Authentic Assessment

An authentic assessment measure evaluates student performance on a realistic task or assignment. Quite often, authentic assessment is used for a skill-based outcome, but effective measures can be developed to test student knowledge and dispositions as well. Authentic assessments are particularly useful for assessing outcomes that are of a process nature. A few examples will clarify the nature of authentic assessments and how they might be useful for an academic program.

Example: To assess student problem-solving abilities, an assessment could be developed that poses a specific problem to a student or group of students. Evaluators could watch students interact to solve the problem, watching for specific attributes associate with effective problem-solving. By recording the frequency of these attributes, evaluators would be able to determine if students had learned problem-solving skills. Or, the student(s) could provide a final product to evaluators who would then determine if appropriate problem-solving skills had been used.

Example: To assess project management skills, evaluators will often assign students with a project they’ll have to complete. Evaluators will measure the overall effectiveness of the final project, but also various artifacts completed as part of the process. Journaling by students throughout the process can also be assessed with an eye toward specific attributes or skills needed by students to complete the project.

Student learning is measured on an authentic assessment by the use of a rubric. Since there will likely be a variety of behaviors demonstrated by students on an authentic assessment, the rubric should be focused to highlight the specific behaviors or attributes related to the outcome(s) being assessed. Additional information about rubrics is provided in this guide. Increasingly, computer software programs are available to more easily record attributes of student performance on authentic assessments.

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