Looking at an Authentic Assessment

Post date: Apr 16, 2018 7:50:25 AM

by: Jessica A. Malicdem, T-III COBNHS

Assessment is a teacher’s ultimate tool in finding out learners’ knowledge, what they can do, how well they can do it, how they can go about the task of doing work, how they feel about their work as a result of their educational experiences, and how to improve subsequent learning. Results provide us a clear picture of learning taking place in the four corners of the classroom and how we are in instilling into these minds. Sometimes rewarding, sometimes frustrating.

Personally, where I cannot do away with assessing my learners, I also find a way to make it rewarding for me and my learners. Between paper and pen (traditional) and authentic assessment, I find the latter more effective way of assessing learnings. First, more concepts will be deduced from the students as evident in their preparation of materials for role playing and portfolio to mention a few. Here they have to come up with a collaborative effort to better execute their performance. Students can in fact, exhaust concepts to be included in composing dialogs unlike the paper and pen where number of items are dictated by number of days certain competencies were taught over the total number of items required for the given assessment. They have to practice as a group again and again leading to more mastery of the lessons. One particular subject where authentic assessment is more appropriate is Disaster Readiness and Risk Reduction. With its aim to link scientific knowledge to real life application, authentic assessment supports the advocacy.

I am always fond of portfolio assessment. Besides the lessons and concepts I have imparted to students, I always look forward to see students’ creativity in organizing their book. Since a portfolio is a compilation of their best accomplishments, they see to it that they adorn and submit it beautifully.

Well, traditional assessment will always be part of the educative process of the learners. But how is it for consideration to combine authentic ones for holistic result?