AUTHENTIC & ADAPTIVE

ASSESSMENT
AUDREY STEELE/ ITEC7603/SPRING2022
WHAT IS IT
EXACTLY?
Authentic assessments are based on real-life tasks that engage students and
use critical thinking skills. They are not like typical tests that require students
to have correct responses and only get one chance to pass.
Authentic assessments replicate the work place environment, has students
use and apply their knowledge and skills to tasks and allows students to
practice and receive feedback on their performance.
Adaptive assessments adjust to students needs as the test progresses.
Questions will get harder or easier depending on how the student is
answering.
 PREPARED LEARNERS TO SELF-
ASSESS BY IDENTIFYING,
DOCUMENTING, AND DEFENDING
FORMAL AND INFORMAL LEARNING
EXPERIENCES THAT STUDENTS USE
TO BUILD AN ASSESSED PORTFOLIO
THAT DEMONSTRATES MASTERY.
 ANALYTICAL RUBRIC

Analytical rubrics use a point system related to certain criteria students are
reviewed on. This type of rubric provides feedback for the student as well as the
teacher. Areas of growth can be reviewed.
This is an example of an oral presentation rubric I use for my classes when they
have a presentation type of project. We then discuss presentation skills and
goals to work on for next time.
 HOLISTIC RUBRIC

Holistic rubrics provide students with a performance level, usually 1-5, and a
description of each level. These are used when a student can have more room to
make errors and there is not an exact answer or solution to the activity they are
participating in. Teachers can use these rubrics for faster assessment of a student's
overall understanding and proficiency of the content or skills.
My students have been learning about water pollution and a water treatment plant
near the school. I used a holistic rubric when my students were asked to design
their own water filters for science. They could use whatever material they thought
would work best to filter dirty water. They were evaluated simply on how well their
filter cleaned the dirty water.
 SELF-ASSESSMENT

Self-assessments allow students to rate themselves honestly on their

performance of a task. This gives students the opportunity to share their opinions
and provides the teacher a way to see how they are feeling about a certain
assessment.
After a recent quiz on Georgia's rivers, I had students reflect on how well they
thought they prepared for the quiz, what study strategies worked for them, and
what they might do differently next time. This allowed students to assess
themselves and make goals for next time and was also a great way for me as the
teacher to know what they are thinking.
CO-PLANNED WITH
LEARNERS AND
ACCEPTED DIFFERENT MEANS OF
LEARNER DEMONSTRATION.

VARIED ASSESSMENTS ALIGN TO

THE SAME COMPETENCIES.
 TALLULAH GORGE
PROJECT
After learning about the geology and
ecology of the Tallulah Gorge, I
allowed my students to vote on
doing a project or taking a test over
the unit. Once the votes were in, the
students had to demonstrate their
understanding of the gorge using a
technology tool of their choice. I
listed ideas (Comic Life, Pic Collage,
Canva, iMovie, etc.) or gave them the
option to pick something else.
Students needed to co-plan with me
before starting their projects.
 TALLULAH GORGE
PROJECT
Although students had varied ways
to demonstrate their assessment,
they all were given a rubric with
requirements that needed to be
included somewhere in their project
in order for them to align to the same
competencies.
Students were asked to complete a
self-assessment to ensure they met
the requirements before turning in
their final projects. Students also
self-reflected and shared their
projects on their online learning
portfolio, Seesaw.
ARTIFACTS THAT DEMONSTRATE
ASSESSMENT OF LEARNERS FOR
DIAGNOSTIC, FORMATIVE, AND
SUMMATIVE PURPOSES USING
AUTHENTIC AND ADAPTIVE
ASSESSMENTS THAT MEASURE
MASTERY.
 DIAGNOSTIC

Diagnostic assessments are tailored to each student by providing a variety of

questions for them to answer. This type of assessment shows results of
strengths and weaknesses in certain content areas for the student.
I use the IXL diagnostic test at the beginning of the school year to help place
students into smaller math groups. I then use the diagnostic feature throughout
the year to see what skills the students are still mastering and what they need
to work on.
 FORMATIVE

Formative assessments can give teachers a quick idea of students' mastery of a

concept or skill being covered. These are given frequently, which allows teachers
to tailor and adjust their curriculum.
I use many formative assessments with my students, including "ticket out the
door". This is a great way for me to quickly assess student understanding before
they leave my room. This type of assessment informs me if I need to make any
changes to my teaching plan or if students are ready to continue on with the unit.
 SUMMATIVE

Summative assessments are given at the end of a unit to determine student

mastery of a topic. There are a variety of summative assessments that can be
used to assess student understanding (i.e. tests, presentations, research papers,
projects).
This is a screenshot from a student's iMovie presentation they created on the
Tallulah Gorge using their photography. The students had criteria they needed
to meet but had choices in their technology tool and design. Students were
evaluated with a rubric and teacher feedback was provided for this project.
 RESOURCES:
The Editorial Team. (2022.) Advice on using authentic assessment in teaching. Resilient
Educator. https://resilienteducator.com/classroom-resources/tips-on-how-to-use-
authentic-assessment-as-a-teaching-strategy/

Mertler, C. (2001). Designing scoring rubrics for your classroom. Practical Assessment,
Research & Evaluation, 7(25). http://PAREonline.net/getvn.asp?v=7&n=25.

Smith, T. (August 30, 2018). Choosing the right adaptive learning tool. EdTech Update.
https://www.edtechupdate.com/adaptive-learning/assessment/?open-article-
id=8817073&article-title=choosing-the-right-adaptive-learning-tool&blog-
domain=techlearning.com&blog-title=techlearning

Wiggins, G. (1990) The case for authentic assessment. Practical Assessment, Research, and
Evaluation: Vol. 2, Article 2. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7275/ffb1-mm19
https://scholarworks.umass.edu/pare/vol2/iss1/2
THANK YOU!