Lesson 5: Critical reflection assessment
Authentic assessment
Authentic assessment is the model that we recommend for assessing critical reflection. Authentic assessment seeks to determine the skills or knowledge students utilize in problem solving real-life or analogous situations that may not have clear cut or obvious solutions (Ashford-Rowe, Herrington, & Brown, 2014).
Below is a table outlining the differences between what we might call “traditional” assessment and authentic assessment adapted from a resource created by Indiana University’s Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning.
| Traditional assessment | Authentic assessment | Authenticity traits |
|---|---|---|
| Require one “right” answer | Require a high-quality product or performance and justifications for decisions | Correctness is not the only criterion; students must be able to justify their answers |
| Evaluation techniques are unknown to the student in advance | Instructions/questions/purpose must be known to students in advance | The tasks and standards for judgment should be known or predictable, rubrics should be provided and explained |
| Disconnected from real-world contexts and constraints | Tied to real-world contexts and constraints, requires the student to engage in realistic scenarios | The context and constraints of the task are like those encountered in real-life |
| Isolates skills and focuses on facts | Requires an integration of multiple skills and knowledges | The task is multifaceted and complex, even if there is a right answer |
| Easily scored | Involve complex tasks that may not have one right answer | Meaningful feedback and process are emphasized over reliable scoring |
| “One Shot” approach | Iterative and build upon each other | Students are given opportunity to integrate feedback and improve future performance |
| Provides a score | Provide usable feedback on student’s skills and knowledge | The assessment is designed to provide practical experience and improve future performance |
Adapted from Indiana University’s Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning, Authentic Assessment, n.d.
Assessing critical reflection
In this way, the authentic assessment principles can inform the meaningful assessment of critical reflection. Below are some other characteristics of meaningful critical reflection assessment.
Critical reflection assessment should be…
Assessment strategies are authentic in that they reflect the work of the disciplines or career field and respect integrity of epistemologies.
Assessment is a developmental and sustainable process that fosters self-regulated learning, academic integrity, and the ability for students to be lifelong learners.
Assessment can utilize self-assessment and critical reflection. It can also utilize peer-assessment.
Assessment is a continuous process that is embedded in the culture of the institution, and curriculum (at the program and course-level), as opposed to a course component meant solely to finalize a specific unit of student learning.
It is supportive of learning as process, provides plenty of practice and feedback, and distributed and integrated; not an isolated performance of student skill/knowledge.
Assessment should include discussion about the assessment process between students and teachers to foster a learning partnership that can evolve based on student learning student feedback.
Assessment should seek to foster student motivation and confidence by providing for student choice.
There is a balance between summative and formative assessment processes and also some degree of separation between grades and feedback distribution.
Effective assessment requires a culture shift that moves away from focusing on evaluating student performance in isolation to evaluating student learning as part of a Plan and distribute assessments to provide opportunities to practice application of knowledge and skills and integrate learning, and to allow students to receive feedback on their learning.
Fair assessment processes are transparent, providing students with clear expectations on what, how and why they are being assessed, and with quality information regarding their progress and status of their learning.
Assessment strategies are aligned with learning outcomes and instructional strategies.
Assessment strategies reflect and respect diversity (equity and inclusion). Assessment strategies should offer an intersectional approach. See additional resources for more information.
Making a rubric
Additional resources
Lesson checklist
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Review authentic assessment table
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Review critical reflection assessment characteristics
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Watch video on creating rubrics for assessing critical reflection
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Create your own rubric using templates provided
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Check out additional resources
References
Ashford-Rowe, K., Herrington, J., & Brown, C. (2014). Establishing the critical elements that determine authentic assessment. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 39(2), 205–222. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2013.819566
More lessons
Lesson 6: Digital critical reflection
Lesson 1: Why critical reflection?
