Abstract:

Our paper reports upon work addressing different notions of authenticity in assessment and to develop a shared understanding by addressing this contentious definition(s) of authenticity in assessment by bringing together members of the university teaching community, representatives of professional/regulatory bodies, and the student perspective, in order to derive a working definition of authentic assessment for our TU Dublin University Programmes. In order to rollout a University-wide initiative and guidance for embedding authentic assessment within a Programme, the TU Dublin Authentic Assessment working Framework must be developed and embedded within the existing Quality Frameworks, associated policy, and the University Educational Model.

An initial consultation workshop was held in April 2023, bringing together representatives from QQI, TU Dublin Academic Affairs, Engineers Ireland, RIAI, CORU, and three participating TU Dublin programmes (Architecture, Optometry, and Engineering). Participants engaged in exploratory discussion about our understandings of ‘authenticity’ in assessment, graduate outputs and key competencies, existing assessment approaches on our participating programmes, and authentic assessment task design. This session focused on defining a working definition of authentic assessment, and its incremental development over each year of the selected programmes.

An Authentic Assessment framework has been developed and updated and was presented at a follow-up consultation. The four working dimensions of the TU Dublin Authentic Assessment Framework are: Realism, Cognitive Challenge, Critical Reflection and Feedback Processes. These informative sessions formed the basis for the main study taking place currently (September-December 2023). Current practices of Authentic Assessment across the programmes will be investigated. Programme documents will be reviewed and relevant CA/Assessment briefs/Exam Questions will be categorised as Low, Medium, or High in terms of Authentic Assessment. This will be examined for each of the four dimensions of the TU Dublin Authentic Assessment Framework. Working definitions to describe the incremental increase in authenticity across a programme from year to year, A ‘Continuum of Authenticity’ will be collaboratively developed with the programme teams, PSRBs, and the student voice. The perceptions of authenticity, and its meaning will be compared and contrasted between these three representative groups, thus reorienting authenticity in our context.

Areas of the Programmes where further work in embedding/implementing Authentic Assessment tasks will be identified and brought forward to the next Programme/PSRB consultation in December. The findings from this review will inform the Programme teams/PSRBs of the level and depth of Authentic Assessment practices taking place across the Programmes, and will highlight areas for improvement. Alongside this review, an online Programme Mapping Tool will be developed to guide both students and staff in the Authentic Assessment task design and evaluation process of their individual assessments.

Keywords:

Authentic, Assessment, Higher Education.