Episode
Beyond the Bubble Sheet: What Authentic Assessment Looks Like in Practice
- Podcast
- The What And Who Of EDU
- Published
- Oct 8, 2025
- Duration seconds
- 2590
- Processing state
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Summary
What if the most important things students learn… aren't showing up on your tests? In this episode of The What and Who of EDU, we go beyond the buzzword to explore authentic assessment: what it is, where it came from, and whether it actually works. With insights from education researcher Sarah Gray, we dig into what authentic assessment looks like in practice, how it holds up in the AI era, and what the research really says about deeper learning, academic performance, and workforce readiness. We'll explore: How authentic assessment builds critical thinking, collaboration, and self-regulated learning What the research actually says (including some eye-opening effect sizes) A brief but mighty history lesson 10 practical tips to help you design, scaffold and grade authentic assessments Whether you're teaching STEM, social science, or Shakespeare, this episode offers actionable ideas to make assessment more meaningful—and more manageable. And spoiler alert: Yes, the research backs it up. But only when it's done well. Supported by Macmillan Learning 🧠 Today's Syllabus: 02:06 – What is authentic assessment, really? 05:02 – The big three skills: self-regulation, critical thinking, collaboration 07:11 – History rewind: Dewey, the 90s, and the assessment triangle 15:40 – What authentic assessment looks like in practice 18:40 – Sarah Gray's design rule of thumb 23:40 – The receipts: what the research says 30:11 – Common pitfalls + grading without losing your weekend 35:20 – 10 practical tips to try in your classroom 📖 Required Reading: What Is Authentic Assessment, Really? Wiggins, G. (1990). The Case for Authentic Assessment – The origin story. Newmann & Wehlage (1993). Five Standards of Authentic Instruction – A framework for meaningful work. Resnick, L. B. (1987). Education a…