We presented a paper at the iCTLT 08 Conference in Singapore this month on authentic assessment and web 2 tools. The presentation went really well and it was great to talk about the exciting and challenging aspects of experimenting with new forms of learning and assessment with teachers from Singapore and other places. Martin Levins, Seonia Wark, Jacqui Whitland and I presented an overview of how learning in the primary, middle and senior schools is changing as a consequence of teaching in a 1:1 laptop and wireless environment. One of the best things about the presentation, IMO, was that it provided examples of “ordinary” teachers who are using constructivist ideas and web 2 technologies to engage students and provide multidisciplinary, real world, experiential and relevant learning experiences in maths, science, industrial design, English, history and geography – warts and all.

Samples are on Seonia’s site here and the quicktime version of presentation heard/viewed/downloaded here.

[In] Authentic Assessment, assessment drives the curriculum. That is, teachers first determine the tasks that students will perform to demonstrate their mastery, and then a curriculum is developed that will enable students to perform those tasks well, which would include the acquisition of essential knowledge and skills. (Jonathan Meuller)

Authentic assessment centres on “…engaging and worthy problems or questions of importance, in which students must use knowledge to fashion performances effectively and creatively. The tasks are either replicas of or analogous to the kinds of problems faced by adult citizens and consumers or professionals in the field.” — Grant Wiggins — (Wiggins, 1993, p. 229).