Authentic Assessment. Why it is important?

Summary

In this video, Sally Brown and Kay Sambell discuss the importance of authentic assessment in education, emphasizing its role in fostering meaningful, real-world learning. They introduce a six-stage framework for creating authentic assessments that link to learning outcomes, ensuring tasks are practical, relevant, and contribute to employability. The discussion highlights how these assessments encourage higher-order thinking and the application of complex ideas. Additionally, they share practical examples and resources, including Sally’s website, where educators can find tools and papers to help design effective, authentic assessments that benefit both students and educators.

Takeaways

• 😀 Authentic assessment is crucial as it helps students engage deeply with complex ideas and apply their knowledge in real-world contexts beyond just earning grades.
• 😀 Authentic assessments encourage higher-order learning where students synthesize and apply knowledge to novel situations, rather than relying on rote memorization.
• 😀 Realism in assessments involves creating tasks that have realistic contexts or address plausible audiences, making them more meaningful to students.
• 😀 Authentic assessments are directly linked to employability, helping students develop practical skills and knowledge relevant to real-world work environments.
• 😀 The principle of authenticity extends beyond work-integrated learning to all types of assessments, enriching student learning experiences in various contexts.
• 😀 A six-stage approach to designing authentic assessments starts with aligning learning outcomes with powerful verbs, like 'interpret' or 'review'.
• 😀 After identifying key verbs in learning outcomes, educators should define what students will interpret or review, such as complex or incomplete information.
• 😀 The design of authentic tasks should lead to an activity that produces an outcome or achievement, like a report, data tables, or a reflective commentary.
• 😀 An authentic scenario or realistic context should kickstart the task, providing students with a relevant backdrop for applying their learning.
• 😀 Range statements clarify expectations for the task, helping students understand the scope and specific requirements (e.g., time limits for presentations).
• 😀 The six-stage approach promotes adaptability in assessments, where educators can reuse authentic contexts or tasks, tweaking them for different situations and learning outcomes.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the conversation between Sally Brown and Kay Sambell?

The main focus is on the importance of authentic assessment in education and how to design assessments that are meaningful, valuable, and applicable to real-world situations.

What does 'authentic assessment' mean in this context?

Authentic assessment refers to tasks that are meaningful and valuable beyond just earning grades. They encourage higher-order thinking, where students engage with complex ideas and apply them to new, real-world situations.

How do Sally and Kay suggest authentic assessments help with student learning?

Authentic assessments promote deeper understanding and application of knowledge. Instead of rote learning or cramming, they encourage students to grasp complex ideas thoroughly and apply them to novel contexts.

What role does employability play in authentic assessment design?

Authentic assessments are often linked to employability, as they help students gain practical skills and knowledge that prepare them for real-world work situations, making the learning process more relevant to future careers.

What is Geraldine O'Neill's contribution to authentic assessment in Ireland?

Geraldine O'Neill is involved in a research project focused on the challenges of authentic assessment, particularly in the context of work-integrated learning, where students apply their learning in real work or practice settings.

What is the six-stage approach to designing authentic assessments that Sally and Kay propose?

The six-stage approach starts with identifying the learning outcomes and the verbs (e.g., interpret, review). It then considers what students will engage with (e.g., complex information), followed by the production of an outcome (e.g., a report). The approach also emphasizes using authentic scenarios and setting clear expectations for the task.

Why do Sally and Kay recommend starting with learning outcomes when designing assessments?

Starting with learning outcomes helps to ensure that the assessment tasks align with what students are expected to learn. The verbs in the outcomes guide the design of the tasks and the skills students need to demonstrate.

What are 'range statements,' and why are they important in authentic assessments?

Range statements outline the specific expectations for the assessment, such as the length or format of the task (e.g., a 3-minute audio piece). They help students understand what is expected of them and ensure clarity in the assessment criteria.

How can authentic assessment tasks be reused or adapted for different contexts?

Authentic assessment tasks can be reused by changing the context while keeping the activity the same, or by keeping the context the same but altering the activity. This flexibility allows educators to adapt assessments without starting from scratch each time.

What are the benefits of authentic assessments for students and staff?

Authentic assessments are beneficial because they are engaging for students, providing them with meaningful learning experiences. For staff, they ensure that assessments are aligned with course objectives and make the achievement of learning outcomes clear to students and external reviewers.