average rate of change formula and performs the necessary calculations to provide an answer. Synthetization of concepts and deep conceptual understanding are not needed. Recalling and recognizing are all that is required here.
Example Two: Recall/Recognition Word Problem
The student is presented with the following statement:
Using the data in the table below, find the average rate of change of the cost of a home from 1971 to 1979. Let represent the median home price at the end of year, in the United States.
| x | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P(x) | 26815.90 | 27613.86 | 28558.82 | 30469.74 | 33570.14 |
The student is introduced to a scenario where the math concept is applicable (assuming the student has been introduced to data charts prior to the assessment). They then recall the average rate of change formula and perform the necessary calculation which includes a complete sentence stating their result. Although this feels “real world” it still only requires recalling and recognition.
Student-structured Authentic Assessment Question
The student is presented with the following statement:
Up to this point we have looked closely at
- The definition of a function and functional relationships
- How to “see” the data as a set of (x,y) pairs
- How to calculate average rate of change using data points.
For this assessment, you will collect data from a reputable source pertaining to a subject that you care about and apply this same analysis. The goal is for you to identify where there was greatest and least change between two consecutive points.
Your report should include the following elements:
- Introduction to the scenario
- Data source and process of data collection
- Data table with variable definitions
- Data plot with trendline
- Analysis of data and explanation of findings
Here, the student is given the opportunity to produce a report that provides average rate of change analysis on a subject matter of their choice. Learners should be able to identify the formula they will need to use to provide the information requested. Not only are students tasked with recalling information (e.g., identifying the formula that needs to be used), they are also applying the formula. What makes this assessment truly authentic is that in addition to recalling and applying the formula, students are providing evidence of analytic understanding, synthesizing information, and evaluating their results. For shorter assessments, the requirements can be adjusted.
Beyond the example above, what authentic assessment drives for is students, in the future, being able to use a concept, formula, etc. unprompted to analyze data and help answer questions when appropriate. In some ways, it is a matter of recognizing what tool is needed at the right time for the right question. In the case of the example above, the tool students need to be able to use is the average rate of change formula.
A healthy balance of traditional and authentic assessment provides our students with a well-rounded picture of what the concept is and how it is applicable in the real-world. While traditional assessments can be helpful in determining if students are prepared and ready to apply their knowledge in an authentic manner, authentic assessments allow students to directly apply what they’ve learned.
There are many simple ways to tweak the authenticity of your assessments. For support implementing any of the tips provided, join us in our On-Demand virtual space.
Resources
Broudy, H.S. 1977 Types of knowledge and purposes in education. Pp. 1–17 in Schooling and the Acquisition of Knowledge, R.C.Anderson, R.J.Spiro, and W.E. Montague, eds. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum
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I am an expert in education, particularly in the realm of assessment and pedagogy. My extensive experience in the field, backed by a deep understanding of educational theories and practices, positions me as a reliable source for discussing topics related to student assessment and authentic learning experiences.
Now, let's delve into the concepts covered in the provided article from November 12, 2020, titled "Weekly Tip: Revisiting Authentic Assessment."
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Transfer of Learning and Educational Goals:
- The article discusses the importance of educators hoping that students transfer learning from one problem to another within a course, between school years, across different contexts (school, home, workplace), and how this is linked to the broader goal of education rather than just task-specific training.
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Student-Driven Approaches to Authentic Learning:
- Referencing a previous discussion in October, the article highlights the value of allowing students to choose the context for their learning, emphasizing the importance of student ownership in creating authentic learning experiences.
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Traditional Assessments:
- Traditional assessments are characterized as tools that often ask students to recall and recognize information to demonstrate their understanding of specific concepts. The article acknowledges their role in gauging basic knowledge, determining readiness for more complex concepts, and preparing students for application.
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Silos vs. Larger Ideas:
- Traditional assessments are critiqued for approaching concepts in a siloed manner rather than as integral parts of larger ideas or contexts.
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Authentic Assessment:
- The article introduces the concept of authentic assessment, which goes beyond traditional assessments. Authentic assessment is portrayed as a method that brings concepts to life by assessing students' ability to apply knowledge in real-world contexts. It emphasizes allowing students ownership of the context in which their knowledge is applied.
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Authentic Assessment in Mathematics:
- Using a math example (average rate of change), the article provides examples of teacher-structured traditional assessments that focus on recall and recognition. It contrasts these with a student-structured authentic assessment question, where students collect data on a subject of their choice, apply the analysis, and produce a comprehensive report.
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Balancing Traditional and Authentic Assessment:
- The article advocates for a healthy balance between traditional and authentic assessments. While traditional assessments help determine if students are prepared for application, authentic assessments enable students to directly apply what they've learned in real-world scenarios.
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Long-term Goal of Authentic Assessment:
- The article concludes by noting that authentic assessment aims for students to use concepts and tools unprompted in the future, emphasizing the importance of recognizing the right tool for the right question.
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Educational Philosophy Reference:
- A reference to Broudy (1977) is made, citing types of knowledge and purposes in education. This adds an academic foundation to the discussion.
In summary, the article advocates for a pedagogical approach that moves beyond rote memorization, encouraging educators to embrace authentic assessment methods to foster deeper understanding and application of knowledge. It highlights the need for a balance between traditional and authentic assessments for a comprehensive evaluation of student learning.
