Alternative assessment is not a replacement of traditional methods simply because not all learning outcomes can be gauged effectively and efficiently with it. The challenge for the instructors is to balance the two in accordance with the contents of the curriculum and the learning goals.
Traditionally, students are generally given with objective type test items such as true-false, multiple choice, matching type and fill-in-the blanks. Occasionally, a short answer or an extended response essay type is also provided to measure what they have learned. However, this students’ evaluation is mostly given just to give a mark or grade to learners at the end of the grading period or at the end of the school year. No feedback has been provided genuinely to students and parents. This is seen as one of the reasons why many students lack the skills and knowledge needed in college life or in real life. Although they did not fully understand the concepts as manifested by their poor performance in the tests, teachers had to let them aside because they need to teach all the topics that are included in the curriculum for the annual achievement test within the scheduled time frame. As a result, many students entered the next grade level with limited understanding that resulted to poor performance.
Authentic or performance-based assessment or the so-called alternative methods of assessment have been introduced to measure students’ learning in a variety of ways relevant to their local and real life situations. Students are then exposed to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding through individual or group presentations or performances, process or product creation and other artistic endeavor such as writing, painting or poster making. Portfolios, journals, diaries are other authentic assessment methods that are added to traditional written tests.
Proponents of alternative assessments argue that the authentic approach is a better method of evaluating learners as compared to traditional measurement. Of course, this is a debatable issue since from the beginning up to the present, alternative methods do not fully replace the traditional one. In fact, most government and professional bodies are still adhering to the traditional methods of accrediting and licensing professionals and government personnel through multiple choice test items. Multiple choice test items are also widely used in college entrance and scholarship examinations and even in employment and other diagnostic activities.
Although authentic assessments can manifest direct evidence of students’ performance, measuring learners’ process and product is time consuming especially if students are involved in the production of checklist, rating scale and rubric as standards for good performance. In the same manner, traditional methods of testing can also measure higher order thinking skills if test items are designed in such a way that correct answers are not prone to guessing but as a product of in depth comprehension and analysis. Of course, creating very analytical and comprehensive test items is demanding and challenging.
Both traditional and authentic assessment can effectively and efficiently measure students’ knowledge, performance or skill depending on what specific learning outcomes and curriculum contents are to be measured. Time, cost and standards of performance should also be considered in selecting the better method in a particular situation. Whether traditional or authentic, the bottom line is whether students learned what they should learn or not. Select the one that is appropriate and practical in a given situation.
Images from
1) http://web.mst.edu/~rhall/ed_psych/assessment.gif
2) http://static.toondoo.com/public/w/h/a/whatedsaid/toons/cool-cartoon-1727740.png
3) http://onhandschools.com/Portals/166710/images/Test%20Taking%20Cartoon.jpg
4) http://www.uft.org/files/photo/cartoon5_2_13.jpg
References
Kwako, J. A BRIEF SUMMARY OF TRADITIONAL AND ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENT IN THE COLLEGE CLASSROOM. Retrieved from www.stat.wisc.edu/~nordheim/Kwako_assessment4.doc
Mueller, J. Authentic Assessment Toolbox. Retrieved from http://jfmueller.faculty.noctrl.edu/toolbox/whatisit.htm
