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.
Author: Dr. LeAnne Schmidt
AAQ Prereq: Tools
Completing an authentic assessment well depends on exploration and mastery of the tools, and skills for using them, which are essential to the unique tasks for each project.
AAQ Prereq 7 – Rigor
Authentic assessment takes on rigor when teachers refuse to accept sub-standard submissions, push for high-level thinking instead of easy solutions, and ask questions to extend the exploratory process.
AAQ Prereq 6 – Open and Outside the Classroom
Open-ended assessments allow students to: 1) explore their unique interests; 2) capitalize on contacts and experiences; and 3) try a "professional" venture before making a long-term commitment.
AAQ Prereq 5 – Flexibility
The very idea of flexibility in authentic assessments means that they create opportunities which offer exponentially more growth and development in students than standard, in-class assessments.
AAQ Set 1 – CARE
"CARE" in AAQ is more than the simple word suggests. It is suffering in thought over someone, feeling uncertain or apprehensive, painstakingly attentive, watchful and concerned for good, while supervising.
AAQ Prereq 4 – Engagement
Authentic assessment motivates learners to persist through struggle with challenging tasks in order to reach a final product that exceeds their expectations because they are thoroughly engaged in the work.
AAQ Prereq 3 – Realism
Removing the limits of the classroom wall and the safety of assessment merely by a teacher for a grade book, catapults learning, retention, and product quality to new heights which can only be effectively achieved outside of the classroom.
AAQ Prereq 2 – Autonomy
Autonomous choices and exploration are essential to authentic assessment because they approximate the demands students face in the future as they become self-determined individuals through practice.
AAQ Experience: The Authentic Assessment Model
Authentic assessments begin with CARE - Content through context, Autonomy, Realism, and Engagement, but that's only the beginning. Selecting content that gains meaning from its context is essential to a truly authentic learning experience.
EmpowerED 