Module I: AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT IN THE CLASSROOM

Lesson 1. 21st Century Assessment

Lesson 2. Clarity of Learning Targets
Lesson 3. Appropriateness of Assessment Methods
Lesson 4. Properties of Assessment
Lesson 5. Authentic Assessment

Note: This module was written by Prof. Arjie Rivera (some portions
and exercises were modified by yours truly, Noemi Boado and Prof.
Josephine Cacayan)

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MODULE I

AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT IN THE CLASSROOM

 INTRODUCTION

One of the focuses of Assessment of Learning 2 is on exploration of

different authentic assessments which can be given to 21st century students
for realistic assessment of their performance. Authentic assessments include
the use of performance-based and portfolio-based assessment.
High quality assessment can only be guaranteed when learning targets
are set; when appropriate assessment methods are utilized; and valid,
reliable, ethical and fair assessment were done.

OBJECTIVES

After studying this module, you should be able to:

1. share deepened understanding of 21st century learning.
2. set clear learning targets.
3. use appropriate assessment method to assess a competency.
4. apply the different properties of assessment in assessing student
performance
5. be acquainted with the properties and types of authentic assessment.

 DIRECTIONS/ MODULE ORGANIZER

This module consists of 5 lessons. The first lesson focuses on the nature
of 21st century learners. Lesson 2 deals setting clear learning targets for
students to be guided on their learning. Lesson 3 is on the use of appropriate
methods in assessing student learning. Lesson 4 addresses the different
properties of assessment like validity, reliability, objectivity and ethics which
can be employed to ensure that proper assessment is done. Introduction to
authentic assessment is transpired in Lesson 5.
As a student, you are expected to read very well each lesson to fully
understand each concept presented. In addition, you are also expected to
submit comprehensive answers to the activities provided in the lessons.
Enjoy learning!

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Lesson 1

 21st CENTURY ASSESSMENT

Next generation learning is not about teaching the next generation of

learners. It is being engaged with today’s learners through 21st century
teaching and learning designs that promise considerably higher achievement
for many students than current-generation approaches have been able to
generate. This aims to help teachers change the experience of learning so
that more students, especially those who are currently underserved, can
achieve significantly better outcomes.

 LEARNING ACTIVITY

Activity 1.1 WHAT IS A 21ST CENTURY LEARNER?

(Marking Standards: Explanation-4, Originality-4, Artistry-2=10 points)

Instructions: In this activity, you are tasked to illustrate your version of a
twenty first century learner. Your illustration must reflect the attributes,
the skills, and the needs of a 21 st century learner. You are encouraged to
be creative, but still based it on reality. Explain your illustration using these
questions:
1. What is a 21st Century Learner?
2. What are the qualities of a 21st
Century Learner?
3. What are the needs of a 21 st Century
Learner and as a teacher how can you
fulfill those needs?

You may use these materials for your

activity:
• Rethinking Learning: The 21st
Century Learner Mac Arthur
Foundation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v
=c0xa98cy-Rw
• How do you define 21st Century
Learning? By Elizabeth Rich
(Education Week)

https://www.edweek.org/tsb/articles/
2010/10/12/01

Take a clear photo of your output and send it to our Google Classroom.

09277150444

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ATTRIBUTES OF NEXT GENERATION LEARNING

(from a Student’s Point of View)

Personalized to my needs and learning goal

Flexible so that I can try different ways to learn
Interactive and engaging to draw me in
Relevant to the life I’d like to lead
Paced by my own progress
Constantly informed by ways of demonstrating
my progress
Collaborative with peers
Responsive and supportive when I need help
Challenging but achievable
Available to me as much as it is to every other
student

Because of globalization, 21st century learning refers to the skills and

technologies that will help our learners to succeed in a world that ever
increasingly requires collaboration, critical thinking, adaptability, grit,
perseverance and relies less on the learning of facts and data. The how and
why of learning becomes far more essential than the what or who from past
models. Learners should have a flexible mindset as they delve into the
challenges of the 21st Century; thus, educators must prepare them for lifelong
learning. They must acquire the Nine I’s of Modern Learning which are
considered important and relevant skills at present. In order to achieve this
goal, teachers need to demonstrate their willingness to change, to be flexible
and to avoid rigidity; to be willing to try new things and fail. Also, students
must be encouraged to try, to be allowed to fail and from that failure learn
and move on. It is time also to involve the parents support system at home.
Educators must understand that there are people with many different talents,
strengths and opinions. They must create an avenue for learners to share
these skills. For example, students must be comfortable with public speaking,
expressing their ideas verbally as well as in written form.

Intrapersonal
Skills
Internet Interpersonal
Citizenship Skills Skills

Innovation
The New Basics for Independent
Creative Skills Success in the Problem Solving
Future: The Nine
I's for Modern
Learning
Interdependent
Imagination
Collaborative
Creative Skills
Skills

Information Information
Communication Investigation
Skills Skills

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What are the STRATEGIES AND TOOLS THAT WORK FOR

factors that “ALWAYS-ON” GENERATION
an educator • Tapping into student interest and relevance
should • Showing students how to ask good questions
consider then • Encouraging risk taking
in giving
• Making real-world connection
assessment
• Showing students how to reflect on their learning
for Next
Generation • Promoting collaborative practices for both teacher
Learning? and students

 LEARNING ACTIVITY
Activity 1.2 21st Century Activity (15 points)

Instruction: Considering the discussion above, complete the table below by

filling it out with activities that can effectively help a 21 st century student
learn a lesson. Don’t forget to explain your activities.

LESSON ACTIVITY
1. Multiplying Fractions

2. Photosynthesis

3. Voices of Verb

4. El Filibusterismo

5. Three Branches of the

Government

Remember: Being familiar with the qualities and needs of you learners is
very important to design a lesson and to decide on what assessment method
to use. So, for 21st Century Assessment, be a creative and innovative teacher.

End of Lesson 1
“It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and
knowledge.”
– Albert Einstein

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Lesson 2

 CLARITY OF LEARNING TARGETS

Imagine yourself walking in a dark place without knowing where to go.

It feels like going into the unknown. It creates discomfort and anxiety. It is
the fear of the unknown, they say. This may also happen when learners are
not aware of or familiar with the goals that the teacher is trying to achieve
in the class. Thus, a teacher should always keep in mind that before starting
a lesson, learning targets or lesson objectives must be presented to the
learners. These learning targets will serve as a guide for the learners in
navigating the lesson. Moreover, presenting the learning targets at the
beginning of the class promotes independent learning and self-monitoring of
progress.

Assessment can be made precise, accurate, and dependable only if

what to be achieved is clear and feasible. This is exemplified when students
set their learning targets. Learning targets according to Macmillan (2007)
are description of performance that includes what learners should know and
be able to do. These learning targets can be knowledge, simple
understanding, deep understanding or reasoning, skills/performance,
products and affect.

Here are the different types of learning targets:

1. Knowledge
It is the simplest and lowest level. It involves remembering or
recalling facts, symbols, details, elements of events and principles to
acquire new knowledge. It is the remembering level of Bloom’s
Taxonomy of Cognitive Domain. Some examples of knowledge verbs
include Knows, lists, names, identifies, recalls, etc. Example of
knowledge targets include
• Identify metaphors and similes
• Read and write quadratic equations
• Describe the function of a cell membrane
• Know the multiplication tables

2. Simple Understanding.
It requires comprehension of concepts, ideas and
generalizations (declarative knowledge) and application of skills and
procedures learned in new situations (procedural knowledge). It is the
understanding and applying levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy of Cognitive
Domain.

3. Reasoning or Deep Understanding

It involves mental manipulation and use of knowledge and
understanding to figure things out and to solve problems. Employs

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knowledge in order to interpret and draw inferences, solve problems,

make judgments or decisions, or engage in creative or critical thinking.

It requires more complex thinking processes. It is the analyzing,

evaluating and creating levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy of Cognitive
Domain.

Reasoning or deep understanding verbs include predicts, infers,

classifies, hypothesizes, compares, concludes, summarizes, analyzes,
evaluates, generalizes, justify, etc. Example of reasoning targets
include
• Use statistical methods to describe, analyze, evaluate, and
make decisions.
• Make a prediction based on evidence.
• Examine data/results and propose a meaningful
interpretation.
• Compare historical fact from opinion.

4. Skills/ Performance
It is proficiency in doing something where the process is most
important. Students use their knowledge and reasoning to act skillfully.
Involves something that a student must demonstrate in a way other
than answering questions. It involves the psychomotor domain of
learning. Examples of skills/performance targets include
• Measure mass in metric and SI units
• Use simple equipment and tools to gather data
• Read aloud with fluency and expression
• Participate in civic discussions with the aim of solving
current problems
• Dribble to keep the ball away from an opponent

Remarks: While skills (example: skills of coloring, language skills,

cooking skills, designing skills, weaving skills) refer to the proficiency of doing
something, competencies are clustered skills (example: artwork
(coloring+language skills), bag making (designing+weaving skills); and
abilities are related competencies (Example: cognitive ability-ability to think
to be able to do a task; psychomotor ability- ability to use physical parts in
doing a task); affective ability- ability to work well with others)

5. Product
It is a substantial and tangible output that showcases a student’s
understanding of concepts and skills subsumes all levels of cognitive
domain. Students use their knowledge, reasoning and skills to create a
concrete product. Examples of product targets include
• Construct a bar graph
• Develop a personal health-related fitness plan
• Construct a physical model of an object
• Write a term paper to support a thesis

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6. Affect
It pertains to attitudes, interests and values students manifest.


It can be assessed through self-assessment and oral questioning.

LEARNING ACTIVITY
Activity 1.3 LEARNING TARGETS
(14 points)

Based on the types of learning targets discussed, write two learning targets
for each type (i.e 2 for knowledge, 2 for simple understanding, 2 for
reasoning/deep understanding, 2 for skills/performance, 2 for affect). You
may use the 2013 Curriculum Guide of the Department of Education as your
reference. Use the following topics for this activity (make sure to pick the
topic based on your specialization)

Topics: Animal Cell (For science majors)

Prepositions (For English majors)
Integers (For Math majors)
Tayutay (For Filipino majors)
World War II (For Social Studies major)

Remember

Learning targets are concrete goals written in student-friendly language that

clearly describe what students will learn and be able to do by the end of a
class, unit, project, or even a course. They begin with an “I can” statement
and are posted in the classroom. The term target is used intentionally, as it
conveys to students that they are aiming for something specific.

End of Lesson 2
“Set goals that excite you and scare you at the same time.”

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Lesson 3

 APPROPRIATENESS OF ASSESSMENT
METHODS

In what ways do learners achieve more learning outcomes? How can we

measure students’ achievements? Assessment of student learning needs the
use of variety of techniques for measuring outcomes which play significant
role in effective teaching and learning processes. Assessment shall be used
mainly as tracker of learners’ progress to the attainment of standards,
promote self-reflection, and personal accountability for one’s learning and
provide a basis for the profiling of student program.
There are variety of assessment methods which can be employed to
assess the performance of students. These assessment methods should focus
on the holistic assessment of students, thus not only that the method be
focused on the knowledge (cognitive level) of the students but also on their
skills (psychomotor level) and attitude (affective level).
The following are some of the methods which can be used to assess the
performance of students:

1. Written Response Instruments

Examples of written response instrument are objective tests, essays,
checklists and tally sheet. Objective test is appropriate for assessing
the various levels of hierarchy of educational objectives. Essays can
test the students’ grasp of the higher level of cognitive skills.
Checklists are for 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 Scale

This is used to rate products like book report, maps, charts, diagrams,
notebooks, creative endeavors. This needs to be developed to assess
various products over the years.

3. Performance Test
This consists of a list of behaviors that make up a certain type of
performance. This is used to determine whether or not an individual
behaves in a certain way when asked to complete a particular task.

4. Oral Questioning
This is appropriate assessment method when the objectives are to
assess the students’ stock knowledge and to determine the students’
ability to communicate ideas in coherent verbal sentence.

5. Observation and Self-Report

These are useful supplementary methods when used in conjunction
with oral questioning and performance tasks.

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 LEARNING ACTIVITY

Activity 1.4 ASSESSMENT METHODS (20 points)

Instructions: Complete the table on Assessment Methods. Write

the most appropriate use of each assessment method. To complete
the Table do not hesitate to do further research. Answer in not
more than one sentence.

Assessment Method When to use it

1. Written response instruments •
2. Multiple Choice •

3. True-False •

4. Matching Type •

5. Short Answer Test •

6. Completion Test •

7. Essay •

8. Product Rating Scales •

9. Performance tests •

10.Performance Checklist •

Remember
The only way that the teacher is convinced that indeed his learners truly have
learned is to conduct an assessment. Regardless of what system and
instrument he employs, through this he is able to discover what are learned
and not, who learned and not and which teaching method is good and not.
Hence, imperative of every teacher is to conduct assessment for him to be
assured that he is indeed a teacher because he has the individual who learned.

End of Lesson 3
“Without teachers, life would have no class.”

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Lesson 4

 PROPERTIES OF ASSESSMENT

An assessment procedure is considered of high quality if that

assessment procedure (1) measures what intends to measure; (2) is consistent
with what the learners specified as they want to know and be able to do; (3)
is unbiased; (4) is executable and easy to assess; and (5) follows some ethical
standards.
The following are some properties of assessment that needs to be
considered in assessing students.

1. Validity
Validity refers to the ability of the instrument to measure what
it intends to measure (accuracy of an assessment). Types of validity
include
1.1.Content validity – content and format validity
- How appropriate and comprehensive is the content and format?
- Does the instrument logically get the intended variable or factor

1.2 Face validity – outward appearance of the test

1.3 Criterion validity- test item is judged against a specific criterion (a

standard test)

1.4 Construct validity – factor loading of an item

2. Reliability
Reliability refers to consistency of assessment method
(precision of an assessment)

Two methods to establish reliability:

2.1 Split-half method – scoring two halves (odd vs even items)
separately for each person
- Spearman Brown Formula
- Kuder-Richardson

2.2 Test-retest method – same test is administered at two different

time periods

3. Fairness

Fairness is an unbiased judgment on the assessment process.

Each student is given the same opportunity to be assessed fairly. To
establish fairness the following rules must be observed:

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3.1 Knowing of learning targets by the students and method of

assessment
3.2 Assessment to be viewed as an opportunity to learn not a
weeding out process for poor and slow learners
3.3 Freedom from teacher-stereotyping. Examples: Boys are better
than girls in Math or girls are better in language than boys.

4. Practicality and Efficiency

Practicality refers to the familiarity of the teacher to the

assessment procedure. In addition, an assessment is practical when it
does not require too much time and it is implementable.

Efficiency of an assessment is established when assessment is

not complex, difficult to score, and should be easy to be interpreted.

5. Ethical

Ethics in assessment refers to the question of right and wrong or

knowing the limitations of assessment

Guide question:
Will any physical or psychological harm come to any one as a result of
the assessment or testing?

Examples of limitations of assessment:

1. Requiring students to answer checklist of their sexual fantasies.

2. Asking pupils to answer sensitive questions without consent from
their parents
3. Testing the mental abilities of pupils using an instrument whose
validity and reliability are unknown
4. Asking students to climb a mountain to test endurance

Remarks:

1. Test results and assessments results are confidential.

2. No deception in assessment.
3. Not to be tempted to assist certain individuals in class during
assessment or testing. (concept of proctors during exam)

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 LEARNING ACTIVITY

Activity 1.5 Properties of Assessment

A. VALID OR RELIABLE? (10 points)

Your school district is looking for an assessment instrument to measure
reading ability. They have narrowed the selection to two possibilities --
Test A provides data indicating that it has high validity, but there is no
information about its reliability. Test B provides data indicating that it has
high reliability, but there is no information about its validity. Which test
would you recommend? Justify your answer.

B. Identify which assessment properties are being illustrated in the

following situations. Place your answer on the space provided before
each number. (10 pts)
_________________1. Teacher A made a summative exam but the coverage
of her exam is beyond the chapters covered during the discussion.
_________________2. Teacher B made a 180 item examination and
administered it for only 60 minutes.
_________________3. In a self observation guide, the assessor included
items too personal for the students to answer.
_________________4. In a classroom setting, during discussion, fast
learners are being favored by the teacher over those slow learners.
_________________5. The teacher made a formative assessment purely
based only on higher levels of cognitive domain. According to him this would
enhance the critical thinking skills of the students.

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Lesson 5

 AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT

In 1935, the distinguished educator Ralph Tyler proposed an "enlarged

concept of student evaluation," encompassing other approaches besides tests
and quizzes. He urged teachers to sample learning by collecting products of
their efforts throughout the year. That practice has evolved into what is today
termed "authentic assessment," which encompasses a range of approaches
including portfolio assessment, journals, products, videotapes of
performances, and projects.

Authentic assessments have many potential benefits. Diane Hart, in her

excellent introduction to Authentic Assessment: A Handbook for Educators,
suggested the following benefits:
1. Students assume an active role in the assessment process. This shift
in emphasis may result in reduced test anxiety and enhanced self-
esteem.
2. Authentic assessment can be successfully used with students of
varying cultural backgrounds, learning styles, and academic ability.
3. Tasks used in authentic assessment are more interesting and
reflective of students' daily lives.
4. Ultimately, a more positive attitude toward school and learning may
evolve.
5. Authentic assessment promotes a more student-centered approach
to teaching.
6. Teachers assume a larger role in the assessment process than
through traditional testing programs. This involvement is more
likely to assure the evaluation process reflects course goals and
objectives.
7. Authentic assessment provides valuable information to the teacher
on student progress as well as the success of instruction.
8. Parents will more readily understand authentic assessments than the
abstract percentiles, grade equivalents, and other measures of
standardized tests.

Authentic assessments are new to most students. They may be

suspicious at first; years of conditioning with paper-pencil tests, searching for
the single right answer, are not easily undone. Authentic assessments require
a new way of perceiving learning and evaluation. The role of the teacher also
changes. Specific assignments or tasks to be evaluated and the assessment
criteria need to be clearly identified at the start. It may be best to begin on
a small scale. Introduce authentic assessments in one area (for example, on
homework assignments) and progress in small steps as students adapt.

Reasons for Using Authentic Assessment

1. Teachers want students to use the acquired knowledge and skills in the real
world, or authentic situations.

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2. Research on learning has found that learners cannot simply be fed

knowledge. They need to construct their own meaning of the world, using
information they have gathered and taught and their own experiences with
the world.
3. It encourages the integration of teaching, learning, and assessing.
4. Learners have different strengths and weaknesses in how they learn.
Similarly, students are different in how they can best demonstrate what they
have learned.

Traditional and Authentic Assessment

Following are the similarities and differences of traditional assessment

and authentic assessment.

Traditional Assessment (TA) Authentic Assessment (AA)

◼ A school’s mission is to ◼ A school’s mission is to develop
develop productive citizens. productive citizens.
◼ To be a productive citizen and ◼ To be a productive citizen, an individual
individual must possess a must be capable of performing meaningful
certain body of knowledge tasks in the real world.
and skills. ◼ Therefore, schools must help students
◼ Therefore, schools must teach become proficient at performing the tasks
this body of knowledge and they will encounter when they graduate.
skills. ◼ To determine if it is successful, the school
◼ To determine if it is must then ask students to perform
successful, the school must meaningful tasks that replicate real world
then test students to see if they challenges to see if students are capable of
acquired the knowledge and doing so.
skills.

Traditional………………………….…………...Authentic
Selecting a Response……………………….…. Performing a Task
Contrived………….…………………………… Real-Life
Recall/Recognition…………....…………....… Construction/Application
Teacher-Structured…………………….……… Student Structured
Indirect Evidence…………………….………… Direct Evidence

In the TA model, the curriculum drives the assessment. “The” body of

knowledge is determined first. That knowledge becomes the curriculum that
is delivered. Subsequently, the assessments are developed and administered
to determine if acquisition of the curriculum occurred.
In AA, assessment drives the curriculum. That is, teachers first
determine the tasks that students will perform to demonstrate their mastery
and then a curriculum is developed that will enable students to perform those
tasks well, which would include the acquisition of essential knowledge and
skills.

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Types of Authentic Assessment

There are three main types of authentic assessment.

1. Performance Assessment
Performance 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. It usually includes a task for students to
perform and a rubric by which their performance on the task will be
evaluated.

2. Portfolio Assessment
A portfolio is a collection of student work that can exhibit a student's
efforts, progress, and achievements in various areas of the curriculum. A
portfolio assessment can be an examination of student-selected samples of
work experiences and documents related to outcomes being assessed, and it
can address and support progress toward achieving academic goals, including
student efficacy.

3. Self-Assessment

One of the more exciting, but underused, dimensions of authentic

assessment is student self-assessment. Students want to know how they are
doing while they are performing some tasks and, even more, they want to
know how well they did when the task is completed. In traditional assessment,
students must wait until post-performance tests have been graded for
feedback. In alternative assessment classrooms, students are encouraged to
engage in self-assessment and to collaborate with teachers to review
performance and decide the next steps in the learning process. One of the
key aspects of student self-assessment has to do with criteria (or standards).
These criteria come in different forms. In “self-referenced” assessment,
learners evaluate performance in light of their own goals, desires, and
previous attainments and thus become more cognizant of present
performance as well as steps that must be taken to extend their learning. In
this type of self-assessment, standards are embedded in the value system and
inherent goals of students. In “standards-referenced” self-assessment,
learners compare their own characteristics of performance against
established standards or criteria.

 LEARNING ACTIVITY

Activity 1.6 Traditional or Authentic Assessment (10 points)

Which is better method of assessing student learning, traditional or
authentic? Justify your answer.

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