authentic assessment

Don’t wait for formal evaluations to find out what your students are thinking and how they feel. A recent study by Jonas Flodén (2017) notes that “Student feedback pushes teaching choices … toward more student-teacher interaction” (Discussion section, para. 3). Findings like this illustrate the demand for more connection.

Constructivist theories assert that to develop understanding and build new knowledge, learners must be actively engaged in seeking knowledge and information, not passively taking it in (Bada, 2018). As learners encounter the world around them, they build knowledge and integrate it into their existing personal knowledge base, also known as a schema.

Engaging students in class discussions and activities is always a challenging endeavor for instructors because there is no one-size-fits-all approach that will work to draw in everyone. Students will have varying degrees of interest in the topic, and not everyone will be able to find the same degree of relevance in the concepts presented.

Assessment is a key characteristic of any course. However, how assessment is used and what forms of assessment are adopted (i.e. exams, papers, projects) can greatly affect students and their learning experience. Shifting assessment from a means of measurement to a form of inquiry can enable students to work actively and construct knowledge together (Hargreaves, 2007).

Rubrics frequently supplement forms of assessment and are used to evaluate student work and learning. They can be used for projects, presentations, discussions, and writing assignments. Learners can view the criteria on which they are being assessed and can work towards meeting the stated expectations. For instance, it is common to include a rubric for online discussion forums so that learners have a clear idea of the criteria that will be used for grading (i.e.

The concept of presenting information in a visual format is not new. In fact, you may remember that ancient Egyptians used hieroglyphs as a visual form of communication. However, the use of information graphics (also referred to as infographics) in teaching and learning strategies still appears to be an emerging practice.

Have you ever heard these words: “Will this be on the test?” or “When am I ever going to use this?” It could be that students are really asking for help in seeking the connection between course content and their perceived value of the course. In other words, though it is usually clear to faculty that certain content and activities are important, students are trying to figure out for themselves if an activity or concept is worth their time and effort. Bundick et al.