{"id":1659,"date":"2023-07-14T12:18:28","date_gmt":"2023-07-14T11:18:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/learning-design\/?p=1659"},"modified":"2023-07-14T12:18:28","modified_gmt":"2023-07-14T11:18:28","slug":"beyond-the-real-world-exploring-authentic-assessment-design","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/learning-design\/?p=1659","title":{"rendered":"Beyond the \u201creal world\u201d: exploring authentic assessment design"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mary Simper ~ Learning Designer<\/em><\/p>\n

The Learning Design team at the OU has been exploring assessment practices, which has led to some rich discussions on accessibility, student choice, learning outcomes and authenticity. Discussions around authentic assessment have led us to think about how we can design assessments, well\u2026 more authentically!<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s start with an analogy…<\/h3>\n

Imagine being given a recipe for the best brownie in the world. Wouldn’t you want to bake and taste the brownies? This is called a taste test<\/em> and it gives bakers the opportunity to experiment before selling products.<\/p>\n

Similarly, authentic assessment provides students with a taste test where they mix, measure, and stir ingredients, applying methods to create a final product. A key stage is reviewing how well the process worked and this is akin to reflection, a major component of authentic assessment.<\/p>\n

Now that we\u2019re all hungry for brownies, here\u2019s a more concrete definition:<\/p>\n

Authentic Assessment Definition:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Authentic assessment places the learner in a context relevant to their studies, goals, and ambitions. It provides them with the opportunity to apply what they\u2019ve learned in this context, and to relate knowledge to both their personal lives and wider society. Reflection is a key component.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The issue with the term \u2018authentic\u2019<\/h3>\n

Authentic assessment is often interpreted as placing students in the \u2018real-world\u2019, which is mostly professionally orientated. We want to avoid this term because it draws a line between the \u2018student world\u2019 and the \u2018real world\u2019 which is unhelpful as it suggests that students won\u2019t occupy the \u2018real world\u2019 until they have finished their studies (which we know is not true).<\/p>\n

Recent literature suggests that it\u2019s \u201cnot simply about the task, but the relationship the person\/student has to the task” (McArthur, 2023). To be truly authentic, then, assessments should provide opportunities for students to understand society, to relate tasks to their identity, sense of self, values, and beliefs and to understand why and how their efforts can have an impact.<\/p>\n

How do we design an Authentic Assessment?<\/h3>\n

We identified five key stages. Some, such as learning outcomes, could be applied to all assessment designs, but others, such as the context and task stage, help us to understand truly authentic assessment design.<\/p>\n

\"'Designing<\/a>
5 steps to designing authentic assessment (click image to expand \u2013 opens in new tab)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Stage 1: Learning outcomes<\/h5>\n

Most assessment designs begin with the learning outcomes (LOs).<\/p>\n

Here is an example LO for a Creative Writing course: \u201c[\u2026] To communicate <\/em>objective evaluations of others\u2019 work through constructive criticism\u201d.<\/p>\n

The verb ‘to communicate’ reveals exactly what we want students to do. This is a good starting point for assessment design. To find out more about LOs, check out Sarah Fulmer’s checklist for creating effective learning outcomes<\/a> (2017).<\/p>\n

Stage 2: Relevant contexts<\/h5>\n

After identifying what students will be doing, we can begin to explore contexts. As mentioned, there\u2019s often an overemphasis on professional contexts in authentic assessment. To avoid this, we\u2019ve broken it down into three categories (work contexts, societal issues\/principles, and personal\/relational contexts). For example, a creative writing course might include the following ideas:<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
LO: \u201cCommunicate objective evaluations of others\u2019 work through constructive criticism\u201d<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Work contexts<\/strong><\/td>\nSocietal issues\/principles<\/strong><\/td>\nPersonal contexts and relationships<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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  • \n
      \n
    • Traditional editorial work (newspapers, magazines)<\/li>\n
    • Working in film and media<\/li>\n
    • Advertising<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

       <\/td>\n

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  • \n
      \n
    • Contributing to a just society relying on peer review<\/li>\n
    • Objectivity reflects society\u2019s emphasis on scientific approaches<\/li>\n
    • Balanced communication strengthens international relations<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n
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