Trista,
I am with you. I have used it this week to teach me a function in SPSS! I also found that there are some very well produced videos that do a much better job than I do.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Chastity,
I agree with you. Do you help your students with thinking skills. I find not everyone has the same tools in the toolbox.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Trude,
Well, that really depends on the nature of your students. Some of my students don't have life experiences and "don't know what they don't know" I have to provide them with context.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Trude,
You are right. I have used their case studies often.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Casey,
You bring up a great point. It can be overwhelming. You may have one project with many pieces to hit. Start small.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Christen,
I agree with you! Students must demonstrate the skill. This can be done with technology. I have students use their phones if they have to shoot video. It is a device they are familiar with.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Joel,
I am glad you mentioned portfolio. Not only does this allow you to showcase authentic and alternative assessments, it can force students to decide what best represents their knowledge or skill.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Joel,
You want students to be able to demonstrate the skill or attainment of knowledge. Does your rubric allow you to measure that attainment? Is it emmerging, mastered, or nonexistent.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
MeriAnn,
You want to be able to answer the question "so what" before it is raised!
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Jolly,
YES! It is important that you can go up and down that continuum of outcomes, assignments, and assessment.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Sandra,
Wow, how lucky were you? It is a shame that we are surprised when students make a connection and transfer content and skills from one course to another. It indeed qualifies.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Robert,
I agree, adult learners add so much to the authenticity of the subject matter. With traditional learners, it is much more difficult.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Jolly,
True. We give reference but they aren't put in the instruction; but you are right.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Teaching adults has the advantage of having a class of students who have a diversified level of experience, sometimes in multiple fields. What I try to do is first to get to know them by asking them a couple of question about themselves and their work experience.
When we enter into the weekly topics, I ask them how this topic applies to their current or past job, and have them provide information about their own experience.
In an Environmental Science course, using authentic assessment is somewhat of a challenge.
At one time, we had a group project. Each student was to select a type of vehicle, do research, and then using a "higher order of thinking," arrive as a group with the best choice. All choices had some issues; so this required some effort to arrive at a decision. With this assignment, some students had some real experience with the vehicle selection.
Another relevant example is a discussion board exercise. Students are required to track their energy usage for three days. Then discuss changes they can make to their own usage to decrease their carbon footprint and also save money. Some students had previously taken an economics class that they had to complete a similar assignment. So, these students made a connection between two very different classes through a similar data comparison. Also, other students could critique the energy usage chart and offer suggestions to reduce usage. So, based on the definition and elements included in authentic assessment, I believe both examples qualify.
Joel, fortunately, I had the opportunity to revise the TCOs (terminal course objectives) and unit learning outcomes which I then mapped to the assignments and subsequent grading rubrics. That's how I know the grading rubrics were valid and relevant...you start with the TCOs and drive down to the specific unit learning outcomes and grading rubrics.
Good Post! I agree that the discussion is a great way to encourage student to discuss what they learn and how it applies to them.
I have used a lot of hands on projects to record student performance: in a business applications class when discussing the use of powerpoint in business presentations, I had the class create a presentation that they can use to present a current topic that they had already been working on. It showed them that the material they were learning really was applicable.
Mapping the grading rubric to the TCOs is very important. A question for you, how do you know your rubrics are valid?
I have used authentic assessment in internship courses where the students work is an actual project at a real job. Also, in portfolio courses where the student acts as the designer and the instructor plays the part of the client (in a graphic design course).
