 Authentic
learning or authentic
assessment is a concept promoted by
Grant Wiggins (1989)
 Characteristic: students are engaged in
applying skills and knowledge to solve
“real world” problems, giving the sense
of authenticity.
 Many, but not all performance-based
assessments are authentic.
A
form of assessment in which students are
asked to perform real-world tasks that
demonstrate meaningful application of essential
knowledge and skills -- Jon Mueller
 "Performance
assessments call upon the
examinee to demonstrate specific skills and
competencies, that is, to apply the skills and
knowledge they have mastered." -- Richard J.
Stiggins -- (Stiggins, 1987, p. 34).
Authentic
learning allows
students to explore, discover,
discuss, and meaningfully
construct concepts and
relationships in contexts that
involve real-world problems and
projects that are relevant and
interesting to the learner.
 1.
Verbal products
Role-playing, simulations, panel discussions,
audiotapes, debates and lectures.
 2. Visual products
Charts, illustrations, graphs, murals, maps,
flowcharts and posters.
 3.
Kinesthetic products
Dioramas, puzzles, games and exhibits
 4. Written products
Journals, diaries, reports, essays and abstracts
 Learning
is centered on authentic tasks that are
of interest to the learners.
 Students are engaged in exploration and
inquiry.
 Learning, most often, is interdisciplinary.
 Learning is closely connected to the world
beyond the walls of the classroom.
 Students become engaged in complex tasks and
higher-order thinking skills, such as analyzing,
synthesizing, designing, manipulating and
evaluating information.
Students produce a product that can be shared
with an audience outside the classroom.
 Learning is student driven with teachers,
parents, and outside experts all
assisting/coaching in the learning process.
 Learners employ scaffolding techniques.
 Students have opportunities for social
discourse.
 Ample resources are available.
 Authentic tasks often involve multiple
disciplines

Relatively Unauthentic
Somewhat Authentic
Authentic
Indicate which parts of a
garden design are accurate
Design a garden
Create a garden
Write a paper on zoning
Write a proposal to change
fictitious zoning laws
Write a proposal to present to
city council to change zoning
laws
Answer a series of questions
about what materials are
needed for a trip
Defend the selection of
supplies needed for a
hypothetical trip
Plan a trip with your family
indicating needed supplies
Explain what you would teach
to students learning to play
basketball
Show how to perform
basketball skills in practice
Play a basketball game.
Listen to a tape and interpret a Hold a conversation with a
foreign language
teacher in a foreign language
Hold a conversation with a
person from a foreign country
in his or her native language
 Students
are assessed on what was taught
and practiced in ways that are consistent
with assessment methods.
 The focus is on solving problems and
accomplishing tasks like those done by
professionals in the field.
 Standards or criteria for success are public,
shared with the students.
 Assessment occurs overtime to provide
feedback so students can improve.
 Learning and assessment context are similar
to real life.
Traditional --------------------------------Authentic
Selecting a Response -----------------Performing a Task
Contrived ------------------------------------- Real-life
Recall/Recognition ----------Construction/Application
Teacher-structured -----------------Student-structured
Indirect Evidence -----------------------Direct Evidence
Traditional Assessment
• relies on indirect or
proxy "items"-efficient, simplistic
substitutes
• reveal only whether
the student can
recognize, recall or
"plug in" what was
learned out of
context
vs
Authentic Assessment
•directly examine
student performance
on worthy intellectual
tasks
•require students to
be effective
performers with
acquired knowledge.
Traditional Assessment
• usually limited to paperand-pencil, one-answer
questions.
• only ask the student to
select or write correct
responses--irrespective
of reasons
vs
Authentic Assessment
•present the student
with the full array of
tasks that mirror the
priorities and challenges
found in the best
instructional activities
•attend to whether the
student can craft
polished, thorough and
justifiable answers,
performances or products
Direct Measures
 Capture Constructive Nature of
Learning
 Integrate Teaching, Learning
and Assessment
 Provide Multiple Paths to
Demonstration

STANDARDS
AUTHENTIC TASKS
CRITERIA
RUBRIC

Content
What do
students want to
know, be able to
do with what
they know, and
understand?
Process
What do we want our
students to do with
their learning?
How do we want them
to use their learning
or understanding?
-performance
-products


Value
What are
positive
affective
traits that
we want our
students to
develop?
Evidence-based
COGNITIVE
PSYCHOMOTOR
AFFECTIVE