This document discusses five authentic assessment strategies for math: 1) Give students formula sheets and access to technology resources, as they would have in real workplaces. 2) Assign video demonstrations and assess if students can explain concepts. 3) Use oral assessments through scheduled short exams to assess problem solving skills. 4) Give students agency by asking open-ended questions about what they know rather than specific questions. 5) Use elaborations to encourage innovative thinking by asking students to show different solutions, relate concepts to other topics, or hypothesize changes to problems.

1. Five Authentic
Assessment Strategies
for Math
Maria Andersen, Ph.D.
• Core Adjunct Faculty,
Westminster College
• CEO, Coursetune
busynessgirl@gmail.com
Twitter: @busynessgirl

2. Traditional STEM
Assessment

3. Actual STEM Workplaces
In the workplace, people have access
to references and technology.

4. 1. Give students resources and technology

5. Provide Formula Sheets
REMOTE/ONLINE TEACHING TIP:
Mail one to students without
printers!

6. 14 pages of
mathematical
formulas (not
counting
probability and
statistics)

7. Allow powerful and
easy-to-use technology
ONLINE TEACHING TIP:
Make sure your testing centers
know how to administer exams
with the technology.

8. Learning Objective:
Solve a quadratic equation.

9. Learning Objective: Solve a quadratic equation.
Solve a quadratic equation using factoring.
Solve
Solve a quadratic equation by completing the square.
Solve
Solve a quadratic equation using the quadratic formula.
Solve
Solve a quadratic equation using technology.
Solve

10. Learning Objective:
Solve a quadratic equation.
This equation cannot be solved by factoring.
Almost no equation from real-world data can be solved by factoring.

11. Solve a quadratic equation by
completing the square.
Solve a quadratic equation
using the quadratic formula.

13. Graphs In The World

14. 2. Assign video demos to see if students can explain.

15. Make sure to use clear and specific rubrics.

16. 3. Talking with math is important. Use Oral Assessments.

17. Oral Assessment: A Primer

18. Assessing
Problem
Solving in an
Oral Exam

19. Scheduled Short Oral Exams
Use software like
Calendly to schedule
15-min sessions at the
convenience of the
student
1
Require ID and camera
(for exam only – they
can go someplace
where they know it is
safe and there is good
internet)
2
Give students a specific
list of LOs or CLOs you
will be examining
3

20. 4. Give students agency by asking what students know.

21. Consider the
difference
between these
questions:
• What is the vertex of the given
function?
• Tell me 8 properties of the given
function.

22. This was the actual test page...

23. Consider the
difference
between these
questions:
• Find the limit algebraically.
• Find the limit either graphically,
numerically, or algebraically. Use
each method at least once for full
credit.

24. This was the actual
test page...

25. 5. Use elaborations to encourage students to innovate.

26. What is an
elaboration?
• Show a different way to solve the problem.
• Show how to check the answer.
• Solve for something extra in the problem.
• Relate the concepts in this problem to something
else we’ve studied.
• Relate the concept in the problem to a graph (if
there wasn’t a graph required in the problem).
• Hypothesize on how a change to the problem
might change the answer, and then try it.
• If it relates to this problem, investigate something
we did in class that you found difficult to
understand or remember.
http://busynessgirl.com/elaborations-for-creative-thinking-in-stem/

27. Elaborations

30. Summary
Give students resources and technology.
Assign video demos to see if students can explain.
Talking with math is important. Use Oral Assessments.
Give students agency by asking what students know.
Use elaborations to encourage students to innovate.

31. Questions?
Contact info:
busynessgirl@gmail.com
Website:
busynessgirl.com
Twitter
@busynessgirl