Authentic assessment
Part 2 of a series on different forms of assessment
Professor Don McAlpine NZAGC patron
Reprinted with permission from McAlpine, D. (2000) Assessment and the Gifted.
Tall Poppies, 25 (1).
In part 1 of this series I discussed the relevance of portfolio assessment for students with special abilities. Portfolio assessment is an example of performance-based assessment. In part 2 of this series authentic assessment will be briefly examined. Like portfolio assessment, it is another example of performance-based assessment.
What is meant by performance-based assessment? Performance assessment "tries to determine if a learner really knows about something" (Tombari and Borich, 1999, pg 147). You can fluke a multiple choice test but you cannot fluke authentic assessments. Tombari and Borich go on to say that performance assessment does not ask for simple recall but challenges learners to organise knowledge and apply it to a problem-solving situation. Authentic assessment sharpens this focus to real life problem solving contexts, often outside the school gates. Similarly Linn and Gronlund (1995) claim that authentic assessment "emphasizes the practical application of the tasks in real world settings" (pg 238) [For further differentiation between performance assessment and authentic assessment see Meyer (1993)].
Assessment that focuses on real life problem-solving activities is closely related to the research tasks associated with Type III activities of Renzulli's (1977) enrichment triad model. Authentic assessment and Renzulli's Type III problem solving and research activities are made for each other. This relationship will become more apparent as the attributes of authentic assessment are developed.
What, then, are some of the attributes of authentic assessment and how do these relate to some of the characteristics of gifted and talented students?
Authentic assessment attempts to mirror problem solving in real life contexts. It looks at the big picture. It involves complex interrelationships, and it values an interdisciplinary approach. These attributes are all in tune with the characteristics of gifted and talented learners. Such learning and assessment activities supply gifted and talented students with real and worthwhile challenges. Tombari and Borich (1999) also point out that authentic learning and assessment enhances intrinsic academic motivation. Students become hooked on real life problem solving and assessment. This brings its own reward and motivates students to higher levels of performance. Authentic assessment reflects the kinds of activities, tasks, and challenges typical of adult life – the performances that writers, engineers, architects, and business people accomplish. For example they write poems and plays, build bridges, plan community developments, monitor traffic flow, and make, market and sell a product. As Tombari and Borich (1999) comment, "In the world outside your classroom, writers are allowed to consult dictionaries; scientists to consult with colleagues; historians to have access to libraries; mathematicians to use calculators and other equipment to solve problems; and researchers to have time to prepare, rethink, revise, and complete an experiment" (pg 3).
Accomplishments that derive from such learning and assessment include (i) products, for example, books, plays, maps, exhibits, (ii) cognitive processes, for example, higher level thinking including analysis, synthesis, evaluation and creativity, as well as skills in acquiring, organising and using information, (iii) performances, for example, conducting experiments and research, presenting findings, performing a play, and (iv) attitudes and social skills, for example, attitudes toward cultural diversity, scientific attitudes, and interviewing individuals and groups.
Authentic assessment is further characterised by the following attributes (Resnick, 1987; Wiggins, 1989, 1992).
- There is a close relationship between learning and assessment contexts. In other words assessment is embedded naturally in learning. This makes assessment more natural for the learner.
- Authentic assessment is complex, involving many different skills and aspects of knowledge as learning and assessment develop. For example it may involve searching relevant literature, interviewing, map making, experimenting, and making a product. The assessments will relate to these different skills. As a consequence, authentic assessment often yields multiple solutions.
- The assessment process may continue over a relatively long time frame as teaching and learning proceed. This contrasts with testing situations which are all over in 30 minutes or an hour. Wiggins (1989) points out that "authentic tests do not rely on unrealistic and arbitrary time constraints nor do they rely on secret questions or tasks. They tend to be like portfolios .... the general task is to assess longitudinal control over the essentials" (pg 71).
- Authentic assessment is nonalgorithmic, that is, the path of action is not fully specified in advance. As in real life projects an overall plan may be determined but surprises occur and tangents taken. In some respects there may be a degree of ambiguity and uncertainty with tasks and the assessment, because everything that bears on the task is not known at the outset. Many gifted and talented students, particularly the highly creative ones, enjoy this kind of thinking.
- Authentic assessment can involve both individuals working alone or in small groups. Gifted and talented students often like to work on their own, at least for some of the time, when problem solving. Wiggins (1989) further comments that authentic assessment encourages self-regulatory skills and higher order thinking. Thus students monitor their own development of skills and accept challenges to work on tasks requiring critical evaluation and creativity. Again, this is ideally suited to gifted and talented students.
- With authentic assessment, students are much more autonomous. They are also more involved in planning their own tasks and assessment procedures. In authentic assessment the focus of control often rests with the student, for example, in the choice of topics to investigate, in the methodology of the investigation, and in some of the techniques of assessment.
- Hast (1994) further adds that "instead of being passive test takers students become active participants in assessment activities – activities that are designed to reveal what they can do instead of highlighting their weaknesses'(pg 11). Similarly, Tombari and Borich (1999) stress that authentic instruction and assessment are designed to produce the "learner's best rather than typical performance".
- Authentic assessment offers real challenges based on real tasks. Wiggins (1989) emphasises that tasks in authentic assessment are "scaffolded up" and not "dumbed dow". How relevant for the gifted and talented. He further points out that authentic assessment is effortful and requires considerable mental work to solve problems that may arise. Students are encouraged to use Bloom's higher level thinking skills such as analysis, synthesis, evaluation, and application. In authentic assessment students often meet new challenges and problems not found in text books. Sometimes it is necessary to adopt new ways of thinking to solve such problems. Sometimes, too, even the brighter students may fail.
- Wiggins (1989) notes that authentic tests are "contextualized complex challenges, not fragmented static lists of tasks. They culminate in the student's own research or product, for which 'content' is to be mastered as a means, not as an end. Authentic tests assess student habits and repertoires. They are not simply restricted to recall and do not reflect lucky or unlucky one-shot responses" (pg 71).
- Scoring assessment tasks can be complex, in that a wide range of scoring techniques may be required. For example it is unlikely that many of the tasks will have a simple right/wrong answer. Sometimes scoring criteria have to be determined before a particular product can be assessed. Sometimes rating scales and checklists need to be made. Scoring criteria are often developed in partnership with the student. Sometimes self-assessment is appropriate. It must be admitted that scoring authentic tasks places a challenge on teachers. It is definitely helpful if they have some background in educational assessment.
- Related to scoring are issues of reliability and validity. How well does authentic assessment fare in terms of these two constructs? Authentic assessments have a claim to high face validity they give the appearance of being valid assessments. More substantial, however, is their claim to high content validity. Authentic assessments sample a wide domain of content that matches the real world. There are also claims of high predictive validity. Authentic assessment, if used consistently over time, is said to predict adult performance better than more conventional pencil and paper tests.
What of reliability? It is not possible to construct parallel forms of authentic tests to establish equivalent-form reliability. Neither are test-retest or split-half methods of determining reliability appropriate. Claims for the reliability of authentic assessment rest mainly on "repeated measures", or in this case, on "repeated performances" over time.
While the emphasis of the discussion on authentic assessment has been on its relevance for gifted and talented students as part of their on-going learning and assessment in the classroom, Piirto (1999) claims that authentic assessment can be used to identify gifted and talented students. One of the difficulties, however, in using authentic assessment for identification purposes would be the length of time involved in the process, as well as the possible lack of comparability in the performance of other students.
To summarise, authentic assessments:
- go to the heart of essential learnings, to the understandings and abilities that matter to us
- are educational and engaging
- reflect real-life, interdisciplinary challenges
- recognize and value students' multiple abilities, varied learning styles, and diverse backgrounds
- present students with complex, ambiguous, open-ended problems and tasks that integrate knowledge and skills
- often culminate in student products or performances
- are standard setting, pointing students toward higher, richer levels of knowing (Hast, 1994).
In conclusion, it is interesting to identify the characteristics attributed to the gifted and talented that relate most to authentic assessment, and to recap the characteristics of Type III activities in Renzulli's enrichment triad model (Renzulli, 1987).
Amongst the characteristics of gifted children listed by Moltzen (1996), the following appear to relate closely to authentic learning and assessment. When examined in the light of the total number of characteristics noted by Moltzen (pg 47-51), the list below represents a surprisingly high number of them. One would be hard pressed to find other forms of assessment that could match the list that follows:
- Preference for the more complex
- Ability to integrate idea
- Preference for activities that are open ended
- Creative ability
- Flexibility
- Tolerance for ambiguity
- Ability to see unusual and diverse relationships
- Goal directedness
- Persistence
- Intrinsic motivation
- Advanced comprehension
- Energy
- Self-confidence
- Reflectiveness
The similarity between authentic learning and assessment on the one hand and the characteristics associated with Type III activities on the other is also very striking. Maker (1982) lists the characteristics as follows. She could well be talking about authentic assessment.
- The child takes an active part in formulating both the problem and the methods by which the problem will be attacked.
- There is no routine method of solution or recognised answer, although there may be appropriate investigative techniques upon which to draw and criteria by which a product can be judged.
- The area of investigation is of genuine interest to an individual or small group, rather than being a teacher-determined topic or activity.
- Students use raw data rather than the conclusions reached by others as their information in reaching conclusions and making generalisations.
- The student engages with a producer's rather than a consumer's attitude, and in so doing, takes the necessary steps to communicate results in a professionally appropriate manner.
- There should always be a tangible product that is presented to a real rather than contrived audience.
Series 3 will discuss the role of self-assessment in the learning and assessment of gifted and talented students.
References
Hast, D. (1994) Authentic assessment: A handbook for educators. California: Addisson-Wesley.
Linn, R.L., and Gronlund, N.E. (1995) Measurement and assessment in teaching (7th Edition). Columbus, Ohio: Merrill.
Maker, J. (1982) Teaching models in the education of the gifted and talented. USA: Aspen Publications.
Meyer, C.A. (1993) What's the difference between authentic and performance assessment? Fair Test Examiner. Fall, 1993.
Moltzen, R. (1996) Characteristics of gifted children. In, D. McAlpine and R. Moltzen (Eds) Gifted and Talented: New Zealand perspectives. Palmerston North: ERDC Press, Massey University.
Piirto, J. (1999) Talented Children and Adults: Their development and education. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Renzulli, J.S. (1977) The enrichment triad model: A guide for developing defensible programs for the gifted and talented. Wethersfield, CT: Creative Learning Press.
Resnick, L. (1987) Education and learning to think. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
Tombari, M., and Borich, G. (1999) Authentic assessment in the classroom: Applications and practice. Columbus, Ohio: Merrill.
Wiggins, G. (1989) A true test: Toward more authentic and equitable assessment. Phi Delta Kappan, May.
Wiggins, G. (1992) Creating tests worth taking. Educational Leadership, May.
Acknowledgement
The author wishes to acknowledge some helpful comments from Dr. Jenny Poskitt in reading the script.