I teach Presentation Skills online, so the students actually both perform a presentation and also observe other student presentations. I find that just learning about presentations without actually performing one means that the information is not internalized nearly as well.
Professor Christen Embry
AIU Online
Authentic assessment can seem overwhelming at first. Take little steps such as collecting data one day a week, analyzing it, and using the results to group students for the next week. Use a goal-setting sheet with other teachers and lay out short- and long-term plans to achieve those goals. Develop a system to track learning that works for you. Set time limits for collecting and analyzing data so you don't set the bar too high for yourself.
Harvard Business School knew this years ago, way before educators invented these terms.
The best use of authentic assessment is when the student selects a problem or opportunity from their own job and uses theories/concepts from the course to come up with a solution.
This is, perhaps, the ideal case and can be a useful strategy in Corporate Education where the members of the class are experiencing the same or similar environments.
We are limited in our online classes because our student population is so diverse. We can not expect that all of the students in our class will have a rich real life situation to use in the assignment. Choice of a situation that doesn't meet the requirements of the assignment will make learning and assessment difficult if not impossible.
Therefore, we usually use the 2nd best approach and provide our students with hypothetical scenarios to deal with. If the course designer or instructor who is charged with writing the scenario has a lot of practical experience in the field, they can create a challenging, scenario that includes the concepts that students need to address.
I love, love, love the assignments that require my students to engage in higher-order thinking. The formats I have used for authentic assessment range from relatively short answer essays to long-term projects that require students to present or demonstrate their work.
I earnestly feel that learning and practicing how to apply important knowledge and skills for authentic purposes is the most relevant way for students to learn.
I also have a new-found appreciation for YouTube! I facilitate an Excel learning lab for my employer and have sent YouTube links to students who have asked for help with completing such tasks as creating a Gantt chart and conducting a hypothesis test. It's great when I don't have to reinvent the wheel to provide direct answers to student questions!
All assignments for courses offered by my employer would be classified as authentic assessments. Students are presented with questions related to possible real-world scenarios and required to combine their existing knowledge and course learning to develop reasonable responses to those questions. Students must conduct research in the classroom or the campus library and perhaps beyond, must paraphrase and interpret their research findings in order to develop responses that are suitable to the assignment questions, and must support their work in compliance with the accepted format guidelines. I post rubrics for each assignment in order to provide the students with something of a checklist as they develop their response and also as an aid to my grading process.
I use authentic assessments in all my online courses. The entire courses build upon performance and observation in which students have the availability to prove mastery through real world deliverables. I have found this to yield greater critical thinking skills and encourage action oriented solutions among students. Online tools, which promote collaborative learning through discussions, presentation tools, reading utilizing e books which can be shared, and writing has proven to enhance students knowledge and skills in preparation for the professional world they met after graduation. I believe authentic assessment is imperative to engage students to conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and or evaluating information gathered from or generated by observation, experience, reflection reasoning, or communication yielding intellectual excellence.
I found it interesting in this module that Donald Kirkpatrick's 4 levels of evaluation were mentioned, but there was no accompanying references/sources, and no further discussion. That said, student evaluations (level 2) are one component of course evaluation, and the other components (level 3-transfer and level 4-results), are very important because they measure if what was learned is "transferred" (level 3) to job and subsequent transfer (aka application) had any results (level 4). Basically, Kirkpatrick's 4 levels is the genesis of formative evaluation.
My particular expertise is in instructional design & technology, and subsequently facilitate an online graduate degree program where the four course specialization focuses on instructional design, instructional technology, computer based learning, and online learning: theory and practice. That said, all of the "specialization" assessments are "authentic" based in that the student deliverables are based upon real world deliverables reflecting commensurate with the ID&T profession. To that end, the grading rubric components are mapped to the terminal course objectives (TCOs) which reflect the core competencies required of the ID&T profession. By using authentic assessments, the students will enter their profession with the knowledge and skill sets that meet the expectations of their potential employers. Interestingly, these ID&T students have to design, develop, and implement an online criterion referenced assessment based upon the learning objectives developed as a result of a needs assessment process.
Tina,
And, it is already created. I actually used Youtube today to teach me how to use an SPSS (software) function. This may actually be a way for students to "answer" their own questions.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Tina,
I think you could use case studies as part of authentic assessments but don't think that you HAVE to use them, use what's best for your students to learn.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Jennifer ,
Sure, I think you are on the right track. This will help students to make the connection of "real life" with academics.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Beverly,
That is a great way of using authentic assessment. It does help them realize the important of the content in the course.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
I agree, suggesting that students' view a youtube video or a movie or even a tv show does help the student to visualize the concept. I try to incorporate case studies regularly in my online chats and we do discuss how the concepts that I am reviewing applies to the chat content.
I have not used authentic assessments in my online courses. Given that I teach law and justice, I rely more on case studies, real life experiences. The life experiences are also drawn from students who are also wotking within the field. I believe that as far as my courses are concerned, it involves more of alternative assessments.
I am taking these classes regarding online learning, however I have not yet taught a course online. I believe I could easily transfer many of the authentic assessments I have for ground classes to the online classroom. I teach psychology, sociology, and human growth and development among other general education classes. I often have students work in groups to develop a "plan of action" regarding a case study situation. I believe this project could easily be implemented in an online environment with some lively group discussion.
I have used authentic assessments in my allied health science courses in which I would give patient case scenarios. I would give my students clinical cases in which they would have to examine the patient history, signs and symptoms to come up a diagnosis. My students seem to like this application of the information that we had previously learned in the class. This seemed to help them connect the dots.
Elton,
I think it is "wrong" for anyone teaching business NOT to use the business world as part of the assessment plan. This facilitates transference of knowledge to application; which is a good thing.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
George,
Don't you love teaching business?! Students dread group work when the group is dysfunctional. It is the role of the educator to make sure that everyone in the group is accountable. Good insight!
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
