ERIC Number: ED384736
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 1995
Reference Count: N/A
Authentic Assessment in Vocational Education. Trends and Issues Alerts.
The authentic assessment method of student evaluation is particularly well suited to vocational education. It connects the way schoolwork is assessed with the way knowledge and competence are judged in the workplace by focusing on tasks that are simultaneously meaningful to learners and linked to school and nonschool demands. Portfolios are one example of the authentic assessment method; they provide multiple, tangible forms of evidence of students' accomplishments in a format that is transferable to the job search process. Among the many areas of vocational education in which authentic assessment is suitable are technology, business, automotive, and technical education. Vocational educators developing authentic assessments must ensure that the assessments have the following characteristics: reflect learning theories, promote additional learning, use multiple measures (including kinetic and artistic), recognize that errors are intrinsic to learning, are sufficiently ambitious, and are rated by criteria that are clear and defensible. (An annotated bibliography of 24 print resources about authentic assessment in vocational education is included.) (MN)
Publication Type: Reference Materials - Bibliographies; ERIC Publications
Education Level: N/A
Sponsor: Office of Educational Research and Improvement (ED), Washington, DC.
Authoring Institution: ERIC Clearinghouse on Adult, Career, and Vocational Education, Columbus, OH.