Authentic Student Assessment Research

Authentic assessment was born in America in the last decade of the 20th century. It's the result of the social change and it reflects the educational reform under the influence of politics, economy and technology. As for the student assessment itself, authentic assessment is the unavoidable result of student assessment development from 'the exam culture' to 'the assessment culture'.Authentic assessment is based on the methodology of humanities which is the further study of methodology during the reflection of the methodology of natural science. The contemporary viewpoint on humanism, knowledge and learning is the preconditions of authentic assessment. Authentic assessment is based on the understanding of human nature, not the restriction and criterion of human nature. It pays more attention on the healthy and all-round development of student. The modern development of knowledge asks education to prepare student for the unknown future, and asks for authentic, comprehensive and developing student assessment. The change of the viewpoint on knowledge brings the change of the viewpoint on learning. The constructivism ideas on learning and the situated learning theory have an important influence on the modern viewpoint of learning. It advocates that student assessment should be close to the 'real world', and student should participate into the whole process of assessment. As a kind of assessment method and a multi-assessment concept, authentic assessment embodies its own values from control to understanding, from neutralism to values-loaded, from norm reference to criteria reference, from quantitative research to qualitative research, from non-situation to situated relevancy, from competition to cooperation, from simple judge to dynamic analysis, from result-attention to process-attention, from colony-attention to individual-attention.The ultimate purpose of authentic assessment is to serve for the further development of student. It claims that we should evaluate student on considering their actual condition, and not only should we assess their knowledge and skill, but also we should regard for their feeling, attitude, etc. Authentic assessment is the reverse-designed mode of instruction, which involves the four steps of standards establishment, performance tasks chosen, performance criteria setting, and rubrics designing. The implementation of authentic assessment not only needs the role change ofteachers, but needs the participation and cooperation among students, parents and teachers. The sufficiency preparation before implementation and the skillful assessment technology are the key points in the implementation of authentic assessment.Performance assessment, portfolio assessment and observation-based assessment are the most three familiar modes of authentic assessment method. As for the assessment method, validity and reliability are the most important aspects that evaluators concern. How to judge and improve the validity and reliability of authentic assessment, and how to define and understand 'authenticity', are critical issues that the researchers will face.In China, examination is the main traditional student assessment method. The unbalance of the examination function, the examination catabolization, and the distorted use of standardization exam, make examination become the target of public criticism. The education for all-round development in China requires the establishment of a multi-assessment system and it requires the reform of the content and method of examinations. The authentic assessment concept finds its position in China's student assessment reform. The improvement of teacher's assessment responsibility and ability is the key point in the implementation of authentic assessment in China. During this process, we must settle four pairs of contradiction, establish open assessment rules, take full advantage of various assessment resources and information, and play the role of meta-assessment.The research on authentic student assessment has a significant meaning whether for the development of international student assessment, or for the current student assessment reform in China.