MODULE 1: AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT

Time Frame: 6 Hours

Learning Outcomes: At the end of this module, the students are expected to:
1. define authentic assessment;
2. identify the nature and characteristics of authentic assessment;
3. identify the distinctions between authentic and traditional assessment;
4. give samples of traditional and authentic assessment; and
5. identify the phases in conducting authentic assessment.

ENGAGE

Welcome students to this another term for the second semester.

In assessment of learning 1, you have learned the definition of some key terms in
assessment, its underlying principles, on how to construct objectives in three domains, on how
to formulate test items, the item analysis, and on how to compute the grades of the students in
the K to 12 Curriculum. Make use of all the things you have learned from that in order to easily
grasps the topics in this course, Assessment of Learning 2.
For the first module, you will learn more on the other type of assessment, which is the
authentic assessment (AA). You will learn its nature and characteristics, examples, its
distinctions from traditional assessment, and the steps to be taken in conducting such
assessment.

EXPLORE

ACTIVITY 1: Concept Map

Directions: Write words or phrases which you can associate to the term authentic
assessment and answer the process questions.

Authen
tic
Assesse
nt

Process Questions:
1. For you, what is authentic assessment?
2. What do you think is the difference between authentic assessment and traditional
assessment?

1
 EXPLAIN

Authentic Assessment
Authentic assessment evaluates the students' collective skills and abilities to perform
and demonstrate the tasks in real-world situation for them to determine how much they have
learned with meaningful application. It involves performance tests and portfolio assessment.
Performance test is a measure which often makes use of manipulative materials to develop
students' skills and abilities. In other words, in authentic assessment, the student is exposed to
the real-world situation to perform his tasks with the best of his skills and abilities.
Criterion-referenced measure is used to assess the performance of the student in
authentic assessment. It is more on psychomotor domain.

Why Authentic assessment?

“The common practices of using recall and recognition objective the skills and knowledge
they have mastered”. --- Richard Stiggins (1987)
“Authentic assessment is products and/or performances correlated with real experiences”.
--- Newton Public Schools
Other names of authentic assessment are performance assessment, alternative
assessment, and direct assessment.

Nature and Characteristics of Authentic Assessment

1. Authentic Assessment starts with clear definite criteria of performance made known to
the students.
2. 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.
3. 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).
4. 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.
5. Authentic Assessment encourages both teacher and students to determine their rate
of progress in cooperatively attaining the desired student learning outcomes.

6. 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.
7. 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 instead test to measure students’ skills or retained facts has
come under scrutiny because of the limitation encountered in determining the
students’ capability to utilized their knowledge and skills in work and professional
practice.
Distinctions Between Authentic Assessment and Traditional Assessment

Traditional Assessment Authentic Assessment

Purpose: to evaluate if the students have Purpose: to measure students’ proficiency by
learned the content; to determine whether or not asking them to perform real life-tasks; to provide
the students are successful in acquiring students many avenues to learn and
knowledge; to ascribe a grade for them; to rank demonstrate best what they have learned; to
and compare them against standards or other guide instruction; to provide feedback and help
learners students manage their own learning; to also
evaluate students’ competency
Provides teachers a snapshot of what the Provides teachers a more complete picture of
students know what the students know and what they can do
with what they know
Measures students’ knowledge of the content Measures students’ ability to apply knowledge of
the content in real life situations; ability to
use/apply what they have learned in meaningful
ways
Requires students to demonstrate knowledge by Requires students to demonstrate proficiency by
selecting a response/giving correct answers; performing relevant tasks showing application of
usually tests students’ proficiency through paper what has been learned
and pencil tests
Students are asked to choose an answer from
a set of questions (True or False; multiple
choice) to test knowledge of what has been
taught.
Provides indirect evidence of learning Provides direct evidence of
learning/competency; direct demonstration of
knowledge and skills by performing relevant
tasks
 Requires students to practice cognitive  Provides opportunities for students to
ability to recall/recognize/reconstruct construct meaning/new knowledge out of
body of knowledge that has been taught what has been taught
 Tests and strengthens the students’  Tests and strengthens the students’
ability to recall/recognize and ability to reason and analyze,
comprehend content, but does not synthesize, and apply knowledge
reveal the students’ true progress of acquired; Students’ higher level of
what they can do with the knowledge cognitive skills (from knowledge and
they acquired. Only the students’ lower comprehension to analysis, synthesis,
level of thinking skills, (knowledge and application, and evaluation) are tapped
comprehension), are tapped. in multiple ways.
 Hides the test  Teaches the test
 Teachers serve as evaluators and  Involves and engages the students in
students as the evaluates: teacher- the teaching, learning and assessment
structured process: student structured
 Assessment is separated from teaching  Assessment is integrated with
and learning. Test usually comes after instruction. Assessment activities
instruction to evaluate if the students happen all throughout instruction to help
have successfully learned the content. students improve their learning and help
teachers improve their teaching.
 Provides limited ways for students to  Provides multiple avenues for students
demonstrate what they have learned to demonstrate best what they have
learned
 Rigid and fixed  Flexible and provides multiple
acceptable ways of constructing
products or performance as evidence of
learning
  Standardized; valid and reliable  Needs well defined criteria/rubrics and
standards to achieve reliability and
validity
 Curriculum drives assessment.  Assessment drives curriculum
and instruction.

Examples: Examples:
 True or False; multiple choice tests  demonstrations
 standardized tests  hands-on experiments
 achievement tests  computer simulations
 intelligence tests  portfolios
 aptitude tests  projects
 multi-media presentations
 role plays
 recitals
 stage plays
 exhibits

Attributes Traditional Assessment Authentic Assessment

1. Action/ options Selecting a response Performing a task
2. Setting Contrived/ imagined Simulation/ Real-Life
3. Method Recall/ recognition Construction/ applications
4. Focus Teacher –structured Student- structured
5. Outcome Indirect evidence Direct evidence

Samples of Traditional Assessment and Authentic Assessment

Illustration
Traditional Assessment Authentic Assessment
1. Which of the following water is most acidic? 1. Place separately the brackish, fresh, and
a. Brackish water marine water in a basin. Get a pH paper or
b. Fresh water pH meter and soak it in a basin of water.
c. Marine water Change the pH paper for every basin of
water. Then record.
Ask: What is the pH of brackish water? Fresh
water? Marine water? Which is most acidic?
Why?
2. How many milliliters (ml) are there in one 2. Get a 100-ml graduated cylinder and 1 liter
liter? empty soft drink bottle. Let the student fill the
a. 1000 ml graduated cylinder with water and decant it to
b. 1100 ml the empty bottle until it is filled.
c. 1150 ml
Ask: How many times did you fill the
graduated cylinder? What is product when
you multiply
100 ml to the number of times you fill the
graduated cylinder?
 In authentic assessment, the knowledge acquired through “learning by doing” can hardly
be erased in the mind of the learners due to logical understanding of the process and the
product. Whereas, traditional assessment can be easily forgotten by learners as a consequence
of rote memorization and no actual performance of the tasks.

Phases of Authentic Assessment

The purpose of assessment is to improve student learning. Assessment achieves this
purpose by gathering pieces of evidence of student performance over a period of time. Such
evidence may be in the form of written works, journal entries, oral presentations, research paper
results, essay, story writing, and examination results. “Closing the loop” encourages the use of
assessment results for further improvement. In general, Outcome assessment goes through five
(5) phases:
1. Identifying the most important knowledge and skills that students should be able to
demonstrate as a result of their learning activities.

2. Determining the criteria and standards of outcomes performance and the acceptable
evidence that may be presented as proof of outcomes’ attainment.

3. Implementation of the supporting activities that will facilitate the attainment of the desired
student learning outcomes.
4. Measuring the extent at which the student is attaining the desired learning outcomes.
5. Interpreting the assessment results and evaluating whether they indicate attainment of
the desired outcomes and utilizing them for continuous improvement.
 Phase 1 - Identify learner
outcome.

Phase 5 - Evaluate results to Phase 2 - Determine criteria

determine attainment of and acceptable evidences of
outcome and ensure performance.
continuous improvement.

Phase 3 - Implement
Phase 4 - Implement supporting learning
assessment strategies experiences and
instructional activities.
 ELABORATE

ACTIVITY 2: Short Discussion

A. Directions: Answer the following questions.

1. In your own opinion, which is better, authentic assessment or traditional assessment? Why
Support your answer.

2. What is the best time to conduct an authentic assessment?

3. Give five (5) examples of authentic assessment that can be used in your field of specialization.

EVALUATE

ACTIVITY 3: More on Authentic Assessment

A. Directions: In your field of specialization (of any topic for high school), construct two (2)
multiple-choice test items, with four (4) choices and out from that, develop their
counterparts in authentic assessment. Follow the diagram below.
Multiple-choice Test Items Authentic Assessments
1.

2.

B. Directions: Using a Venn Diagram, compare and contrast Authentic assessment and
Traditional assessment. Exactly use five (5) key points)

Closure:
In this module, you have learned the definition of authentic assessment, its nature and
characteristics, the distinctions between traditional and authentic assessments, some of their
examples and the phases in conducting authentic assessment. You have to remember that
authentic assessment will provide a more meaningful learning to the students, which will lead to
a longer retention of acquired skills and knowledge. You have to make sure that this
assessment must be in lined with the performance standard and must be provided ahead of
time. Rubrics must also be provided in order to let the students look into the things that they
need to do in doing the assessment and to always keep them on track. Keep your pace up and
whenever possible, consult the teacher in times of difficulty. The journey is still long and I hope
that you will always be on track.