A CLOSE LOOK AT STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

If students are well informed about the expected behavior in a course

or subject and have a definite guide during learning activity, they can
attain success. Teachers knows very well what they wish their student to
demonstrate or perform will be the best and desired learning outcomes.
All assessment and evaluation activities should start with the
identification and clarification of the Students Learning Outcomes (SLO).
The identified and clarified student learning outcomes serve as the load
starts that will guide both teachers and students in activities leading to
the attainment of the deserved learning outcomes.
Every college program should have a set of college expectations from
student learning which was agreed by the faculty of the program and all
the students who pass under the college program are expected to
demonstrate. The individual teacher may add his course more student
learning expectations and reflect them on his course more students
learning expectations but must adopt the agreed college program
expectations and reflect them on each course syllabus. Program wide
expectations is important to identified and clarified because they are the
basis of the outcomes assessment process.
The SLO in the teacher education program are the skills, competencies
and values that the students are expected to demonstrate at the end of
the course or subject which are in turn, integrated into the year end
formation of the students as they progress towards becoming
professionals teachers. Attainment of these learning outcomes should be
periodically assessed cooperatively by both teachers and students.
Periodic assessment helps the students determine their strengths and
deficiencies and become active participants in outcome attainment.

AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT: MEANING, CHARACTERISTICS

AND PRACTICES
Both assessment and evaluation are based on the judgment of an
experienced, thoughtful human being an expert. Machines dont assess,
papers dont assess, tests dont assess. Humans assess. And what better
person is there to assess the progress and development of his or her
students than the classrooms teacher.
The terms assessment, evaluation, testing and marks are terms often
used in determining the degree of attainment of student learning
outcomes. It will be useful to clarify their meanings to distinguish them
from one another.
Assessment refers to the process of gathering data and information

about what students know and can do. Such information may be sourced
through observation of students during their learning activities,
examining the results of their learning activities or testing their
knowledge and skills.
Evaluation involves the task of interpreting, forming conclusions and
making judgments about the information which was gathered in the
process of assessment. The data gathered by assessment are neither
useful nor useless but they reflect the learning process.
Testing is an instrument of assessment. A test is an assessment tool
that reflects the records of the students learning outcomes.
Marks are reports of the results of evaluating information obtained in
the assessment process. Marks have certain components related to the
learning activities undertaken by the students. Examples of such
components are:
20
10
20
30
20

%
%
%
%
%

for
for
for
for
for

class participation
completed assignments
quizzes
submitted reports
oral presentation of completed project

100 % TOTAL
Assessment involves review of evidence of learning such as journal
entries, written work, portfolios, skills demonstrations and performance in
learning activities, test results and rubrics ratings which cover a period
time and should reveal the progress of students in competencies.
Evaluation on the other hand occurs when a mark or grade is assigned
after a quiz, a presentation or a completed task.
In recent years, higher education institutions in the Philippines have
joined in the international focus on the need to include in the teaching
learning process the assessment and documentation of student learning
outcomes.

Why Authentic Assessment?

The common practice of using recall and recognition objective the
skills and knowledge they have mastered.
Authentic assessments are products and performances correlated with
real life experiences.
Other names for authentic assessment are performance assessment,

alternative assessment and direct assessment.

Characteristics of Authentic Assessment (AA)

1. AA starts with clear and definite criteria of performance made known to
the students.
2. AA is 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. AA requires students to make their own answers 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. AA often emphasizes performance and therefore students are required
to demonstrate their knowledge, skills or competencies in appropriate
situations.
5. AA encourages both teacher and students to determine their rate of
progress in cooperatively attaining the desired student learning
outcomes.
6. AA does not encourage rote learning and passive taking of tests;
instead, students are required to demonstrate analytical skills, ability
to integrate what they learn, creativity and ability to work in a group,
skills in oral and written communications.
7. AA changes the role of students as passive test takers into becoming
active and involved participants in assessment activities that
emphasize what they are capable of doing instead tests to measure
students skills or retained facts has come under scrutiny because of
the limitation encountered in determining the students capability to
utilize their knowledge and skills in work and professional practice.
While multiple choice, true false or matching tests can be indicators
of academic achievement, teachers and students are often misled by the
results of these tests on the kind of academic work and activities that
need to be mastered.
When students complete high school studies or even college degree,
they are expected to be able to live in the outside world armed with skills
that comply with certain standards. Often, such skills do not involve
mastery of grammar rules and solutions to mathematical problem.

What is Authentic Assessment?

A form of assessment in which students are asked to perform
real world tasks that demonstrate meaningful application of
essential knowledge and skills. Jon Mueller (2011)
Engaging and worthy problems or questions of importance,
in which students must use knowledge to fashion performances
effectively and creatively. The tasks are either replicas of or

analogous to the kind of problems faced by adult citizens and

consumers or professionals in the field. Grant Wiggins (1987)
Performance (authentic) assessments call upon the examinee to
demonstrate specific skills and competencies; that is, to apply of their
weaknesses.
From teacher centered activities, AA encourages a learner centered
class where teachers major role is to help students accept responsibility
for their learning and become self evaluators.

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.
In general, outcome assessment goes through 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 students are 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.
Closing the Loop is demonstrated in a diagram of these phases
adopted from Jon Mueller (2011) of North Central College, Nashville,
Illinois. Both assessment and evaluation are based on the judgment of
an experienced, thoughtful human being the classroom teacher.

Examples of Authentic Assessment Activities

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Doing science experiments

Conducting social science field research
Writing stories and reports
Reading and interpreting literary pieces
Solving mathematical problems that have real world implications
Performing particular skills/competencies
Simulation or role playing
Exhibiting and displaying completed works

9. Submitting portfolios
10. Submitting original creative projects

How does Authentic Assessment Differ from Traditional

Assessment (TA)?
Traditional assessment is commonly associated with pre
determined choice measures of assessment such as multiple choice
tasks, fill in the -0 blanks, true false, matching type and others.
Students typically recall or select the answers. TA springs from the
educational philosophy which involves the following principles and
practices:
1. A schools mission is to develop useful citizens;
2. To be a useful citizen, one must possess a certain body of
knowledge and skills;
3. The school is entrusted to teach this body of knowledge and skills;
4. To determine if the students have acquired these knowledge and
skills, the school must test the students on these knowledge and
skills.
Authentic assessment, on the other hand is grounded on the
following principles and practices:
1. A schools mission is to develop useful citizens;
2. To be a useful citizen, one has to be capable of performing useful
tasks in the real world;
3. The schools duty is to help students develop proficiency in
performing the tasks that they will be required to perform after
graduation in the workplace;
4. The school must then require students to perform tasks that
duplicate or imitate real world situations.

Authentic Assessment Complements Traditional

Assessment
In conclusion, teachers do not have to select between authentic
assessment and traditional assessment. Mastery of knowledge and skills
which is the focus of traditional assessment must be encouraged among
the students to form the foundation on which will be built the activities
that will require students to demonstrate and perform the tasks that they
are expected to perform in the real world.

Authentic Assessment Tools

If we want students to develop such competencies as analyzing,
interpreting, synthesizing and evaluating information, we must be able to
assess those skills in relevant settings and context. Authentic assessment
makes use of three modes of assessment:
Observations which include date and information that the teacher
collects from daily work with students.

Performance samples which are tangible results that demonstrate

student achievements.
Tests and measures of students actual performance at a specific place
and time.

I.

Observations Based Assessment Tools

To make observation based assessment systematic and objective,

Diane Hart (1994) suggested the following guidelines:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Observe not only one but all the students.

Observation must be a frequent and as regular as possible.
Observations must be recorded in writing.
Observations should cover both routine and exceptional
occurrences.
5. Reliability of observation records is enhanced if multiple
observations are gathered and synthesized.
Developmental Checklist is an observation tool which requires the
teacher recorder to describe the traits or learners behavior being
assessed. When used regularly during the school year, developmental
checklists give a moving picture of the students progress towards the
desired competencies.
The Interview Sheet is another observation tool which is also called
the conference recording form. Interview sheets consist of a list of
questions the teacher intends to ask and space for recording the
students answers.

II.

Performance Samples Assessment Tools

A portfolio is a compilation of pieces of evidence of an individuals

skills, ideas, interests and accomplishments. It can be as simple as a
folder of these pieces of evidence, as fancy as a neat scrapbook
containing evidence of a students accomplishments or as high tech as
a laser disk containing stored descriptions, written works and pictures of
the students activities and accomplishments.
The portfolio serves the following purposes:
(a)
(b)
(c)

The teacher can assess the growth and development of the

students at various levels.
Parents are informed of the progress of their children in
school.
Instructional supervisors are able to evaluate the strengths
and weaknesses of the academic program.

What can be included on a portfolio?

(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
(f)
(g)
(h)
(i)
(j)

Essays
Video tapes
Audio tapes
Conference note
Pictures
Graphs/chart
Art work
Group reports
Compact disk
Field reports

Employability Competencies Portfolio

Academic Competencies
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Can
Can
Can
Can
Can

understand printed materials

use research and library skills
use technology in preparing oral presentation
use scientific method in solving problems
write and speak effectively in English and Filipino

Personal Management Competencies

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Attends school work daily punctually

Meets school deadlines
Knows personal strengths and weaknesses
Demonstrates self control
Can follow oral and written instructions
Can work without supervision
Can learn new skills

Team Work Competencies

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Can participate actively in a group

Knows and respects groups values
Listens to other group members
Can express ideas to other group members
Can be either leader or member of a team
Can adjust in changing settings and people

III.

Performance Assessment Tools

Student achievements at a specific place and time are actual student

performances that deserve to be assessed. One of the most frequently
used measurements instrument is the checklist. A performance checklist
consists of a list of behaviors that make up a certain type of performance.
It is used to determine whether or not an individual behaves in a certain
way when asked to complete a particular task.

Oral questioning is an appropriate assessment method for actual

performance when the objectives are: (a) to assess the students stock
knowledge and/or (b) to determine the students ability to communicate
ideas in coherent verbal sentences. While oral questioning is indeed an
option for assessment, several factors need to be considered when using
this option. Of particular significance are the students state of mind and
feelings, anxiety and nervousness in making oral presentations that could
mask the students true ability.
Observations and self reports need a tally sheet as device when
used by the teacher to record the frequency of student behaviors,
activities or remarks. A self checklist is a list of several characteristics or
activities presented to the subjects of a study.
The students are asked to study the list and then to place a mark
opposite the characteristics that they possess or activities in which they
have engaged for a particular length of time.
Observation and self reports are useful supplementary assessment
methods when used in conjunction with oral questioning and performance
tests.

Final
Requiremen
t
for
Assessment
2
Charlot D. Khumichu
BSEd FIL III
(Student)
Mrs. Consolacion C. Sombillo
(Instructor)