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AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT IN THE CLASSROOM

I. INTRODUCTION
In this module, learners are introduced to authentic classroom assessments. For a wholesome
assessment, students’ learning is not only assessed but the learning process should also teach students to
improve their skills and understand their own learning. Such assessment is authentic. Students should not
only know the content of the lesson but they should also know how to use the knowledge in a real life
situation. Authentic assessment assesses the collective capabilities of the students. It makes the learning
relevant and the assessment result meaningful.
This chapter covers the nature and characteristics of authentic assessment. If assessments are
authentic, why should you make use of them? How can they fit into your classroom? These are questions
you’ll deal with in this chapter. The discussion in this module comes from internet resources, printed
materials, and among others. As your facilitator of learning in ED 305, I will enrich our discussion by
presenting information with citations. If you have questions please do not hesitate to call, email, text or
chat with me on the details provided in the Teacher Intervention Section of this module.

II. COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of the course, the learners are expected to:
1. Demonstrate understanding of the principles of high quality assessment in conceptualizing,
organizing and using authentic assessment techniques in various curriculum teaching areas;
2. Demonstrate skills in designing, developing and using learner-appropriate performance-based,
product-based and effective assessment tools in monitoring and evaluating learner progress and
achievement in various curriculum areas;
3. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of providing timely, accurate and constructive
feedback to improve learner performance;
4. Demonstrate familiarity with various strategies for communicating authentic learning results;
5. Demonstrate an understanding of the role of assessment data as feedback in teaching and learning
practices and programs; and
6. Demonstrate an understanding of how professional reflection on assessment feedback can be used
to improve practice.

Through (4.2.1.1) excellent instruction, relevant and responsive research and/ or extension services,
and quality-assured production (4.3.1.1) of a true NOrSUnian with the core values of SAPPHIRE needed
to (4.1.1.1) become dynamic, competitive and globally responsive.

III. CONTENTS OF THE MODULE

This Module contains the following lessons:
Lesson 1: High Quality Assessment
Lesson 2: Authentic Classroom Assessment

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IV. DIRECTIONS ON HOW TO USE THIS MODULE PROPERLY
In order to benefit profoundly from this module, please be guided by all the key points presented below.
1. This module contains two (2) lessons. Each lesson is explained substantively. Read the explanations
thoroughly so that you could understand the lesson fully.
2. On the first page of each lesson, you will find the specific learning outcomes (SLOs) of each lesson.
SLOs are knowledge and skills you are expected to acquire at the end of the lesson. Read them
heartily.
3. You must answer the Learning Activities/Exercises (LAEs). The LAEs are designed to help you
acquire the SLOs.
4. Feel free to chat, call, text or send an email if you have questions, reactions, or reflections about the
contents or activities in the module.
5. The Practice Task/Assessment and the Assignment shall be checked by your instructor.

HIGH QUALITY ASSESSMENT

SPECIFIC LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of the topic, the students are expected to:
1. Discuss the nature and characteristics of authentic assessment;
2. Investigate authentic classroom assessments; and
3. Reflect on the importance and applications of authentic assessment.

MOTIVATION/ PROMPTING QUESTIONS

Direction: When hearing the word “assessment,” what words or ideas come to your mind? Complete
the concept web below.

Question: Why do you think teachers use assessment?

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DISCUSSION
HIGH QUALITY ASSESSMENT IN RETROSPECT
No single assessment can evaluate all kinds of learning. With the changing times, competencies are
increasing in complexity to meet the world demands. For teachers to guide their actions and students to be
able to measure their progress, assessment tasks and activities must be able to acquire these competencies.
PURPOSE
- Assessment for and of learning. The purpose of formative assessment is to provide students with
feedback on how they are going. Students use this information to offer each other effective feedback,
to self-assess, and to set goals for improvement. It is reported to cause gains in student achievement.
Another purpose of assessment is to gather evidence to make a judgement. Teachers use the
information gathered to determine the level of student achievement at a given point in time. One
form of assessment supports learning, the other verifies it.
- Protect academic standards. Grades from cumulative assessment are used to certify that a person
has the necessary knowledge and skills to be awarded a qualification. Some standardized assessment
procedures are designed to compare the academic achievement of students from different schools,
states, nationwide or worldwide.
- Feedback for teaching. Results from assessments can be used to help you track your students'
learning. It can help you determine difficulties of students so you can alter your approach to
teaching.
TARGETS
- Learning Targets are statements of the intended learning. There are 5 categories of learning targets:
knowledge, reasoning, skill, product and disposition. The purpose of categorizing learning targets is
three-fold. First, the process will be useful in determining whether the targets in your own
curriculum are clear enough. Second, if you need to deconstruct a content standard into smaller
teachable parts, knowing the target type will help with identifying the enabling learning targets.
Third, it is helpful for selecting the appropriate assessment method.

EXAMPLES OF LEARNING TARGETS

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qlobaSIqUH9EFwZuMN6C6CrOF6-uvIBMaKG88bvUO6c/

- Cognitive Targets. As early as 1950 Bloom (1956) proposed a hierarchy of educational objectives at
the cognitive level: knowledge which refers to the acquisition of facts, concept and theories;
comprehension which refers to the same concept as understanding, where one can re-state data or
information in one’s own words, interpret, and translate; application which refers to the transfer of
knowledge from one field of study to another; analysis which refers to the breaking down of the
concept or idea into each component and explaining the concept as the composition of these concept;
synthesis which refers to the opposite of analysis and entails putting together the components in
order to summarize the concept; and evaluation which refers to making judgments based on criteria
and standards through checking and critiquing.
METHODS
4 Basic Categories:
1. Selected response is an assessment in which students select the correct or best response from a
list provided. Format includes multiple choice, true/false test, matching type and fill-in-the-blank
questions.
2. Written response requires students to construct an answer in response to a question or task rather
than to select the answer from a list. It includes short answer items and extended written response
items.

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 3. Performance assessment is assessment based on observation and judgment. Students complete a
task that is evaluated by judging the level of quality using a rubric.
4. Personal communication is finding out what students have learned through structured and
unstructured interactions with them. It can be done by asking questions during instruction,
listening to students through class participation, giving examinations orally, etc.
Properties of Assessment Method:

1. Validity
2. Reliability
3. Fairness
4. Practicality & Efficiency

TEACHING AND LEARNING: MY PERSPECTIVE:

Properties of Assessment Methods

SAMPLING
Sampling is used to keep the assessment process manageable when there is a large number of
students. It also keeps the process manageable where there are multiple or lengthy artifacts/products to
review.

SAMPLING FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF STUDENT LEARNING

OUTCOMES
https://do-prod-webteam-drupalfiles.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/ccedu/s3fs-public/
Sampling_for_the_Assessment_of_Student_Learning_Outcomes_version_B_0.pdf

ACCURACY
Accurate information comes from (1)
clearly identifying the purpose for which
information about student learning is being
gathered, (2) clearly defining learning
targets for students, (3) using the
appropriate assessment method well, (4)
selecting a sample to accurately represent
achievement of the intended learning, and
(5) avoiding circumstances that might bias
results. These are the keys to quality
classroom assessment.

SOURCE: Classroom assessment for student learning (2nd

edition) by Jan Chappuis et al. (2014)

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 WHAT IS AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT
The best classroom assessments are authentic. Here are some definitions:

“A form of assessment in which students are asked to perform real-world tasks that demonstrate
meaningful application of essential knowledge and skills…” - Mueller (2011)

“...Engaging and worthy problems or questions of importance, in which students must use knowledge
to fashion performances effectively and creatively. The tasks are either replicas of or analogous to the
kinds of problems faced by adult citizens and consumers or professionals in the field.” - Wiggins (1993)

“Performance assessments call upon the examinee to demonstrate specific skills and competencies,
that is, to apply the skills and knowledge they have mastered.” - Stiggins (1987)

Authentic assessment helps students contextualise their learnings, putting theories into action. It
encourages a learner-centered environment where the teacher helps the students to be responsible for their
own learning and become self-evaluators.

CHARACTERISTICS OF AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT

1. It starts with clear and definite criteria of performance that students are aware of.
2. It is criterion-referenced. It identifies students’ strengths and weaknesses without comparing their
performances.
3. It encourages students to come with their own answers to questions rather than choose from a
range of choices. It requires the use of higher order thinking skills.
4. It does not rely on ability to recall facts or memorize details but requires students to demonstrate
their knowledge, skills and competencies in appropriate situations. It emphasizes performance.
5. It encourages both the teacher and the students to determine their pace of progress in attaining the
desired learning outcomes.
6. It does not only value the finished products which are the learning outcomes, but also the process
of learning.
7. It turns students into becoming active and involved participants in assessment activities rather
than passive test takers.

LEARNING ACTIVITIES/EXERCISE
I. Present your thoughts /ideas.

1. Why is classifying learning targets a necessary step in planning an assessment? Explain.

2. Keys to Quality Classroom Assessment
a. Think of a time you yourself were assessed and it was a negative experience. What made it
negative? Which of the five keys to quality classroom assessment were involved in your
negative experience?
b. Think of a time you yourself were assessed and it was a positive experience. What made it
positive? Which of the five keys to quality classroom assessment were involved in your
positive experience?
c. What impact did each experience have on you?

II. True or False. Determine whether each statement is true or false.

1. Quality assessment is based on clearly articulated and appropriate achievement targets .

2. Students need not to be aware of the learning targets.
3. Assessment of learning supports learning, while assessment for learning verifies learning.

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 4. Students are motivated to learn when classroom activities are relevant to them.
5. Teachers use tests to get information about their students.

TEACHER INTERVENTION

Note ꓽ for clarification of the content of the lesson, the teacher will give a 1-hour online meeting per
week.

PRACTICE TASK/ASSESSMENT
Direction: Read each of the situations below. Write a reaction / reflection paper with at least 10
sentences.
Note: The teacher will check your answers for plagiarism. If copied online or any other sources and not
following instructions, a deduction will be given.
1. Recall one class when you were in elementary. Discuss how your teacher delivered the lesson.
Determine the traditional and authentic assessment. How did you find the learning process? 50 pts
2. In the future, how are you going to use authentic assessment in teaching students especially in
this time of pandemic? Give 5 authentic assessment and discuss in your own understanding. (Use first
person in discussing) -50pts

Rubric for grading: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IBO9lsUCS4jkOfLanfYETSRMlITlDfptnat0kon6-VE/

FEEDBACK TO ASSESSMENT
Note: Answers will be provided once all of the student’s module are submitted.

ASSIGNMENT
Directions: Review the learning outcomes for the lesson and select one or more that represented new
learning for you or struck you as most significant. Write a short reflection that captures your
current understanding. (10 points)

AUTHENTIC CLASSROOM ASSESSMENT

SPECIFIC LEARNING OUTCOMES:

At the end of the topic, the students are expected to:
1. Differentiate authentic and traditional assessment;
2. Develop authentic classroom assessments; and
3. Make connections between the principles of high quality assessment and the development and use of
authentic assessment techniques and tools within and across teaching areas.

MOTIVATION/ PROMPTING QUESTIONS:

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 Direction: Open the hyperlink and do the activity, A Terse Self-Test about Testing. The activity is an
attitudinal inventory for you to know your own current views about educational assessment.
Do you have a sensible view of educational assessment?

A Terse Self-Test about Testing

DISCUSSION

WHY USE AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT

Authentic assessment evaluates how students are learning the material or lesson over time. It provides
students a chance to apply what they have learned and construct meaning about what they have been
taught.
Why Use Authentic Assessment?
(Authentic Assessment Toolbox)

PRINCIPLES OF AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT

1. Focus on What Really Matters

Are the criteria we are using—consciously or not—to judge students’ work reflective of
the most important educational objectives? Assessment that are slanted towards a restricted scope
of desired outcomes (e.g. outcomes related solely to factual knowledge) fail to evaluate and
perhaps unintentionally discourage student development in other desired areas. We should assess
for all relevant goals, and the emphasis assigned to these goals should reflect their relative
importance (Case, 2013).

2. Provide Valid Indications

An assessment strategy is valid if it actually assesses the outcomes it intends to assess. In
order to know whether students are able to use their knowledge in significant ways, we assess
beyond isolated competencies in artificial situations. If the ability to solve real-life problems is
an important goal then, we should assess the students’ ability in facing real problems and not be
satisfied by asking students to list the factors they would consider in a hypothetical context.

3. Use Assessment to Support Learning

In a study (Assessment Reform Group, 2002), it was concluded students would be better
motivated and learn more if assessment practices focussed more on supporting learning than on
measuring learning. Assessment practices can support learning in at least four other important
ways (Case, 2013):
- clearly communicate expectations;
- involve students in the assessment process;
- provide helpful feedback on learning; and
- provide opportunities and incentives for students to improve

4. Develop Assessment That Uses Teachers’ Time Efficiently

Although efficiency has no immediate relationship to authentic assessment, it is hard to
apply changes, however desirable, if they are more time consuming.

TRADITIONAL ASSESSMENT VIS-A-VIS AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT

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 SOURCE: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Comparing-traditional-and-authentic-assessment-types_tbl1_286989335

Teachers do not have to select between authentic assessment and traditional assessment. There’s no
right or wrong in assessing students’ learning. Both traditional and authentic can work together to better
understand how well students absorb information.

DEVELOPING AUTHENTIC CLASSROOM ASSESSMENTS

A FIVE-DIMENSIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT

1. Task. An authentic task is a problem task that confronts students with activities that are also
carried out in professional practice.
2. Physical context. The physical context of an authentic assessment should reflect the way
knowledge, skills, and attitudes will be used in professional practice.
3. Social context. A model for authentic assessment should consider social processes that are
evident in real-life contexts. What is really important in an authentic assessment is that the social
processes of the assessment is similar to the social processes of the corresponding real-life
situation.
4. Assessment result or form. An authentic result or form is characterized by four elements. It should
be a: (1) quality product or performance that students can be asked to produce in real life; (2)
demonstration that permits making valid inferences about the underlying competencies; (3) full
array of tasks and multiple indicators of learning in order to come to fair conclusions; and (4)
work students present to other people, either orally or in written form, because it is important that
they defend their work to ensure that their apparent mastery is genuine.
5. Criteria and standards. Authentic assessment requires criterion-referenced judgment. Some
criteria should be related to a realistic outcome, explicating characteristics or requirements of the
product, performance, or solutions that students need to create. Besides basing the criteria on the
criterion situation in real life, criteria of an authentic assessment can also be based on the
interpretation of the other four dimensions of the framework.

How Do You Create Authentic Assessments?

http://jfmueller.faculty.noctrl.edu/toolbox/howdoyoudoit.htm

LEARNING ACTIVITIES/EXERCISE
Direction: Determine whether each of the following assessment activities/strategies is traditional or
authentic.
1. dramatizing a story
2. writing business letters for various purposes
3. administering a multiple choice test

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 4. requiring memorization of historical facts
5. keeping and updating a portfolio
6. drawing the parts of microscope
7. writing the multiplication tables 5, 6, 7
8. submitting a report on observations of insects in a field trip
9. interviewing the barangay chairman about the problems of the community and reporting on thee
findings
10. providing the answers to a fill-in-the-blank assignment
11. writing a poem expressing one’s love of the country
12. conducting a research on the effect of online learning to students
13. conducting national achievement test
14. writing a reflection paper
15. Composing a song

TEACHER INTERVENTION

Note ꓽ for clarification of the content of the lesson, the teacher will give a 1-hour online meeting per
week.

PRACTICE TASK/ASSESSMENT
Direction: Choose a lesson / competency and create an authentic assessment activity. Identify the
standards, select a task, identify the criteria and create an analytic rubric.
Rubric: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1DdZJuLUZ1tAhpyokSTNmlU8vcXFTELUxSlAqhSlK66s/
STANDARD:
TASK:
CRITERIA:
RUBRIC:
1. Heograpiyang Pisikal ng Pilipinas
2. Nasusuri ang kaibahan ng kagustuhan (wants) sa pangangailangan (needs)
3. Nailalarawan ang mga yamang likas ng Asya
4. Naipapaliwanag ang interaksyon ng demand at suplay sa kalagayan ng presyo at ng pamilihan
5. Epekto ng Kolonyalismo sa Silangan at Timog-Silangang Asya
FEEDBACK TO ASSESSMENT
Note: Answers will be provided once all of the student’s module are submitted.

ASSIGNMENT
1. Make an e-collage of pictures comparing the traditional assessment and authentic assessment.
NOTE: Must be related to your major. (20pts)

2. What are some of the most interesting discoveries that I have gathered as I was studying the
lesson? (at least 10 sentences) – 10 pts

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MODULE 1

A. Determine whether each statement is true or false. If the statement is false, restate it to make it
true.
1. Teachers use tests to get information about their students. (True)
2. A single assessment can evaluate all kinds of learning. (False. No single assessment can evaluate
all kinds of learning.)
3. The purpose of summative assessment is to provide students with feedback on how they are
going. (False. The purpose of formative assessment is to provide students with feedback on how
they are going. Or pwede: The purpose of summative assessment is to evaluate student learning
at the end of an instructional unit.)
4. Students need not to be aware of the learning targets. (False. Students need to be aware of the
learning targets.)
5. Students are motivated to learn when classroom activities are relevant to them. (True)
6. Assessment results can be used to track your students' progress. (True)
7. Assessment of learning supports learning, while assessment for learning verifies learning. (False.
Assessment for learning supports learning, while assessment of learning verifies learning.)
8. Authentic assessment emphasizes performance. (True)
9. A framework for authentic assessment should take into account social processes that are
apparent in real-world environments. (True)
10. Quality assessment is based on clearly articulated and appropriate achievement targets. (True)
11. Authentic assessment requires norm-referenced judgment. (False. Authentic assessment
requires criterion-referenced judgment.)
12. Teachers should assess all relevant goals. (True)
13. An assessment strategy is valid if it actually assesses the outcomes it intends to assess. (True)
14. If an assessment is reliable, it is always valid. (False. If an assessment is reliable, it may be valid
or it may not. It’s not always valid.)
15. Performance assessment is assessment based on observation and judgment. (True)

B. Determine whether each of the following assessment activities/strategies is traditional or authentic.

1. administering a multiple-choice test (traditional)
2. requiring students to keep a portfolio (authentic)
3. memorizing historical facts (traditional)
4. answering fill-in-the-blank assignment (traditional)
5. labeling the different parts of the body (traditional)
6. composing a poem about family (authentic)
7. conducting a research on the effect of social media to student behaviors (authentic)
8. conducting national achievement test (traditional)
9. reporting on the findings of a lab experiment (authentic)
10. drawing the parts of a sewing machine (traditional)

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REFERENCES/ READING MATERIALS
Chappuis, J. et al. (2014). Classroom assessment for student learning (2nd edition). London, UK: Pearson Education Limited.

Darling-Hammond, L., Herman, J., Pellegrino, J. et al. (2013). Criteria for high-quality assessment. Stanford, CA: Stanford Center for
Opportunity Policy in Education.

Frey, B.B., Schmitt, V.L. & Allen, J.P. (2012). Defining authentic classroom assessment, Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation, 17(2).
https://doi.org/10.7275/sxbs-0829

McMillan, J.H. (1999). Establishing high quality classroom assessments. Richmond, VA: Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium.

Navarro, R.L. & Santos, R.G. (2013). Authentic assessment of student learning outcomes (2nd edition). Quezon City: Lorimar Publishing, Inc.

Popham, W.J. (2017). Classroom assessment: What teachers need to know (8th ed.). USA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Wiggins, G. P. (1993). Assessing student performance. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.

Case, R. (2013). Four principles of authentic assessment. In, The anthology of social studies (319-328).

Gulikers, J.T., Bastiaens, T.J. & Kirschner, P.A. (2004). A five-dimensional framework for authentic assessment. Educational Technology
Research and Development, 52 (3), 70-75. https://l2trec.utah.edu/distance-language-instruction-resources/assessing-language-learners-online/
reading-for-assessing-language-learners-online.pdf

Stiggins, R. J. (1987). The design and development of performance assessments. Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice, 6, 33-42.

Sampling student work (2015, Dec. 14). Santa Clara University. Retrieved from
https://www.scu.edu/provost/institutional-effectiveness/assessment/the-assessment-process/assessment-method/sampling-student-
work.html

Edutopia. (2011, June 23). Keeping assessment relevant and authentic [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfwGqH9w-
64&t=160s

Edutopia. (2016, November 2). Solving real-world problems: Bringing authentic context to learning [Video]. Youtube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3IL0J3XMbA&t=163s

Losabia, J. (2014, Dec. 7). Properties of assessment methods [Blog Post]. Retrieved from http://jaylordlosabia.blogspot.com/2014/12/properties-
of-assessment-methods.html

Mueller, J. (n.d.). What is authentic assessment? Retrieved from http://jfmueller.faculty.noctrl.edu/toolbox/whatisit.htm

Mueller, J. (n.d.). Why use authentic assessment? Retrieved from http://jfmueller.faculty.noctrl.edu/toolbox/whydoit.htm

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