Research of Topic
In order to answer my question of 'ensuring a sense of success within the classroom is vital. How does authentic assessment contribute to this?' I have conducted variety of different interviews and surveys to assist me in finding the answer to my question. These surveys and interviews were distributed throughout the school where I was placed for my second year placement. The point of this research was to gain insight to what teachers believed authentic assessment is, its place in the curriculum and how teachers use it through their planning.
1. Tracey- Year 4 Teacher
Explain how you have previously used Authentic Assessment as a part of your unit.
Yes I have used authentic assessment in my literacy. I used it as part of a novel study. The children were given the option of presenting a book review by choosing their preferred method of delivery. They were able to choose to create a letter from one character to another ini the story, a model of a character, a diarama which depicted the setting of the story, a story board briefly telling the story but not the ending so as not to spoil it for others who wish to read it.
Did you notice a difference in the students engagement with the task?
I found these tasks very valuable as the children gave much more effort and time into there completion. It also encouraged them to delve into their books and search for details which would add to their presentation and convince the audience that their book would be good/not good to read. It used critical thinking skills too.
When comparing your data of authentic assessment to standardized assessment did you notice a difference in the students results?
The results of the authentic assessment tasks were overall of a higher standard as the children were able to choose an assessment item which suited their particular learning style and it gave them the opportunity to use their strengths which in turn contruibuted to a confident and successful attempt at the task. I believe the results were also better as the children felt they had more ownership of the activity and were not competiing with others rather interested in their peers presentation and enjoying exchanging ideas etc.
Yes I have used authentic assessment in my literacy. I used it as part of a novel study. The children were given the option of presenting a book review by choosing their preferred method of delivery. They were able to choose to create a letter from one character to another ini the story, a model of a character, a diarama which depicted the setting of the story, a story board briefly telling the story but not the ending so as not to spoil it for others who wish to read it.
Did you notice a difference in the students engagement with the task?
I found these tasks very valuable as the children gave much more effort and time into there completion. It also encouraged them to delve into their books and search for details which would add to their presentation and convince the audience that their book would be good/not good to read. It used critical thinking skills too.
When comparing your data of authentic assessment to standardized assessment did you notice a difference in the students results?
The results of the authentic assessment tasks were overall of a higher standard as the children were able to choose an assessment item which suited their particular learning style and it gave them the opportunity to use their strengths which in turn contruibuted to a confident and successful attempt at the task. I believe the results were also better as the children felt they had more ownership of the activity and were not competiing with others rather interested in their peers presentation and enjoying exchanging ideas etc.
2. Christina- Year 2 Teacher
Explain how you have previously used Authentic Assessment as a part of your unit.
I am only new at implementing authentic assessment into my units, however this year in term three I did a maths unit and I used authentic assessment to judge my students on how much they had learnt. i was also curious to see if my students results changed because of this. The unit was a maths unit on measurement and we were discussing meters and centimeters. For our final task the students had to get into groups of 3 and choose an object the had to measured in centimeters and an object that would be measured in meters, they had to draw and label it and then measure their chosen items.
Did you notice a difference in the students engagement with the task?
As my class was one of the most difficult in the school, finding tasks that engaged students was hard and tiring. However when completing this task all of my students were engaged and looking forward to working on their maths task. Some students were going silly when told they were able to go outside and measure a building, but as a whole the class worked well and enjoyed learning outside the classroom.
When comparing your data of authentic assessment to standardized assessment did you notice a difference in the students results?
The results, I found were quite surprising. My usually low students had received a sound mark and on their evaluation stated that they like working in a group and enjoyed maths. Most of the other students received a similar mark but seemed to enjoy the task more.
I am only new at implementing authentic assessment into my units, however this year in term three I did a maths unit and I used authentic assessment to judge my students on how much they had learnt. i was also curious to see if my students results changed because of this. The unit was a maths unit on measurement and we were discussing meters and centimeters. For our final task the students had to get into groups of 3 and choose an object the had to measured in centimeters and an object that would be measured in meters, they had to draw and label it and then measure their chosen items.
Did you notice a difference in the students engagement with the task?
As my class was one of the most difficult in the school, finding tasks that engaged students was hard and tiring. However when completing this task all of my students were engaged and looking forward to working on their maths task. Some students were going silly when told they were able to go outside and measure a building, but as a whole the class worked well and enjoyed learning outside the classroom.
When comparing your data of authentic assessment to standardized assessment did you notice a difference in the students results?
The results, I found were quite surprising. My usually low students had received a sound mark and on their evaluation stated that they like working in a group and enjoyed maths. Most of the other students received a similar mark but seemed to enjoy the task more.
4. Kerry- Year 6 Teacher
Explain how you have previously used Authentic Assessment as a part of your unit.
I used authentic assessment as a part of my science unit (space). The students had to work in small groups and construct a model solar system as a part of their assessment. Before they created this, they were required to explore what planets and moons were apart of the solar system by referring to the online class Wiki that myself and the class had constructed together. From this assessment I was able to question the students through a personal and group reflection. The students were able to reflect not only on their work as a group but also on their performance within their group.
Did you notice a difference in the students engagement with the task?
Students were engaged throughout the entire duration of the assessment because it was and investigation and creation task. Students allocated jobs to each other where interests lied e.g. Elliot was the director, Chris was in charge of materials, Carla and John were in charge of construction etc. As this was completely the students task they were able to use their creativity, innovative ideas and logical reasoning to make their model unique to their specific group.
When comparing your data of authentic assessment to standardized assessment did you notice a difference in the students results?
There was a dramatic improvement with some students, especially those who struggle with written tasks such as information reports and recounts. From the reflections, many students suggested they enjoyed this task because it was fun, they were able to work with their peers and they like being able to create something they could see.
I used authentic assessment as a part of my science unit (space). The students had to work in small groups and construct a model solar system as a part of their assessment. Before they created this, they were required to explore what planets and moons were apart of the solar system by referring to the online class Wiki that myself and the class had constructed together. From this assessment I was able to question the students through a personal and group reflection. The students were able to reflect not only on their work as a group but also on their performance within their group.
Did you notice a difference in the students engagement with the task?
Students were engaged throughout the entire duration of the assessment because it was and investigation and creation task. Students allocated jobs to each other where interests lied e.g. Elliot was the director, Chris was in charge of materials, Carla and John were in charge of construction etc. As this was completely the students task they were able to use their creativity, innovative ideas and logical reasoning to make their model unique to their specific group.
When comparing your data of authentic assessment to standardized assessment did you notice a difference in the students results?
There was a dramatic improvement with some students, especially those who struggle with written tasks such as information reports and recounts. From the reflections, many students suggested they enjoyed this task because it was fun, they were able to work with their peers and they like being able to create something they could see.
Survey...
This survey was distributed around to to all the teachers (20) at a local state school. Below are the results in a graph, showing what teachers think and believe about authentic assessment and the success of their students.
Results: Survey Results
The results in the graph above show that authentic assessment is commonly used and thought to be an effective way of assessing students. Many of the teachers told me that they use authentic assessment among their planning and have been surprised at how the students respond to it.
Results: Survey Results
The results in the graph above show that authentic assessment is commonly used and thought to be an effective way of assessing students. Many of the teachers told me that they use authentic assessment among their planning and have been surprised at how the students respond to it.