Rethinking authentic assessment: work, well-being, and society

Abstract

This article seeks a deeper understanding of the concept of authentic assessment which ensures it does not become another educational buzzword, slowly diminishing in real meaning. I consider the origins of the term in the US schooling sector, and how it has developed over time, and in different countries, to today focus in higher education largely on real world tasks. There is, however, I argue, a common conflation of real world with the world of work. Little of this literature actually engages with the rich philosophical debates on authenticity, and in this article, I suggest that this deeper understanding of authenticity can enable us to build on existing work on authentic assessment to develop a more holistic and richer concept that will be more beneficial to individual students and to the larger society of which they are part. I argue that we should move from thinking in terms of either the so-called real world, or the world of work, to focus our justification for authentic assessment on its social value (which encompasses but is not limited to its economic value). To achieve this aim, I suggest we move from simply focusing on the authentic task to considering why that task matters? This then enables a shift from the student in isolation to the student as a member of society. Senses of achievement can become richer, thus enhancing the students’ sense of self, self-worth, and well-being.

Authentic Assessment in Higher Education: Applying a Habermasian Framework

“…These concerns have been echoed in relation to educational institutions' adoption and adaptation to digital technologies under neoliberal economic imperatives both precovid pandemic (Boyd;2016, Kruszelnicki, 2020Regmi, 2017) and since the covid pandemic began (Schwartzman, 2020). These criticisms and concerns have parallels with authentic assessment, which too often blinkers educators' perspectives, incorporating an atomizing and overly-individualistic emphasis on student needs (McArthur, 2022). Incorporating a critical approach a la Habermas, which is oriented towards autonomy both in and with communities, can help provide a broader notion of authenticity in education and assessment…”

“…Vu and Dall'Alba (2014) do not offer specific examples of what a Heideggerian approach to authentic assessment would entail, instead opting to provide a theoretical critique, which itself is problematic. McArthur (2022) argued that viewing authenticity through Heidegger focuses too much on the individual, thus neglecting the importance of the relationship between the individual and society. Instead, she has offered a critical stance that has as its central notion the inter-relationship between society and individual subjects as based on both individual autonomy and cooperation.…”

The Effect of Authentic Learning Approaches and Assessment Techniques on Students' Statistics Basic Test Results by Intelligence Control

“…(Karunanayaka & Naidu, 2021). This assessment should describe what attitudes, skills, and knowledge students have or have not had, how they have applied their knowledge, and how they have been unable to apply the learning outcomes (McArthur, 2022).…”

Measuring learning in digital games: Applying a game‐based assessment framework

“…Whether played on mobile phones, personal computers, consoles or augmented or virtual reality devices, DGs can immerse learners in simulated real‐world environments that foster contextualised and active learning experiences. With the growing calls for more authentic assessments in higher education (HE) (McArthur, 2022; Villarroel et al., 2019), DGs can be used to facilitate performance‐based measurement of the competencies of students. Games offer opportunities for performance assessments by providing an environment for students to perform tasks requiring the application of knowledge and skills learned.…”