Develop authentic assessments

What is authentic assessment?

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” (Mueller, 2005). Authentic assessments are generally complex tasks tied to real-world contexts that ask students to integrate a variety of skills and knowledge. A few examples of authentic assessments include:

• A climate action proposal and video
• A marketing plan to meet a client’s needs
• Interpretive gallery labels for photographs from an archive

Principles of authentic assessment

Regardless of the context in which the course is given, authentic assessment is guided by the following principles:

1. Real-world relevance and holistic approach 
   • Authentic assessments mirror the complexities and ambiguities of real-life situations. They require students to use their judgment and innovate while applying their knowledge and skills in contexts that resemble professional or real-world settings (Wiggins, 1990). Rather than focusing on isolated skills or elements of knowledge, authentic assessments evaluate students’ abilities in a holistic manner, often integrating multiple disciplines or areas of knowledge (Wiggins, 1998).
2. Performance or application-based 
   • Authentic assessments are often performance-based, requiring the creation of a product or the demonstration of a skill. This approach assesses students’ ability to actively perform or produce something with their knowledge (Herrington & Herrington, 2006).
3. Integration of higher-order thinking skills
   • These assessments typically involve tasks that require higher-order levels of learning, such as critical thinking, problem-solving, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation, rather than just recall of facts (Mueller, 2005). Authentic assessments consider the student’s ability to efficiently and effectively use a repertoire of knowledge and skills to negotiate a complex task (Wiggins, 1998). 
4. Assessment as learning with tailored feedback and reflection
   • In authentic assessment, the process of evaluation itself is a learning experience. This approach encourages reflective practice and self-assessment, allowing students to learn from the process of completing the assessment (Ashford-Rowe et al., 2014). There are generally multiple practice opportunities that are scaffolded and for which students get feedback and can refine their performances or products (Nguyen, 2023).  

Drawing on McLoughlin and Luca (2006) and Fitzsimmons (2006), Herrington and Herrington (2006) describe two examples from different contexts that work well to illustrate the principles.

Why use authentic assessment?

Support an inclusive learning environment 

• Authentic assessment embraces the core values of the UDL framework and guidelines by providing students with multiple means of engagement, representation, action and expression (Nguyen, 2023). 

Promote deeper understanding in your students  

• Authentic assessment encourages the development of critical thinking, problem-solving, teamwork, and the ability to articulate and defend one’s work. This type of assessment asks students to demonstrate that they have accurately constructed meaning about what they have been taught (Mueller, 2005). 

Increase student motivation and engagement 

• Given that relevance is one of the key factors contributing to increased motivation, students are generally more involved when tasks mimic real-world challenges (Mueller, 2005). 

Align assessments with educational goals

• If we want our students to be able to use the skills and knowledge they’ve learned, then authentic assessments give students opportunities to apply their learning in authentic situations (Mueller, 2005; Wiggins,1998). 

Enhance academic integrity 

• Authentic assessment encourages genuine understanding and personal engagement with the material, involving tasks that require original thought, analysis, and application, making it difficult for students to simply copy answers. 

Authentic assessment and experiential learning

Authentic assessment is particularly well suited to assessing experiential learning. At Concordia, experiential learning engages students in hands-on experiences and reflection so that they are better able to apply the knowledge gained in the classroom to real-world situations, face society’s challenges and respond to the labour needs of a rapidly changing world.

The assessment component of experiential learning can be challenging since this kind of learning entails diverse learning experiences, an emphasis on soft skills (e.g., teamwork, problem-solving, adaptability) and personalized learning paths. 

Authentic assessment is better suited to evaluate this kind of learning over standard measurements and traditional testing methods. That’s because authentic assessment can:  

• Account for the variability in students’ learning experiences by measuring the application of knowledge and skills in real-world scenarios. 
• Allow for a more holistic and nuanced evaluation of both hard and soft skills, process and product. 
• Be tailored to individual learning experiences, providing a more accurate picture of student learning and development.

Resources to learn more 

Guides on authentic assessment

• Authentic Assessment Toolbox created by Jon Mueller, Professor of Psychology at North Central College, includes authentic assessment examples from different disciplines
• What is Authentic Assessment? A Full Guide for Educators

Experiential learning at Concordia

• Find resources for faculty and staff on experiential learning at Concordia.
• Read about an example of industry-based learning in supply chain and business technology management.
• Read about an example of community-based learning in journalism.