Do we assess what really matters? the challenge of autenthic assessment in higher education

Abstract

The present essay proposes authentic assessment as a tool that is necessary to incorporate into higher education. The instruments traditionally used in universities to assess student learning are poorly adept at measuring in-depth knowledge. Conversely, authentic assessments provide relevancy, by connecting what happens in the classroom with real life, measuring knowledge in context. The three dimensions which comprise an authentic assessment, and favour its implementation, are examined: 1) realism, understood as the inclusion of working world contexts; 2) cognitive challenge, which implies measuring higher order thinking skills that require students to construct knowledge; and 3) evaluative judgement, which refers to the inclusion of feedback processes, that allow students to understand and adopt good quality standards, in order to transfer them to other contexts.