Lydia Arnold

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Authentic Assessment Resources

I am regularly asked bout resources for authentic assessment, so this page collates resources that I use and value to support thought and development in relation to this. As you might expect some of the resources are things I have created, others are things I use.

The first resource to share when working with colleagues in higher education on authentic assessment are my own Authentic Assessment Top Trumps Cards. The pack of cards can be used to stimulate discussion around the topic of authentic assessment and to encourage thought about which formats would work well in different specific contexts. Specifically you might:

  • Make piles of cards you could use, those you reject and those you would like to discuss. Consider the reasons for inclusion or exclusion to make you more aware of your own underpinning thinking
  • For a more theoretical discussion, consider looking at the star ratings on the card and see if you agree with the ratings given. This is a good way to get familiar with the concepts that make up authentic assessment e.g. real-worldness, cognitive demand, and opportunities for feedback.
  • Try to extend the pack by designing some extra assessment cards for your own course or programme.

Here is a quick video on how to use the Top Trumps.

The second resource I would recommend are Sally Brown and Kay Sambell’s compendiums of authentic assessment. These real case studies from different disciplines and locations provide real examples of assessment that have been tried and tested by colleagues, There really is something for everyone in this collection, which is relatable and pragmatic. As a complement to the ideas in these case studies, colleagues at Keele University offer their own examples of how the campus environment can be a living lab for authentic assessment – although not always repeatable, the ideas here are relatable and adaptable.

As a podcast fan, I have enjoyed some useful insights by the share stories on podcast listens. One of my favourite is Katy Forrest speaking about her journey with authentic assessment. What strikes me most here is the underpinning care she has for her students learning – it’s powerful. With colleagues at Harper Adams (James Croxford and Jane Headley) we created our own audio resource – available from the National Teaching Repository – akin to an episode of Loose Women (UK chat show) – we discuss key questions on the topic sharing from examples and experience.

No page on authentic assessment would be complete without a contribution from the marvellous Professor Tansy Jessop; in her new year lecture she explores the concept of authentic through a critical lens, finishing with a poem from Kathleen Quinlan’s collection, Tansy reminds us of the need for care to sit alongside authentic formats.

On social media there are some hugely generous people that share widely on this topic. Eliana Elkhoury is a thought leader in this space and I’d recommend anyone interested in authentic assessment follows her. Interesting work is currently happening at TU Dublin with assessment frameworks and student co-produced guidance – another follow that is useful to anyone looking at authentic approaches.

Papers are also, of course, key to exploring the idea of authentic assessment – so here are five things that I would recommend anyone in this space reads. The older reference highlights the heritage of this topic (it isn’t new), McArthur offers a valuable critical consideration of the topic, Stank and Holloway open up the debate about measuring authenticity and also the questions around exams and authenticity (I’m not a fan of villainising exams), Villarreal et al. offer a very usable breakdown of the idea of authentic, and finally Wake et al. grapple with the balance between novel and manageable for students (prompting thoughts about scaffolding, support and the idea of too much novelty). There are so many other papers too, but these are five which I am currently thinking about.

McArthur, J. (2023). Rethinking authentic assessment: work, well-being, and society. Higher Education, 85(1), 85–101. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-022-00822-y

Shaffer, D. W., & Resnick, M. (1999). “Thick” authenticity: New media and authentic learning. Journal of Interactive Learning Research, 10(2), 195–215.

Stankov, P., & Holloway, R. (2024). Are Exams Authentic Assessment? The Case of Economics. 29.

Villarroel, V., Bloxham, S., Bruna, D., Bruna, C., & Herrera-Seda, C. (2018). Authentic assessment: creating a blueprint for course design. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 43(5), 840–854. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2017.1412396

Wake, S., Pownall, M., Harris, R., & Birtill, P. (2023). Balancing pedagogical innovation with psychological safety?: Student perceptions of authentic assessment. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2023.2275519