ELI Releases Latest White Paper on Authentic Learning

ELI has released its fourth in a series of four white papers on authentic learning, Making the Grade: The Role of Assessment in Authentic Learning, by Marilyn M. Lombardi and edited by Diana G. Oblinger. This paper discusses assessment as an integral component of any successful teaching effort. Research has shown that students engage with subject matter based in part on their expectations about how their achievement will be evaluated. Educators who strive to bring authentic learning experiences to their students must devise appropriate and meaningful measures to assess student learning and mastery of concepts at hand. Although some barriers must be overcome, numerous examples point to the opportunities available for effective assessment of authentic learning initiatives. These approaches to assessment are vital to ensuring that models of teaching and learning with technology see their full potential.