Lesson 3

Authentic and Traditional Assessment

Figure 3.1 Sparks form as the welding rod meats a metal; in a technical education, welding is a form of authentic assessment

I n measuring correctly what students have learned, teachers should use a tool that will determine the combined knowledge
and skills of the students. This alternative assessment method is called authentic assessment. This module orients on this
method of assessing learning by identifying first the importance of authentic assessment and distinguish the difference and
similarities of authentic assessment from traditional assessment.
Intended Learning Outcomes The Essence of Authentic Assessment
•Identify the importance of
According to Mueller (2006), authentic assessment is a form of assessment in
authentic and traditional assess-
which students are asked to perform real-world tasks that demonstrate meaning-
ment.
ful application of essential knowledge and skills. It is a process of engaging on
•Define authentic assessment.
worthy problems wherein students have to use knowledge to develop practical and
•Determine the importance of
creative performances on tasks that are either replica of or analogous to the kinds
authentic assessment.
of problems people face in the real world. It usually includes a task for the stu-
•Compare and contrast authentic
dents to perform and a rubric by which their performance will be gauged.
and traditional assessments.
This type of assessment accomplishes the following goals:
•Requires students to develop responses rather than select from prede-

temined options;
Prepared by
•Elicits higher-order thinking in addition to basic skills;
Jose Ariel R. Ibarrientos, LPT, PhD •Directly evaluates holistic projects;
Professor
•Synthesizes with classroom instruction;
•Uses samples of student work or portfolios collected over an extended peri-
Assessment of od.
Learning 1 •Stems from clear criteria made known to students;
•Allows for the possibility of multiple human judgments;
•Relates more closely to classroom learning; and
•Teaches students to evaluate their works.
 D I 3S
Lesson CUSSION
Educators call authentic assessment by alternative names, notable among which are the following: performance assess-
ment, alternative assessment, and direct assessment.
It is called performance assessment, as learners are required to do meaningful and realistic tasks. Meyer, as cited by Muel-
ler (2006), regards authentic assessment as performance assessment as learners are asked to perform real-world or authentic
tasks/contexts.
Authentic assessment can also be called alternative assessment. This is because accurate assessment is an alternative way
of measuring and evaluating students’ learning, which is different from the traditional form of assessment.
It is also commonly called direct assessment. This is attributable to the reality that authentic assessment provides more
direct evidence of meaningful application of knowledge and skills. Getting a perfect score in an objective or essay test is not
a guarantee that the student can apply what he had learned in a real-world context. Their direct demonstration of knowledge
and skills is the best indicator of that learning.
SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN AUTHENTIC AND TRADITIONAL ASSESSMENTS
Mueller (2006) asserted that both traditional and authentic assessments share the belief that ‘the school’s primary mission
is that of assisting society in developing productive citizens. Nevertheless, traditional assessment is anchored on the educa-
tional philosophy that adopts the following reasoning and practice:
•A school’s mission is to develop productive citizens.
•An individual needs to acquire a specific body of knowledge and skills to become a productive citizen
•Schools are therefore obliged to teach this body of knowledge and skills.
•The school must then test students to see if they acquired this knowledge and skills. If they do, then the school is suc
cessful in its mission.

AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT
TRADITIONAL ASSESSMENT
SIMILARITIES
-The forced-choice mea- -Authentic assessment is
rooted in the following rea-
sures of multiple- choice >The curriculum drives as- soning and practice (Mueller,
tests, fill-in-blanks, true- sessment in the traditional type 2006)
false, matching and the like of assessment. - A school’s mission is to de-
that have been and remain velop productive citizens.
so common in schools -To be a productive citizen,
>Knowledge and skills are first identi- the student must be able to
(Mueller, 2006). fied, which become the curriculum for perform meaningful tasks in
the students to complete.
the real world.
-Students typically select an -The school must, therefore,
answer or recall information >Assessment follows after the im- proficient assist students in becoming
to complete the assessment.
at performing tasks
plementation of the curriculum to they are to encounter when
These tests may either be determine whether the school is they graduate.
standardized or teach- successful or not in accom- -The school must then re-
er-made types of assess- plishing its essential mis- quire students to perform
ment. meaningful tasks that repli-
sion. cate real world challenges
to see if they are capable
of doing so. When they
do, then the school is suc-
cessful.

Teachers have to first determine what students have to perform to demonstrate their mastery. Then the curriculum is de-
veloped that will facilitate their performance of the tasks well. Thus, to assess what students had learned in math, history, and
science, teachers have to ask students to perform tasks that parallel mathematicians’ challenges, do historical investigations,
or conduct scientific inquiries or laboratory experiments.
When authentic and traditional assessments are compared, the nature of the review and item response format reveals that
they serve distinct purposes. Teachers can teach students mathematics, history, and science rather than memorize them. Then,
to assess what the students have learned, they can assign tasks that “replicate the difficulties” encountered by those working
with mathematics, history, or science.
Traditional assessment involves learners selecting a response, whereas authentic assessment requires learners to complete
a task based on the item about which they are informed. Traditional evaluation is artificial, whereas authentic evaluation oc-
curs in real life. Traditional assessment is defined as recall or recognition; it is structured by the teacher and includes indirect
evidence; authentic assessment is defined as construction or application; it is student-structured and includes direct evidence.
Assessment of Learning 1 Jose Ariel R. Ibarrientos, LPT, PhD
 DEFINING ATTRIBUTES OF THE TWO TYPES OF ASSESSMENT

TRADITIONAL ASSESSMENT AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT
Selecting a Response Performing a Task
Contrived Real-life
Recall/Recognition Construction/Application
Teacher-structured Direct Evidence

Selecting a Response to Performing a Task. Students are given several options and asked to choose the correct re-
sponse in traditional assessment. On the other hand, students are asked to demonstrate understanding of a complex task,
representing a meaningful application of what they learned.

Contrived to Real-life. In traditional assessment, tests offer contrived means of demonstrating proficiency in a short
period, which runs counter to life outside the school. In authentic assessment, students are asked to demonstrate ability
by actually doing something.
Recall/Recognition of Knowledge to Construction/Application of Knowledge. In traditional assessment, the ability
to recall or recognize information is the ultimate indicator of a student’s acquisition of a body of knowledge, which is a
poor measure of their proficiency. Nonetheless, the ability to construct a product or performance out of facts, ideas, and
propositions can reveal what the student really knowsr45t and can do when asked to do so. This is because authentic
assessment requires students to analyze, synthesize and apply what they have learned substantially. Likewise, they can
create new meaning in what they do in the process.
Teacher-structured to Student-structured. In traditional assessment,, students demonstrate what has been prepared
by the teacher, and therefore, their attention will be focused on and limited on the contents of the test. On the other hand,
authentic assessment enables more choice and construction in determining what is presented as proof of proficiency.
Indirect Evidence to Direct Evidence. Although students can answer correctly questions posed by the teacher in
the quiz or summative examination, there is no clear proof that they can meaningfully apply what they learned in com-
plex real-world situations. Thus, evidence of what students can and will do in traditional assessment is indirect. On the
contrary, the authentic assessment provides more direct proof of application and construction of knowledge. Asking a
student to write a critique of the arguments his classmate has presented can provide very clear evidence of his skill in
critiquing than asking him several multiple-choice questions or analytical questions about a quoted passage.
Traditional and authentic approaches to assessments also vary in terms of adhering to the practice of teaching to the
test (Mueller, 2006).
Teachers are discouraged from teaching the test under the traditional model of assessment. This is because a test is
used in assessing a sample of students’ knowledge and understanding and assumes that students’ performance on the
sample is typical of their understanding of all relevant materials. If teachers focus on the sample to be tested during
actual instruction, then good performance does not necessarily reflect understanding of all the material. Teachers, there-
fore, hide the test so that the sample is not known beforehand. Thus, they are warned from teaching the test.

ADDITIONAL READING ONLINE REFERENCES

Assessment of Learning 1 Jose Ariel R. Ibarrientos, LPT, PhD

Choose a partner and discuss why is there a need to use authentic assessment in assessing what students
have learned. Type your answer and send it to our google classroom. Please be guided by the following
rubric.

ACTIVITY #2

Use a concept map to show the similarities and differences between Authentic and Traditional Assess-
ment. Please be guided by using this rubric.

Assessment of Learning 1 Jose Ariel R. Ibarrientos, LPT, PhD

What is the essence of authentic assessment?

How does authentic assessment differ from traditional assessment?

REFERENCES

Garcia, Carlito D., (2013) Measuring and Evaluating Learning Outcomes, 2nd Edition., Books Atbp.
Publishing Corp., Mandaluyong City.

https://abdao.wordpress.com/2015/07/18/traditional-vs-authentic-assessment/?fbclid=I-
wAR0INpta8HbwU64sWTCEWwv-4lW6q5h0r27n7jtydVXZ9C_9gm5mFHVxZz4

Assessment of Learning 1 Jose Ariel R. Ibarrientos, LPT, PhD