Evaluating Authentic Assessment

Introduction

Assessments are used at the end of a learning unit to measure the knowledge students have gained. Traditionally, assessment mechanisms have taken the form of high-stakes objective-based tests and quizzes (multiple-choice, true-false, fill-in, short answer). Truly understanding how much a student is learning in the distance education environment, however, means incorporating authentic assessments aimed at evaluating not just students’ knowledge, but also how well they are able to apply that knowledge to real-world tasks that require higher-order cognitive skills.

When creating assessments for a course, it is helpful to think of the two major types of assessments, formative and summative.

Rubrics

Rubrics are tools that outline the quality standards for student success in an assessment. Descriptions in a rubric are directly linked to the learning objectives of a particular assignment or project. When these benchmarks are used and given to students prior to turning in their assignments, students know what is expected of them. This gives students more opportunities to reflect on and revise their work and ultimately more control, or autonomy, over their own learning.

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Benefits of Rubrics

More closely align assessments with student learning outcomes.
Clearly communicate course and instructor expectations.
Assess a wider range of skills and performances.
Give students greater autonomy in their learning.
Evaluate both the process and the product of a student work.

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Types of Rubrics

There are two main types of rubrics used in higher education – analytic and holistic. While each type of rubric has advantages and disadvantages, in distance education, analytic rubrics are used most often because of the amount of detailed feedback they provide students.

Analytic Rubrics

Criteria for success are listed separately.
Provide more detailed feedback about performance.
Focus on criteria for success.
Take more time to create (at first).
Are used to evaluate authentic assessments.

Holistic Rubrics

Criteria for success are all listed together.
Provide general information about performance
Focus on a scale of performance.
Take less time to create.
Are often used to evaluate general proficiency.

Check out this example of an analytic and holistic rubric from DePaul University.

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Creating Rubrics

Numerous resources exist for creating and modifying rubrics for distance education courses. Many websites, such as RubiStar, have rubrics which can be modified to meet individual course needs. Most learning management systems like CANVAS also have interactive rubric tools to aid in the grading process. For more detailed information about how to create rubrics, check out the Canvas Instructor Guides.

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