Authentic assessment has a beauty all of its own because of its novelty. Students get tests, papers, and presentations assigned all the time. They know what to expect and they have routines for these tasks. They even have tried-and-true shortcuts for the tasks (some ethical and others not). These alternative ways to check for content knowledge, skills, and problem-solving abilities have a way of representing the true story particularly well because they are so unique. It’s harder to hide behind the routine for something so new…something novel.

That’s not intended as a caution or a warning. Students actually love opportunities that are new and different. However, they can be concerned or fear them, too. Learners don’t want to do the same thing all the time. They especially like the fact that the dynamics of the assessment can be defined by them, as the Prereq 5: Flexibility (link here) explains. Like creating a wardrobe, they can select the garments that are the best fit and style for what they want to do, but then they have to do something with them that looks good.

Self-Directed Learners

The idea that they can be self-directed makes it even better. Not only do I focus on the empowerment of teachers (It is, after all, LSempowerED, right?); I also dedicate significant time to the empowerment of students. One way to do that is to be self-directed. For years, I have focused on mastery goals with students, self-assessment, peer assessment, and reflection. Authentic assessment is built for the development of self-directed learners.

Self-directed learning among students can be unnerving for a teacher because the locus of control shifts. It is much the same when a teacher recognizes that being a “sage on the stage” only serves their vanity and does not actually pack knowledge into the skulls of their students. Being the “guide on the side,” like Socrates asking well-targeted questions to cause thinking and productive inquiry, yields much better results.

According to the Centre for Teaching Excellence (click here), teachers must first assess the readiness of students to engage in self-directed learning. The end result of this assessment might be that more skills on self-management are needed or that the students are ready to proceed. Of course, the next step is establishing learning goals. These must be detailed in order to help learners to stay on track and have a resource when they are uncertain. Students can engage in the process (step three) with a strategy appropriate to the task. Then, for the final stage, students must evaluate their own learning, just as the teacher does at the end of the process. Reflection is an essential quality here, but so is maintaining the iterative focus so that shortcomings become opportunities to improve. The Centre for Teaching Excellence (CTE) includes important details about the roles of the student and the role of the teacher in self-directed learning. Teachers are necessary for building the environment, motivating, facilitating, guiding, and advising.

New things can be challenging

As you construct the dynamics of authentic assessment, don’t shy away from requiring steps which are challenging, require new skills, and may be daunting for students. Productive struggle is a good thing. I encourage you to take five minutes to watch the video at this link (click here) to be reassured how struggle serves a purpose. As compassionate adults, it is sometimes difficult for us to watch, but the proverb of the Butterfly and the Cocoon shows us that we may not always know the full scope of the strength yielded by pursuing the challenge, but we know they will grow on the journey.

Consider peer support

Sure. I know that adding one more thing to the authentic assessment places a burden on the complexity. However, remember that students are navigating the social realm and that, in the real world, that includes developing effective professional relationships.

• Professional Dialogue – Left unprompted, the conversations of our students are far more likely to involve current, personal, and social matters which have nothing to do with work or professional development. Learning to stay on the topic and having a specific goal for each meeting will prompt focus and avoid diversions. Of course, some teen social dialogue is likely to be part of these experiences, especially in the area of managing time and responsibilities. That is definitely helpful.
• Group Problem-solving – Since much of the work for an authentic assessment is done outside of the classroom, adding a peer support component, like a check-in and share-out, can be an effective opening for professional dialogue and peer problem-solving. Shouldering the burden with others as a sounding board can lighten the load.
• Multifaceted Views – Peer support also provides each student with a snapshot of the experiences of others, to multiply the opportunity to see the value and variety of authentic assessment in action. Plus, instead of one helpful friend, they have several listeners.
• Safety Barometer – What students share with a teacher or the questions they are willing to ask are different from the dialogue that they have with other students. It doesn’t hurt to have an extra layer of available sounding boards for things that students might experience in their outside explorations that could push the envelope of appropriateness for their age. If they feel “creeped out” by something, they may tell other students when they wouldn’t mention it to a teacher. While this is not a likelihood and we create experiences which should be free from compromising situations, expanding the network of listeners provides extra assurance of awareness. After all, these experiences are new and unfamiliar.

Peer support components do not need to be overly complex or gradable elements. Using the first five or ten minutes of class for students to connect with their peer groups and update them about the new steps they have taken and new things they have learned can be very fruitful. Of course, provide suggestions about how they can structure this discussion. Here are just a few:

• A high and a low since the last check-in
• Everyone shares
• Judgment free environment
• Share first, then dialogue next steps
• Share out to large group on the three top takeaways/experiences (briefly)
• Celebrate success
• Consider authoring a rewrite of some rules or expectations of the project from lesson learned

Keep the channels of communication open

While peer dialogue can be a great asset for a well-rounded experience in authentic assessment, there is no substitute for building the trust with students necessary to support them as a teacher. Although students recognize that you don’t have personal knowledge about every subject area and topic of experience, they will see the teacher as their advocate and resource for guidance.

That doesn’t mean that we should be providing step-by-step instructions for them which sideline their independence and self-directed focus. It does mean that they know where to go when their best practices and the instructions provided for the assignment and the limited experience or level of expertise they have in the area happen to fail. Maybe this won’t happen, but a level of crisis management and emergency support should always be available in the midst of novel situations for authentic assessment.

Hopefully, this will not be an issue, but students should always know where they can turn in difficult times:

• First, they turn to personal knowledge and their operating plan.
• Then, they turn to peers as a sounding board.
• Next, they consult the classroom teacher for guidance.

Since the authentic assessment helps students to establish self-management, planning, persistence, and other professional practices which can assist them in other coursework, at college, in a trade or perhaps their own business, help them to understand that they always have a network of available options for consultations. At college, going to the professor with every struggle could impact the relationship or reduce the availability of help to only office hours. At school, students can build fortitude by having confidence that they can try to solve problems themselves and also recognize the strengths and weaknesses of peers as aides in the process. In business, a worker who always goes to the boss first could jeopardize their career path and longevity or likelihood for promotion.

Adding these essentials to the framework of the authentic assessment extends the work of the classroom to realms far beyond it. Multiple choice tests and essays don’t translate well to the professional world. While presentations may be an avenue for business, the level delivered in school is far too pale in comparison to any effective sales presentation. It all begins with the small steps and skill-bulding students can experience when teachers turn to authentic assessment.

---

Teacher Takeaways

Establishing practices for building and managing networks of support in the process of novel challenges gives learners lifelong skills which apply beyond the classroom to college and career paths.

---

Centre for Teaching Excellence. (2025). Self-directed learning: A four-step process. University of Waterloo. Accessed 19 Jan 2025. https://uwaterloo.ca/centre-for-teaching-excellence/catalogs/tip-sheets/self-directed-learning-four-step-process

Fearless Soul. (2021). Unforgettable story of the butterfly and the cocoon: Struggles give us strength. YouTube. 10 Aug 2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQ26D_Ck158

• AAQ
• assessment
• authentic assessment