Authentic Assessment - making it work
An ATN Symposium sponsored by: University of Technology Sydney, Curtin University, RMIT University, University of South Australia
Good authentic tasks are practice-oriented. They enable students to apply what they’re learning in realistic contexts, developing the higher-order skills, ways of thinking and capacity for evaluative judgement that will be needed in their future lives and careers.
This exclusive symposium focuses on making authentic assessment work for students, teachers, and universities across the ATN. With our keynotes and colleagues from across the ATN, we’ll share research and good practices and discuss ways forward for implementing authentic assessment while addressing the following challenging themes:
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How can we implement authentic assessment effectively across courses and programs?
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How can we make exams more authentic, or replace them with authentic tasks?
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Is there still a place for traditional tasks like essays, MCQs and closed-book exams?
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How can we increase authenticity and address the challenges of academic integrity?
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Each session will be followed by collaborative discussions, and we’ll hear from students about their perspectives.
Program Overview
Tuesday November 19
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10.00-10.30 |
Registration and coffee on arrival |
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10.30 |
Acknowledgement of Country Welcome – Prof Shirley Alexander |
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10.40 – 11.40 |
Keynote – Professor David Boud Authentic assessment may be desirable, but is it enough?
Authentic assessment has been developed to address some of the many problems of university assessment: making assessment more relevant to course learning outcomes, motivating and engaging students, and giving students a taste of what they might be doing once they graduate. When implemented well, it exhibits many features that address obvious defects in previous assessment practices. However, we need to focus on more than the relatively simple matter of redesigning assessment tasks. What needs to accompany authentic assessment if it is to realise the potential it offers? What else should be considered in meeting the challenges of assessment for learning in the world our graduates face? |
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11.40-12.00 |
Collaborative discussion of keynote |
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12.00-1.00 |
Authentic assessment practices at subject/unit level Presentation sessions |
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1.00-1.45 |
Lunch |
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1.45-2.45 |
Authentic assessment practices: the student perspective Student panel |
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2.45-3.15 |
Collaborative discussion - strategies to address academic and student |
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3.15 -3.35 |
Afternoon tea |
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3.35-4.45 |
Implementing authentic assessment across courses and institutions |
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4.45-5.15 |
Collaborative discussion – implementing authentic assessment across the institution. Student, staff & learning and teaching leader comments |
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6.30 for 7.00 |
Drinks and dinner. |
Wednesday November 20
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9.00-10.00 |
Keynote- Rowena Harper Authentic assessment and academic integrity: what’s the connection? The academic integrity landscape is changing, and a range of emerging (and longstanding) challenges are prompting universities to rethink their approaches to assessment. This has been difficult in the absence of empirical evidence, however, so decisions are often being driven by established ‘common sense’. Contract cheating, for example, has prompted some commentators to call for a return to invigilated exams, yet data from a large-scale Australian study suggests this would be misguided (Harper & Bretag et al, under review). This session provides an overview of contemporary academic integrity challenges and outlines what we know (and what we don’t know) about useful assessment design responses. While there is much that educators can do to rethink their approaches to assessment, they need whole-of-institution support in the form of appropriate resourcing, workloads, and professional learning to change their practice.
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10.00-11.00 |
Authentic assessment & academic integrity Presentation sessions |
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11.00-11.20 |
Morning tea |
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11.20-12.00 |
Authentic assessment, academic integrity and exams Presentation sessions |
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12.00-12.30 |
Collaborative discussion and wrap-up |
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12.30 |
Lunch |
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1.00 |
Building tour for those interested |
Keynotes
Professor David Boud, Foundation Director of the Centre for Research in Assessment and Digital Learning, Deakin University, Melbourne and Research Professor in the Institute for Work-Based Learning, Middlesex University. David is also Emeritus Professor at the University of Technology Sydney. He was a Senior Australian Learning and Teaching Council Fellow and his fellowship focused on Student Assessment for Learning in and after Courses.
Professor Rowena Harper is Director of the Centre for Learning and Teaching at Edith Cowan University. Her team coordinates the University’s Academic Integrity process, and she oversees the areas of Teaching Quality, Learning Support and Learning Technologies. With Tracey Bretag (UniSA), she co-led the OLT Strategic Priority Commissioned Project Contract Cheating and Assessment Design: Exploring the Connection.
Presenters
Each ATN university will select a small number of leaders in authentic assessment to share practices relevant to the symposium themes across a range of disciplines.
Who should attend?
Places are limited for this exclusive event, sponsored by the four ATN universities.
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Faculty and School leaders in learning and teaching,
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Course and program coordinators, and,
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Staff who have implemented effective authentic assessment tasks.
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Learning and teaching development and quality staff
How do I express interest?
Each ATN university has a contact person:
Curtin University: Dr Connie Price
RMIT University: Dr Helen McLean
University of South Australia: Dr Antonella Strambi
University of Technology Sydney: Professor Jo McKenzie
