I use authentic assessment in my online course. The student's completed assignments are saved in a portfolio. As the instructor, I review the portfolio to provide comments, suggestions, and/or corrections needed to make the assignment error-free.
I have taken real world events from the news and provided the details to the students. I then provide links or sources, if necessary, if they want additional information. They are then asked to consider what they have learned thus far and also apply the knowledge they already possessed and comment on the situation. This allows them to show how they can apply what they already knew coupled with what they have learned and apply it to what is going on in the world.
Patty,
Yes, and they have to make decisions in their own learning. Great post.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Dale,
Do you have them share the results with the others? I think that is important!
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Dale,
Great idea! It does give you an idea of how they incorporate their learning. Sharing it would also be interesting.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Angela,
No, you don't have much creativity in your course but that is ok; you have to use the assessment that best matches your objectives.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Yes, I have used authentic assessments in writing courses (portfolios) and in speech courses (performances). I find these assessments very helpful to evaluate how well the student learned the material.
Trude,
You are spot on. I often ask students to look at real world situations, such as in their work, and apply concepts learned from class to a problem. I really like the fedback I get when students tell me that they applied something and it worked!
Dr. Kelly,
I have not had much use with it, but if I had to pick one, it would be observations. I look at what students are saying, and how they relate their elife experience into the classroom discussion. I think our students bring a wealth of experience to the class, and we should use that as part of the overall learning experience.
I have not used authentic assessments. I primarily teach medical coding. This provides no room for creativity, the information is based on rules and regulations. I do see that performance and observations could be used. I will investigate methods in which I could incorporate this in my courses.
Rene,
What a great idea. You may want to have students create "training" videos. We all learn more when we have to teach someone else.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Colleen,
Well, do you use anything like a simulation or what we use to call a "practice set" There are online homework systems that will allow you to do that and create that authentic assessment. It is practical and can be easy to grade.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
In our healthcare program, there are a number of assessments which must me hands on or performance-based. However, with regard to portfolios, they can include written work, PowerPoint presentations or similar media, as well as other media in order to portray or showcase their work. Also, they would be graded on the ability to demonstrate understanding applied through the portfolio, for example, or how to instruct others with said resources, for patient education, as an example.
I teach accounting, and haven't used authentic assessment in my online courses. Accounting concepts are difficult for students to grasp in the online environment, and I feel very pressed for time as I try to cover all the course objectives. I'm not sure how I could incorporate an authentic assessment into the course, where it would create learning value for my students.
Linda,
Good for you! It is important to have that assessment tool for your performance. It makes sense! You have to practice the skill to be good!
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Thomas,
I think you have the beginning of a plan. You want them to incorporate their learning in their work and the portfolio can help that.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
I have not used much in the way of portfolios,but it does sound like a good approach. I try to get my working adults to share their own experiences that relate to the topic.
I also create real world tasks for them to complete so in this sense they are "authentic" tasks and the feedback does relate to that. I think this is good in another way: It helps them imagine themselves in the workplace and might motivate them to try harder.
Thanks,
Tom
As I have mentioned in the previous discussion, I tend to use performance-based assessments because my students have to demonstrate through essay writing that they are capable of actually writing a coherent composition. In my effective speaking class, they must demonstrate an ability to use principles of effective speaking by doing a speech.
Matthew,
You have such a great venue for authentic assessment. Don't you feel that they make interesting critical thinking decisions to determine the quality of their work?
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Lauren,
Good! I think you will find other benefits in the process; particularly in student critical thinking. Just make sure that there is a good assessment of the authentic assessment. That is the key. good luck.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
