Republic of the Philippines

Tarlac State University

COLLEGE OF TEACHER EDUCATION
Center of Development in Teacher Education
Lucinda Campus, Tarlac City

UNIT 1 – AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT IN THE CLASSROOM

Introduction
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. We use authentic assessment when we want students to be able to use the
acquired knowledge and skills in the real world. (Amalia, 2012)

A. HIGH QUALITY ASSESSMENT IN RETROSPECT

High-quality assessments are balanced to provide instructors with ongoing
feedback about student progress. In particular, data gathered from assessments given
throughout the learning process give educators the information they need to adjust their
instruction. Assessment, then, isn't the final word; rather, it should be part of an ongoing
conversation that helps all students get exactly what they need to meet learning
standards. (Trach, E. 2018)

High Quality Assessment = it provides a result that demonstrates and improve targeted
students learning

1. PURPOSES OF ASSESSMENT
a. Assessment FOR learning
The preposition “for” in assessment for learning implies that assessment is done
to improve and ensure learning. This is referred to as FORmative assessment,
assessment that is given while the teacher is in the process of student formation. It
ensures that learning is going on while teacher is in the process of teaching.
b. Assessment OF learning
It is usually given at the end of a unit, grading period or a term like a semester. It
is meant to assess learning for grading purposes, thus the term assessment of learning.
c. Assessment AS learning
It is associated with self-assessment. As the term implies, assessment by itself is
already a form of learning for the students.
As students assess their own work (e.g. a paragraph) and/or with their peers with
the use of scoring rubrics, they learn on their own what a good paragraph is. At the same,
as they are engaged in self-assessment, they learn about themselves as learners become
aware of how they learn. In short, in assessment AS learning, students set their targets,
actively monitor and evaluate their own learning in relation to their set target. As a
consequence, they become self-directed or independent learners. By assessing their
own learning, they are learning at the same time.

Assessment AS
learning
Assessment FOR Assessment OF
learning learning
Self-assessment

Placement assessment Summative

Diagnostic assessment assessment

Formative assessment

ASSESSMENT

Various Approaches to Assessment

Other terms in assessment include:

● Placement assessment – used to place students according to prior achievement
or personal characteristics, at the most appropriate point in an instructional
sequence, in a unique instructional strategy, or with a suitable teacher.
 ● Diagnostic assessment – used to identify the strengths and weakness of the
students.
● Summative assessment – is generally carried out at the end of a course or
project. In an educational setting, summative assessments are typically used to
assign students a course grade. Summative assessments are evaluative.
Summative assessments are made to summarize what the students have learned,
to determine whether they understand the subject matter well.

2. TARGETS OF HIGH-QUALITY ASSESSMENT

Assessment can be made precise, accurate and dependable only if what are to be
achieved are clearly stated and feasible. To this end, we consider learning targets
involving knowledge, reasoning skills, products and effects. Learning targets need to be
stated in behavioral terms or terms that denote something which can be observed
through the behavior of the students.
a. Learning Target
- a clear description of what students know and able to do.
- it is an outcome that the teacher wants her students to attain or acquire from
her teacher.
- this involves knowledge, reasoning, skills, product, and effect.
- it needs to be stated in behavioral terms or term which denotes something
which can be observed through the behavior of the students.
Five categories of Learning Target according to Stiggins and Conklin (1992)

1. Knowledge learning target

- It is the facts and concept we want students to know, either rote learned or
retrieved using reference materials.

2. Reasoning learning target

- The ability of students to use their knowledge to reason and solve problems.

3. Skill learning target

- The ability of the students to create achievement-related skills likes conducting
experiments, playing basketball, and operating computers.

4. Product learning target

- The ability of the students to demonstrate achievement-related products such as
written report, oral presentation and art product.

5. Affective learning target

- The attainment of affective traits such as attitudes, values, interests, and self-
efficacy.
- Student attitude about school and learning.
 b. Cognitive Targets
As early as the 1950‘s, Bloom (1956), proposed a hierarchy of educational objectives
at the cognitive level. These are:
Level 1. Knowledge
- refers to the acquisition of facts, concepts and theories (example: knowledge
of historical facts).
- recall or recognize information, describing, defining, labeling, memorizing etc.
- knowledge forms the foundation of all other cognitive objectives for without
knowledge, it is not possible to move out to the next higher level thinking skills
in the hierarchy of the educational objectives.

Level 2. Comprehension
- refers to the same concept of ―understanding.
- it is a step higher than mere acquisition of facts and involves a cognition or
awareness of the interrelationships of facts and concepts.
- re-state data or information in one’s own words, interpret, and translate.
- explaining or interpreting the meaning of the given scenario or statement.

Level 3. Application
- refers to the transfer of knowledge from one field of study to another or from
one concept to another concept in the same discipline.
- using or applying knowledge and putting theory into practice.
- demonstrating and solving problems

Level 4. Analysis
- refers to the breaking down of a concept or idea into its components and
explaining the concept as a composition of these concepts.
- interpreting elements, organizing, and structuring.

Level 5. Synthesis
- refers to the opposite of analysis and entails putting together the components
in order to summarize the concept.
- developing new unique structures, model, system, approaches, or ideas.
- build, create, design, establish, assemble, formulate.
Level 6. Evaluating and reasoning
- refers to valuing and judgment or putting worth to a concept or principle.
- judgment relating to external criteria.
- assess effectiveness of whole concept, in relation to values, outputs, efficacy,
and others.

3. METHODS OF HIGH-QUALITY ASSESSMENT

1. Written-Response Instruments
- written response instrument includes objective test (multiple choice, true or
false, matching or short answer) test, essay, examination, and checklist.
● Objective test is appropriate for assessing the various level of hierarchy
of educational objectives.
● Multiple choice test in particular can be constructed in such a way as
to test higher order thinking skills.
● Essay can test the student grasp of the higher-level cognitive skills
particularly in the areas of application analysis, synthesis and judgment.
Example:
(POOR) Write an essay about the First EDSA Revolution.
(BETTER) Write an essay about the First EDSA Revolution and their
respective roles.
● Checklist list of several characteristics or activities presented to the
subjects of a study, where they will analyze and place a mark opposite
to the characteristics

2. Product Rating Scales

- the teachers are tasked to rate products.
- examples of product that are frequently rated in education are:
✔ book reports
✔ maps
✔ charts
✔ diagram
✔ notebooks
✔ essays
- an example of a product rating scale is the classic ‘handwriting‘ scale used in
the California Achievement Test, Form W (1957). There are prototype
handwriting specimens of pupils and students. The sample handwriting of a
student is then moved along the scale until the quality of the handwriting
sample is most similar to the prototype products in education, the teacher must
possess prototype products over his/her years of experience.
 3. Performance Tests
- performance checklist.
- it is used to determine whether or not an individual behaves in a certain way
when asked to complete a particular task. If a particular behavior is present
when an individual is observed, the teacher places a check opposite it on the
list.
- consist of a list of behaviors that make up a certain type of performance.

4. Oral Questioning
- the traditional Greeks used oral questioning extensively as an assessment
method. Socrates himself, considered the epitome of a teacher, was said to
have handled his classes solely based on questioning and oral interactions.
- oral questioning is an appropriate assessment method when the objectives are:
(a) To assess the student‘s stock knowledge.
(b) To determine the student‘s ability to communicate ideas in coherent verbal
sentences.

5. Observation and Self-Reports

- useful supplementary assessment methods when used in conjunction with oral
questioning and performance tests.

4. SAMPLING

a. Simple random sampling

- is analogous to putting everyone's name into a hat and drawing out several
names.
- each element in the population has an equal chance of occurring.
- while this is the preferred way of sampling, it is often difficult to do.
- it requires that a complete list of every element in the population be obtained.
- computer generated lists are often used with random sampling.

b. Systematic sampling
- is easier to do than random sampling.
- the list of elements is "counted off". That is, every kth element is taken. This is
similar to lining everyone up and numbering off "1,2,3,4; 1,2,3,4; etc". When
done numbering, all people numbered 4 would be used.
c. Stratified sampling
- also divides the population into groups called strata. However, this time it is by
some characteristic, not geographically.
- for instance, the population might be separated into males and females. A
sample is taken from each of these strata using either random, systematic, or
convenience sampling.

d. Cluster sampling
- is accomplished by dividing the population into groups --usually geographically.
- these groups are called clusters or blocks.
- the clusters are randomly selected, and each element in the selected clusters
are used.

5. ACCURACY

a. Validity
- is the extent to which a test measures what it is supposed to measure or as
referring to the appropriateness, correctness, meaningfulness and usefulness
of the specific decisions a teacher makes based on the test results.
- the first definition refers to the test itself while the second refers to the decisions
made by the teacher based on the test.
- a test is valid when it is aligned with the learning outcome.
- a teacher who conducts test validation might want to gather different kinds of
evidence. There are essentially three (3) main types of evidence that may be
collected:
a. Content-related evidence of validity refers to the content and format of the
instrument. How appropriate is the content? How comprehensive? Does it
logically get at the intended variable? How adequately does the sample of items
or questions represent the content to be assessed?
b. Criterion-related evidence of validity refers to the relationship between
scores obtained using the instrument and scores obtained using one or more
other tests (often called criterion). How strong is this relationship? How well do
such scores estimate present or predict future performance of a certain type?
c. Construct-related evidence of validity refers to the nature of the
psychological construct or characteristic being measured by the test? How well
does a measure of the construct explain differences in the behaviour of the
individuals or their performance on a certain task?
 b. Reliability
- refers to the consistency of the scores obtained – how consistent they are for
each individual from one administration of an instrument to another and from
one set of items to another.
- reliability and validity are related concepts. If an instrument is unreliable, it
cannot yield valid outcomes. As reliability improves, validity may also improve
(or not) however, if an instrument is shown scientifically to be valid then it is
almost certain that it is also reliable.
- something reliable is something that works well and that you can trust
- a reliable test is a consistent measure of what it is supposed to measure.

- the following table is a standard followed almost universally in educational test

and measurement:
Reliability Interpretation
0.90 and above Excellent reliability; at the level of the best
standardized tests.
0.80 – 0.90 Very good for a classroom test
0.70 – 0.80 Good for a classroom test; in the range of most. There
are probably a few items which could be improved.
0.60 – 0.70 Somewhat low. This test needs to be supplemented by
other measures (more tests) to determine grades.
There are probably some items which could be
improved.
0.50 – 0.60 Suggests need for revision of test, unless it is quite
short (ten or fewer items). The test definitely needs to
be supplemented by other measures (more tests) for
grading.
0.50 or below Questionable reliability. This test should not contribute
heavily to the course grade and it needs revision.
 B. WHAT IS AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT?
The term “authentic assessment” was first coined in 1989 by Grant Wiggins in K-12
educational contexts. According to Wiggins, authentic assessment is “a true test” of
intellectual achievement or ability because it requires students to demonstrate their
deeper understanding, higher-order thinking, and complex problem solving through the
performance of exemplary tasks.
Authentic assessment can be devised by the teacher, or in collaboration with the
student by engaging student voice. When applying authentic assessment to student
learning and achievement, a teacher applies criteria related to construction of knowledge,
disciplined inquiry, and the value of achievement beyond the school.
Authentic assessment also tends to focus on contextualized tasks, enabling students
to demonstrate their competency in a more “authentic” setting. Examples of authentic
assessment categories include:
- performance of the skills, or demonstrating use of a particular knowledge.
- stimulations and role plays
- studio portfolios, strategically selecting items

1. NATURE OF AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT

a. Evaluation process
- Authentic assessment is an evaluation process that involves multiple forms of
performance measurement reflecting the student's learning, achievement,
motivation, and attitudes on instructionally-relevant activities.

b. Real-world task
- a ‘real-world’ assessment is meant to focus on the impact of one’s work in real
or realistic contexts.
- it requires students to deal with the messiness of real or simulated settings,
purposes, and audience (as opposed to a simplified and ‘clean’ academic task
to no audience but the teacher-evaluator).

c. Realistic judgment and innovation

- Assessments are authentic if they are realistic, require judgement and
innovation and assess students’ ability to effectively use their knowledge or
skills to complete a task.

d. Student’s performance
- an authentic assessment usually includes a task for students to perform and a
rubric by which their performance on the task will be evaluated.
2. CHARACTERISTICS OF AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT

a. Authentic Assessment starts with clear definite criteria of performance made

known to the students.
b. Authentic Assessment is a criterion- referenced rather than norm- referenced and
so it identifies strengths and weaknesses, but does not compare students nor rank
their levels of performance.
c. Authentic Assessment requires students to make their own answer to questions
rather than select from given options as in multiple choice items, and requires them
to use a range of higher order thinking skills (HOTS).
d. Authentic Assessment often emphasizes performance and therefore students are
required to demonstrate their knowledge, skills or competencies in appropriate
situations. Authentic assessment does not rely on ability to recall facts or memorize
details, instead students are asked to demonstrate skills and concepts they have
learned.
e. Authentic Assessment encourages both teacher and students to determine their
rate of progress in cooperatively attaining the desired student learning outcomes.
f. Authentic Assessment does not encourage rote learning and passive taking of test;
instead, students are required to demonstrate analytical skills, ability to integrate
what they learn, creativity, and ability to work in group, skills in oral and written
communications. In brief, authentic assessment values not only the finished
products which are the learning outcomes, but also the process of learning.
g. Authentic Assessment changes the role of students as passive test takers into
become active and involve participants in assessment activities that emphasize
what they are capable of doing.

3. RELATED TERMS FOR AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT

a. Performance Assessment
- an approach to educational assessment that requires students to directly
demonstrate what they know and are able to do through open-ended tasks
such as constructing an answer, producing a project, or performing an activity.

b. Alternative Assessment
- is a method of evaluation that measures a student's level of proficiency in a
subject as opposed to the student's level of knowledge.
- the overall goal of alternative assessment is to allow students to demonstrate
their knowledge and execute tasks.

c. Direct Assessment
- refers to any method of collecting data that requires students to demonstrate a
knowledge, skill, or behavior.
 C. WHY USE AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT?

1. PRINCIPLES OF AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT

a. Focus assessment on what really matters;

b. Ensure that assessments are valid indications of student competence;
c. Use assessment to support student learning; and
d. Develop assessment practices that use the teacher’s time efficiently.

2. TRADITIONAL ASSESSMENT VIS-À- VIS AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT

● Traditional assessments refer to conventional methods of testing.

● Authentic assessments refer to assessments wherein students are
asked to perform real-world tasks.

Traditional Assessment Authentic Assessment

Purpose: to evaluate if the students have Purpose: to measure students’
learned the content; proficiency by asking them to perform
real-life tasks;
Measures students’ knowledge of the Measures students’ ability to apply
content. knowledge of the content in real-life
situations; ability to use or apply what
they have learned in meaningful ways.

Examples
a. Traditional Assessment

- true or false; multiple choice tests

- standardized tests
- achievement tests
- intelligence tests
- aptitude tests

b. Authentic Assessment

- demonstrations
- hands-on experiments
- computer simulations
- portfolios
- projects
- multi-media presentations
- role plays
- recitals
- stage plays
- exhibits
 D. DEVELOPING AUTHENTIC CLASSROOM ASSESSMENTS

1. A FRAMEWORK FOR AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT

2. AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT DEVELOPMENT PROCESS

a. Identify Learning Objectives

Learning objectives describe what we want students to know and be able to do by

the end of a course. Objectives are the bedrock of instructional design because they guide
every other decision in the development of the course.

b. Define Relevant Tasks

Given that the assessment should be, well, authentic, start by looking at what
professionals in your field do on a daily basis and how those tasks might relate to your
selected learning objective.

c. Identify Essential Performance Criteria

It is important for these performance criteria to align with the nature of your task. To
return to our business example from earlier, you’d want to make sure that the way you
measure students’ performance is reflective of or similar to the expectations they would
encounter in a business scenario.
 d. Develop a Rubric

Rubrics are a powerful tool for many assessment types, and they are an essential
component of authentic assessment. After all, authentic assessments are fairly
subjective, and rubrics help ensure instructors are grading fairly and consistently from
assessment to assessment and student to student.

Conclusion

Authentic assessment has the outstanding ability to make a long-lasting impact on

not only your course, but also the students enrolled in it. By providing students with an
opportunity to test their skills in new and relevant situations, you will prepare them for how
they will be assessed in their professional lives and show them the relevance of your
course’s content outside the classroom.

References:

• Magda, A. J., & Aslanian, C. B. (2018). Online college students 2018:

Comprehensive data on demands and preferences. Louisville, KY: The Learning
House, Inc.

• Shank, P. (2009, May). Four typical online learning assessment mistakes. In R.

Kelly (Ed.), Assessing online learning: Strategies, challenges and opportunities (pp.
4-6). Madison, WI: Magna Publications Inc.