Alternative assessments measure applied proficiency rather than just knowledge through methods like debates, projects, portfolios, and research papers. They are designed to have real-world meaning and require students to integrate skills to solve realistic problems. Traditional assessments focus on isolated skills and facts through multiple choice questions, while alternative assessments provide iterative feedback through complex, multi-step tasks with no single right answer. Examples of alternative assessments include lab practicals, e-portfolios, music juries, mock trials, and acting performances.

1. Alternative Assessment
BASIC CONCEPTS, THEORIES, AND
PRINCIPLES

2. Alternative assessment
• It refers to the use of alternative or non-traditional
assessment strategies or tools to collect information on
student learning.
• At the core of alternative assessment is the need to design
and implement assessment tasks or activities that refrain from
using traditional paper-pencil test, which typically assess
cognitive learning outcomes and thus have right or wrong
answers (David et al., 2020).

3. Traditional Methods
• Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ)
• True or False
• Matching type
• Short-Answer test (Completion Type, Identification)
• Essay
Cognitive
Learning
• Remembering
• Understanding
• Applying
• Analysing
• Evaluating
• Creating

4. Alternative assessments
• It is also referred to as performance tests or
authentic assessments; used to determine
what students can and cannot do, in contrast
to what they do or do not know.
• In other words, an alternative assessment
measures applied proficiency more than it
measures knowledge.
https://ctl.byu.edu/using-alternative-assessments

5. Alternative assessments
Examples:
• Debate
• Community
Extension Work
• Portfolio
• Research Paper
• Project work
• Journal
• Other activities
requiring some
type of rubric
https://ctl.byu.edu/using-alternative-assessments

6. • Assessment is authentic when it measures
performance or products which have realistic
meaning that can be attributed to the success in
school.
• Activities, questions and problems with “real-world”
satisfy the criterion that it needs to be an authentic
intellectual work within the given situation or
contextual practicality of the tasks (Cajigal and
Mantuano, 2014) .

7. Characteristics of Alternative Assessment
• Usually teacher-generated, as opposed to being passed
down from an administration, government, or third-party
organization.
• Takes into account the individual background and needs of
every unique learner.
• Considers the big picture of individual student progress
over an extended period of time.
• Flexible, responsive, and continually developing according
to curricular objectives.

8. Characteristics of Alternative Assessment
• Takes into consideration different learning styles and
preferences.
• Allows language learners to demonstrate content
knowledge and skills mastery without language barrier
difficulties.
• Highly effective for use with students who are entitled to
accommodations and/or modifications.
• Normally documented with qualitative data, such as
performance descriptors, comparisons with previous work,
and skills demonstration.

9. Alternative Assessment IS NOT…
• Not standardized. Similarly, alternative assessment is
not what is sometimes referred to as 'large-scale' or
'high-stakes' assessment.
• Not intended to replace or otherwise diminish the
importance of traditional assessments. In fact, it is
intended to serve as a complement to school and/or
state-mandated standardized assessment programs.
• Not implemented in one specific moment in time, such
as at the end of a lesson, unit, or semester.

10. Alternative Assessment IS NOT…
• Not a measurement of how a student performs compared
to peers.
• Not normally reported with quantitative data (e.g.,
percentage scores or statistics).
• Not presented in traditional formats, such as multiple-
choice, true/false, and fill-in-the blank questions and
answers.
• Not perfect, comprehensive, or appropriate in every
situation.

11. Traditional Assessment versus Alternative
Assessment
Traditional
Assessment
Alternative Assessment WhatMakesitAuthentic
Requires right
answer
Requires high-quality
performance or product,
along with justifications of
decisions.
Students must be able to think
through why they made decisions
that resulted in final product.
Questionsmust
beunknownto
students in
advance
Instructions/questions/pur
pose must be knownto
students inadvance.
Tasks that are to be judged should
be known ahead of time. Rubrics
should be provided.
Disconnected from
the real world
Tied to real-world
contexts and constraints.
Requires student to solve
realistic problem.
Task is similar in nature as to what
would be encountered by a real-life
practitioner.

12. Traditional Assessment versus Alternative
Assessment
Traditional
Assessment
Alternative Assessment WhatMakesitAuthentic
Isolations of
skills, focus on
facts
A range of skills/knowledge
need to be integrated in order
to solve a problem.
Tasks are multi-step and
multifaceted.
Easily scored Includes complex tasks for
which there may not be a
right answer.
Meaningful assessment and
feedback is emphasized.
“One shot”
approach
Iterative in nature. Knowledge and skills are
used in more than one way.
Given a score Opportunity to provide
diagnostic feedback.
Designed to give practical
experience and improve future
performance.

13. Non-Traditional Assessment Models
1. Authentic Assessment: Assessing by Doing
• Authentic assessment is based on students’
abilities to perform meaningful tasks they may
have to do in the “real world.” In other words,
this form of assessment determines students’
learning in a manner that goes beyond multiple
choice tests and quizzes.

14. Authentic Assessment: Assessing by Doing
Developing an Authentic Assessment
Here are some suggestions for developing an authentic
assessment:
• Identify at least one task students need to be able to do to be
successful in employment and/or continuing education
• Work with your fellow faculty to determine how students might
be able to demonstrate their ability to do the task(s)
• Identify criteria to evaluate the task(s)
• Evaluate students’ abilities to complete the criteria of the task(s)

15. Authentic Assessment: Assessing by Doing
Some Authentic Assessment Methodologies
Examples:
• Biology lab practical
• e-Portfolio
• Music jury
• Mock trial
• Acting in a play

16. The basic premise of authentic assessment is
that if you want to know how well someone
golfs, the best way to assess it is to have that
person play a round of golf.