Religion studies in the Australian Catholic primary school

Authentic Assessment

Religion Studies in the Australian Catholic Primary School

Authentic assessment: The educational debate

Authentic assessment: The educational debate

The process of student assessment has two central functions according to J. Grajczonek (2007) in her essay "An authentic approach to assessment in the religion program." A student assessment can and should enhance the learning process by providing feedback for educators about teacher efficacy in the classroom. Assessment should also enhance the student's learning process. At present, standardized assessments attempt to highlight when schools are engaged in 'best practices,' when schools need improvement or have improved, and which schools are failing. But preparing for an assessment should be a learning experience itself, according to Grajczonek, and the assessment process should facilitate the critical and creative use of received knowledge, rather than focus on mere regurgitation, as is often the case in standardized assessment (Grajczonek, 2007, p.83). The authentic assessment promoted by Grajczonek views the assessment process as for learning, as learning, and as of learning. Learning should be the purpose of education, not performance on a final test, and the structure of the classroom and syllabus should enhance the real world use of knowledge.

Within the classroom, from the point-of-view of evaluating student learning, there are two types of assessment. Formative assessments, such as quizzes and regular essays, provide feedback for both the instructor and the student. This type of assessment lets the instructor know if the student comprehends the material and provides the student with the opportunity to self-monitor and evaluate him or herself. In contrast, summative assessments provide the ability to evaluate whether the predetermined learning outcomes for the unit have indeed occurred. But they should also show that students can apply the knowledge they have gained. Planning, gathering, interpreting, recording, and communicating are all critical steps of the reporting process involved in authentic assessment (Grajczonek, 2007, p.84).

The first phase of authentic assessment, assessment for learning requires teachers to observe student performance. Teacher observations should then inform the teacher's future lesson plans. An authentic assessment classroom is always adjusting to changes in the student's learning needs. Teachers must adapt their teaching strategies to student's learning styles, differentiate teaching techniques, and when necessary make adjustments to meet learning outcomes. Teaching strategies should be aligned with specifically defined learning outcomes but should encourage students to think. For example, in a religion classroom which wishes to illustrate the differences between the different gospel narratives students might be asked to make a diagram of the different variations of the accounts rather than take a multiple choice quiz, as might be the case in a more conventional classroom (Grajczonek, 2007, p.87). Authentic assessment for learning makes use of formative strategies that give the instructor feedback in a useful fashion: it illustrates if students truly know and can use the material. Strategies may vary depending on the type of class.

Assessment as learning varies in its approach: it is said to be a way to take learning to 'the next level' and focuses on the students' abilities to know themselves as learners. Teachers guide the students through the self-monitoring process, and strive to teach students how to learn effectively from class assignments. The focus is not on the teacher modifying his or her habits for assessment, as is the case with assessment of learning; instead the student is encouraged to modify his or her habits by choice, to achieve personal objectives. Students are asked what they want to know, as well as are told what they should know (Grajczonek, 2007, p.90). In a religion classroom, students may be asked what they want to know about Jesus' infancy narratives, rather than merely told what is important. This helps make students more excited about learning as a process, and encourages student's intellectual curiosity.

In an assessment of learning, teachers make summative judgments about what students have learned. Students should be graded upon 'deep learning' as well as factual retrieval in this final phase. Unlike formative learning assessment, in a summative assessment, the students must be fully engaged with the material at this phase and can use it in a non-directive fashion. Assessment learning principles stress the need for learning to be demonstrated in a 'real life' context and to apply those principles. Writing an essay about the gospel stories or explaining how the lessons of the various gospels might be useful in their own lives is two examples of how authentic assessment might take place in a religion classroom in a summative fashion.

The advantages of Grajczonek's process of authentic assessment are that it takes into consideration different learning styles. if, during the assessment for learning phase, students have difficulty visualizing the difference between the gospel narratives, a teacher might make a list of all of the various components of the gospels and then 'check' which gospels have that particular feature or not in the form of a chart. Continually monitoring student progress also enables teachers to review what students know and do not know, so they can backtrack and reinforce critical concepts that are necessary to 'scaffold' upon, to prepare students to learn the later concepts that are build upon a foundational concept.

However, some teachers might protest that the authentic assessment process is time-consuming and is simply not feasible in an overcrowded classroom. They argue that students in a mainstream curriculum should also be flexible enough to adapt to different learning strategies and styles and cannot assume that the class will be cater to their needs, in all instances. Students must grapple with the need for standardized tests and formulaic demonstrations of knowledge, and an authentic classroom's emphasis on creativity might not give them adequate preparation.

Proponents argue that authentic assessment can get students excited about learning, because students are encouraged to have such an investment in the learning process. Students are given assignments that require them to genuinely, intellectually engage with the material, and the assessment for learning phase requires students to see themselves as active learners. They are encouraged to be self-conscious about how they learn best, and what excites and interests them. But the process is not entirely solipsistic, as the students are still talking with their classmates, and also engaging in discussion about how their peers feel about the lesson.