Traditional Assessments Vs Alternative Assessments

Comparison and Contrast between Traditional Assessment and Alternative Assessment

by Jon Mueller (2014)

Traditional Assessment

Students typically select an answer or recall information to complete the assessment. These tests may be standardized or teacher-created.  They may be administered locally or statewide, or internationally.

TA is grounded in educational philosophy that adopts the following reasoning and practice:

1. A school's mission is to develop productive citizens.
2. To be a productive citizen an individual must possess a certain body of knowledge and skills.
3. Therefore, schools must teach this body of knowledge and skills.
4. To determine if it is successful, the school must then test students to see if they acquired the knowledge and skills.

In the TA model, the curriculum drives assessment.   "The" body of knowledge is determined first.  That knowledge becomes the curriculum that is delivered.  Subsequently, the assessments are developed and administered to determine if acquisition of the curriculum occurred.

Authentic Assessment

In contrast, authentic assessment (AA) springs from the following reasoning and practice:

1. A school's mission is to develop productive citizens.
2. To be a productive citizen, an individual must be capable of performing meaningful tasks in the real world.
3. Therefore, schools must help students become proficient at performing the tasks they will encounter when they graduate.
4. To determine if it is successful, the school must then ask students to perform meaningful tasks that replicate real world challenges to see if students are capable of doing so.

Thus, in AA, 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.


Who is Jon Mueller?

• He is Professor of Psychology at North Central College in Naperville, IL.
• For more than 15 years he has taught a graduate course entitled "Assessment Strategies for the Classroom" as part of North Central's Master's of Education program. 
• Jon has also consulted with teachers, schools and districts, colleges and universities, on the development, review and revision of assessments and standards/outcomes.
• Most of the examples shown in the website come from teachers who were students in Jon's graduate course and who graciously permitted Jon to share them with you.

 Interested for more ideas on TA and AA by Dr.Mueller, click here.