Within today’s digital world, students intuitively acquire vast amounts of information at the touch of a screen or the tap of a keyboard. Learners in the information age long for more than activities that simply encourage the accumulation of additional knowledge. In fact, students come to class intuitively knowing how to gain a variety of information. Educational opportunities that transition students from consumers of information to creators of new learning experiences indelibly impact them in ways that transfer beyond the walls of the classroom.

Today’s learners naturally and consistently consume, create, and publish content on their own time. Educators within the digital age leverage this creative potential when they allow and even encourage students to tap into their propensity for innovation in class. In an age in which far too few students understand how to effectively apply digital literacy or safety as they explore and generate content, today’s educators hold the potential for far-reaching impact. Educators must learn to harness the enthusiasm students have for content creation (and particularly digital content creation) into everyday assessment opportunities. In doing so, they position themselves to enhance student engagement, motivation, and achievement in academic contexts.

Authentic Assessment in Action: An Everyday Guide for Bringing Learning to Life

through Meaningful Assessment is designed to empower educators to provide highly impactful, consistently engaging, and unquestionably applicable learning opportunities for students.

Katie Alaniz, EdD, is director of the Center for Learning Innovations and Teaching Excellence (C-LITE) and a faculty member within the College of Education Behavioral Sciences at Houston Baptist University. As a teacher and digital learning specialist for over a decade in both public and private schools, including her service at River Oaks Baptist School, Dr. Alaniz guides fellow educators as they meaningfully integrate digital tools and resources within their classrooms.

Kristie Cerling, EdD, is Dean for the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences at Houston Baptist University. Dr. Cerling has over 25 years of experience as a teacher, administrator, and leader in public and private schools. She has special interest in teaching strategies, mentoring new teachers and leaders, and Holocaust education.

Preface

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Chapter 1: Starting with Why: Why Does Authentic Assessment Matter?

Chapter 2: Considering Key Findings: What Does the Research Say?

Chapter 3: Beginning with the End in Mind: How Do Curricular Frameworks and Student Learning Outcomes Impact Assessment?

Chapter 4: Exploring Assessments, Assessments, and More Assessments: Which Assessment Type Should be Used When?

Chapter 5: Making It All Add Up: How Does the Formula for Authentic Learning Apply?

Chapter 6: Embracing the Digital Age: How Do Technology Considerations Impact Assessment Strategies?

Chapter 7: Finding Joy in the Journey: How Can Authentic Assessment Impact Students’ (and Teachers’) Enjoyment of Learning?

Anyone familiar with education knows the importance of outcomes. Outcomes are only genuinely believable when they are measured. This book is a clarion call to leverage assessments to become applicable in students’ lives. Information without application is fruitless, and application should be the result of effective assessments. Learning is transformed when we foster environments of meaningful assessment within school settings. I recommend this resource to anyone desiring to transform their classroom into an incubator of passionate learners.
— Tim Elmore, Founder and CEO of Growing Leaders

This is a powerful book that ignites passion in teachers and learners. It creates a pathway to engaging students in relevant, focused innovation and critical and creative thinking. With this guidance in this digital age, every student could learn more, retain more, and create more through authentic assessment. Dr. Alaniz and Dr. Cerling have developed a guide to significantly enhance opportunities for educators and students to self-actualize.
— Jerry Thacker, Superintendent of Schools, Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation

Assessment has been the change agent of the past few decades. It has rightly helped educators better align their teaching with desired outcomes for a more focused learning experience. Nevertheless, we are just beginning to appropriately apply assessments in our new digital world. Students are learning and creating differently as information and data are literally at their fingertips. I am grateful for the timeliness of this book as the authors strategically address this new challenge.
— Barbara K. Bellefeuille, President, Bethel University