Authentic Assessment
I am lucky that the nature of my students work in the industry allows them and expects them to create portfolios. Portfolios exhibit their best work and shows their skills, talent and capabilities. It is also a way for them to talk about business solutions solved and how many times the student have reworked a project to get it to where it is. Hiring managers and Professors often will critique this portfolio. In that way a portfolio is an ongoing process and students can see the progress themselves. It give them confidence.
Dawn,
Yes, and ownership of the process and their presented work. Great use of this method!
Dr. Ruth Reynard
I love the idea of authentic assessment. It has been something that I've used for years in the manner of long term projects and portfolios. As the text mentioned, I have seen hesitation of instructors to implement this as scoring/grading can initially present a challenge. I too, found that it required a bit of work in the beginning. The rewards however, in terms of student outcomes and the overall climate of your classroom is so worth it!
Paula Bordenkecher
Paula,
Yes, this kind of assessment takes time to plan, implement, and support. It does, however, provide the most effective way of measuring the learning of different students with different needs and abilities.
Dr. Ruth Reynard
I really enjoy the idea of authentic assessment. However as a Sociology instructor I struggle with ideas for authentic assessment. I have developed a few.. however I think you have to really get outside the box and be quite creative to find opportunities for authentic assessment in classical areas of study like Sociology.
Douglas,
Good points! Yes, some subject areas are better suited than others, however, the more varied your assessments, the better for students. So, projects, surveys, polls, media clips etc. can all help provide a variety for students with which to demonstrate their knowledge. I'd like to hear some of the ideas you have come up with too :)
Dr. Ruth Reynard
It is true each student is an individual and if each could be judged as such all would do better. It seems to me however, that we are setting them up for failure in the buisness world. There is no dubt that how one gets from A to B is part of the learning process and when students are allowed more freedom in doing so they work harder. The end problem however is that they must concretely know, in the end, what B is. I have to disagree that "fill in the blanks" should never be used. Science is just that, "science" and as a Profesor I have to know, that they know, how and when to use the correct terminology.
Laura ,
So there is a difference between formative and summative assessment and ongoing assessment. While the summative assessments must reflect the ultimate skills and knowledge required for professional and academic success, the ongoing assessments can support the process in getting there. All of these should be used.
Dr. Ruth Reynard
