Major Issue in Assessment: Authentic Assessment - Essay Example

? Authentic Assessment Task Authentic Assessment is a technique that necessitates the to practically carry out a duty instead of doing a test. This evaluation is intended to judge students' potential to employ specific proficiency and knowledge and aggressively illustrate their understanding, rather than identifying or summoning up solutions to problems (Wiggins, 2006; Mims, 2003, 1). Therefore, many learning institutions are using the authentic assessment to evaluate the performance of students. Authentic assessment inspires students in the study room, promoting lasting education policies and assists students form practical though demanding targets (Finch, 2010, 6). In this essay, I am going to discuss a major issue in assessment, relevant history and educational theory and the repercussions that it has cause the teachers for practicing the assessment. In addition to that, I will deliberate on the relevant theories and educational hypothesis relating to Authentic Appraisal as well as the implications that this assessment has to both teachers and students. Major Issue in Assessment Authentic evaluation is based on the issue that the present appraisal measures do not evaluate in full the variety of significant learners end products, and consequently, instructors are facing troubles when using the statistics obtained for instructional preparation. For example, various question papers, have put emphasis on the appraisal of discrete abilities and do not have genuine demonstration of practices in the classroom, group relations, or practical circumstances (Callison, 2011). The weightiest matter during this type of evaluation in learning institutions is to know whether the students understand and can apply what they are taught in class. The teachers focus mainly on whether the students can be able to construct knowledge, in which learners acquire information and put it up using high capacity of thinking like interpreting, evaluating and many more. Also they evaluate regimented analysis, where scholars illustrate on the established foundation in understanding such as mathematics to modulate problems in relation to the subject like using formulas for calculations. In addition, the teachers give the learners assessment outside the school, where students create learning products, which include an audience such as printed poems and study projects. These products are different with those that are present exclusively for the intention of learning appraisal like tests and quizzes (Maxwell et al, 2000). About ten years ago, the learning ethnicity altered from being based on knowledge to competency-based teaching and the learning objective changed to develop proficient learners and prospective employees (Gulikers & Bastiaens and Kirschner, 2006). Therefore, this evaluation is the teacher’s hard work to totally weigh up students levels of understanding, presentation on more realistic tasks and advanced way of thinking. Relevant History A past example of authentic assessment is the effort done by the Stanford University’s educator candidates, who built up programs of study as part of a lesson on ethics of education for Teaching. As they were reading and talking about education theories that relates to schooling policies, learners wrote an issue relating to a teaching incident, which they came across difficulty in attaining one of the curricular target, which they had set, with their learners. The case is evaluated on two different occurrences by a peer as well as a teacher, who create problems and likely suggestions, raise questions and put forward additional writing that may create understanding on the lessons which were being studied (Hammond & Snyder, 2000, 531). The study review assisted the apprentice teacher to reflect intensely in relation to the experience he got from numerous points of view and assess several prospective sources of teaching together with resolutions for the educating dilemma that was being focused on. Another example is the Washington State University’s Critical Thinking Project, an association between the Universities’ educating center, and Technology, Writing course, and its broad learning Program. The Critical and Integrative Thinking practice which was done in the year 2006 spots seven main performance principles for evaluating writing of learners across the program of study. The program was used to acknowledge and review the difficulty in topics and problems. Also, it helped in noting and taking into account the power of context such as cultural, scientific, political, monetary, moral, and pertaining to learning or practical, and the hypotheses. The plan also builds and keeps up a correspondence to personal point of views, assumptions, or position in learning. In addition, it appraises, presents, and examines suitable sustaining records or facts, incorporating problems by use of other corrective measures and positions for analysis (Lombardi, 2008, 7). It therefore, categorizes and evaluates final results and repercussion, and also enhances communication. Another example of the authentic assessment is the Career-Technical Assessment Program (C-TAP) formed by the California Department of Education, together with the Far West Laboratory. The plan was a main portion of practical work planned and done by every learner. The plan helped the students to evaluate ways that would allow them to express their knowledge and proficiency acquired in a progressive training program. Carrying out the project gave the students a mechanism to arrange, classify and come up with an episode. As a result, learners had the capability to come across experts in the field who could give advice and coaching in relation to the projects, follow their interests, work jointly with their fellows in certain areas of the projects as well as put into practice skills they have acquired in other institutions lessons. The project of each learner was relevant to the career-technical agenda, where they are registered and were supposed to take a small number of weeks or quite a few months to accomplish. Students were permissible to toil on the undertakings in small groups or on their own (Scott, 47). Relevant Educational Theory One of the applicable learning theories is in the case of chemical reactions where the learners have to actually carry out a small-scale reaction. The equipment for the experiment sets are put in undersized boxes, beaker or plastic cup and named with a number for identification. Labeling of materials can be done by use of student’s names or procedures of the reaction sets compound. The symbols, as well as the names of the substances reacting, are used as part of the question despite the fact that the names and the chemical symbols were labeled on the substances. This helps the grader to know the exact set which the learner had chosen even when the scholar notes an erroneous set classification number, name or a wrong symbol (Katz, 2003). Another example is when learning Biochemistry, where it is fundamentally essential to be aware of the main theories of the procedures in biology. For example, the relations between organic molecules, such as proteins; since these molecules are very tiny and are in a complicated three-dimensional composition, it is very difficult to put across the relationship of these connections using a long-established two-dimensional demonstration (Rule & Bajzek, 2006). Therefore, students need to do practical experiments in the laboratories using appropriate apparatus in order to understand the interaction of these molecules. Implications for teachers and their practice of Authentic Assessment The introduction of this appraisal has led to so many achievements. One of them is that educators can bring in authentic content, substituting schoolbooks with chronological documents and logical statistics from remote sensors. They can formulate activities based on problems to reinstate teaching lessons. The instructors can look forward to learners to cooperate with each other, even when unwilling to participate. They can as well submit some of their authorities as professionals to join learners as fellow students. In addition to that, they can hold up all this modernization with reproduction, imagination, and interrelation technologies (Lombardi, 2007). However, the teachers may not attain their targets if they ignore to rethink their evaluation tactics. Authentic assessment is important in that it allows for determining meaningful as well as suitable errands. It also lets the learner to make self-evaluation (Aitken & Pungur, 2005, 2). The grouping of tasks, appraisal and strategies in actual fact, frees the educator from a moderating, teacher-driven responsibility to a role where pragmatic measure can be used to evaluate actual products. As a result, learners grow to be well organized for their prospective practices as successful specialized practitioners (Herrington & Herrington, 2006). Studies confirm that authentic assessment which to the education background can have an affirmative influence. This assessment determination might consist of assembled comeback items, thesis, oral staging, testing, demonstrations, and pictures. These procedures may BE extremely applicable and reliable to finding a solution to a particular problem than the traditional, consistent detailed assessment. Permitting learners to work on these procedures will let the teachers us appraise essential learning by reviewing and groping the learner’s real or virtual presentation on considerable errands (Major & Palmer, 2001). Hence, it is with no doubt that this appraisal will have significant changes in education performance and play a great role in helping the teachers assess students understanding. In conclusion, Authentic Assessment is extremely fundamental not only to the teachers but also, it enhances the understanding of the students, and thus produces successful feature employees. In this essay, I have been able to discuss the most important issue that necessitates the use of authentic learning in institutions and also past events on the practices of the evaluation and their outcome. In addition, I have also been able to talk about some of the educational theories that are applicable to learning institutions and also the repercussions that it has to both the learners and educators. The application in real-world situations of actions is imperative in the mastery of diverse concepts. Valuing the thinking behind is beneficial since it may also be deemed as a form of learning in itself. Further, it is necessary to apply these skills in the societal setting to create authentic impact in understanding diverse concepts. Higher-order thinking is encouraged, and thus, aid in the sharpening of intellectual and moral skills, applicable in real-world occurrences. This is beneficial for both teachers and learners and the entire formal and informal learning progression.   Reference Aitken, N, & Pungur, L. (2005). Authentic Assessment. Literature Synopsis. Callison, D. (2011). Authentic Assessment. School Library Media Activities Monthly. Print. Finch, A. (2010). Authentic Assessment: Implications for EFL Performance Testing in Korea. Secondary Education Research, Vol. 49. Pp. 89-122. Gulikers, J, & Bastiaens, J and Kirschner, P. (2006). Authentic assessment, student and teacher perceptions: the practical value of the five dimensional-frameworks. Journal of Vocational Education and Training, Vol (58). Pp. 337-357. Hammond, L & Snyder, J. (2000). Authentic assessment of teaching in context. Teaching and Teacher Education. Vol. 16. Pp. 523-545. Herrington, J, & Herrington, A. (2006). Authentic conditions for authentic assessment: Aligning task and assessment. New York: Cengage. Print. Katz, D. (2003). Active Assessment: Small scale experiments for authentic assessment. Retrieved on September 30, 2011 from: Lombardi, M. (2007). Authentic Learning for the 21st Century: An Overview. Educause Learning Initiative. Retrieved on September 30, 2011 from: Lombardi, M. (2008). Making the Grade: The Role of Assessment in Authentic Learning. Educause Learning Initiative. Retrieved on September 30, 2011 from; Major, C, & Palmer, B. (2001). Assessing the Effectiveness of Problem?Based Learning in Higher Education: Lessons from the Literature. Academic Exchange Quarterly, Vol. 5 (1). Maxwell, C, & Phelps, L, & Braden, J, & Warren V. (2000). Schools of Authentic and Inclusive Learning. Research Institute on Secondary Education Reform (RISER) for Youth with Disabilities. Mims, C. (2003). Authentic Learning: A Practical Introduction & Guide for Implementation. Meridian: A Middle School Computer Technologies Journal, Vol. 6 (1). Rule, G, & Bajzek, D. (2006). Authentic Learning and Assessments: Major Components in Transforming Superficial Understanding into Knowledge. Applications to Introductory Biochemistry. Retrieved on September 30, 2011 from: Scott, J. Authentic Assessment Tools. Retrieved on September 30, 2011 from: Wiggins, G. (2006). The Case for Authentic Assessment. Retrieved on September 30, 2011 from: Read More