One way in which universities can close the gap between graduate skills and industry demand is to assess students’ learning more authentically. Authentic assessments are based on tasks that require students to demonstrate practices, behaviours, and skills that are required of practitioners in their careers (Larkin 2014; James; 2018). Using research evidence this workshop aims to 1) develop a shared understanding of the characteristics and value of authentic assessment and 2) how authentic assessment can be incorporated into the curriculum. Examples of authentic assessment from a variety of disciplinary contexts will be explored.

This workshop is open to all staff and will be particularly useful to programme teams who are reviewing assessment strategies.

Academic References
James, L.T. and Casidy, R. (2018) Authentic assessment in business education: its effects on student satisfaction and promoting behaviour, Studies in Higher Education,
Larkin, T. (2014) The Student Conference: A Model of Authentic Assessment. International Journal of Engineering Pedagogy (iJEP) 4 (2): 36-46.

Competencies
By the end of this session, participants will:

• Identify the evidence-based for using authentic assessment with students in HE
• Review dimensions of authenticity in assessment design and how this can be put into practice
• Reflect on the authenticity  of their assessment practice, identifying opportunities for enhancement.

UK Professional Standards Framework (HEA, 2011)
This event aligns to the UKPSF through the following core Activities (A), Knowledge (K) and Values (V):

• A1: Design and plan learning activities and/or programmes of study
• A3: Assess and give feedback to learners
• V3: Use evidence informed approaches and the outcomes from research, scholarship and continuing professional development.