Authentic Assessment Design in Accounting Courses: A Literature Review

Abstract

Aim/Purpose: Authentic assessments offer students the opportunity to develop skills that implement the formal learning they receive in the classroom. Although there is a need for accounting graduates to possess a plethora of skills to equip them for success, there is a shortage of literature that focuses on authentic assessment design for accounting courses. This paper aims to address this gap by compiling a toolkit for accounting educators aspiring to design and implement authentic assessments. Background: This paper reviews examples of authentic assessments that are available and have been used by accounting educators and educators in general. It highlights the skills that might be developed with each assessment Methodology: A review of 182 articles on authentic assessment design and examples of authentic assessments like portfolios, reflective journals, presentations, reports, peer and self-assessment was conducted. Contribution: A toolkit with examples of authentic assessment to ease the task of authentic assessment design for those new to authentic assessment and seasoned authentic assessment practitioners alike. Findings: Authentic assessments are a form of learning. They help graduates develop skills and attributes that will make them work-ready and capable of handling a lot of real life practical work situations. Rubrics are an important part of authentic assessment implementation and their use is mandated by business school accrediting bodies like AACSB. Recommendations for Practitioners: Accounting educators may find guidelines in this paper which will help them understand authentic assessments and enlighten them on the challenges they may encounter when implementing the assessments. Recommendation for Researchers: There is a need for future researchers to contribute more to this topic so as to increase the variety and amount of literature available for those wishing to engage with authentic curriculum design in accounting. Future researchers could also focus on the perceptions of authentic assessments of accounting educators, students and employers. Impact on Society: This paper may also be of use to prospective employers wishing to gain a clear understanding of the skills inherent in prospective graduates who may have been exposed to authentic assessments. Accounting students and graduates may find this paper useful as it will help them comprehend the importance of some the assessments with the backing and assurance from the literature. Future Research: Future research may focus on the challenges in implementing authentic assessments. It would also be great to see more research addressing the perceptions of educators towards authentic assessments.

Pivoting authentic assessment to an accounting podcast during COVID-19

“…As with any new teaching tool or methodology, a few refinements could improve the assessment, one of which might include a stricter length of the final podcast. Although an effective rubric was developed for this assignment, research shows that rubrics should undergo several iterations and adjustments after an assessment (Nkhoma et al , 2018; and Appendix 3 for the rubric). A consideration that needs to be made is that this assessment was applied to an MBA cohort, where it was expected that the podcasts and the interviews would show good communication skills.…”

“…In searching for an examination substitute during COVID-19, the assessments needed to be authentic; reduce any potential plagiarism and preserve academic integrity (Gulikers et al , 2004; Sotiriadou et al , 2019). Authentic assessments also help learners see how real-life business situations complement theoretical knowledge, (Nkhoma et al , 2018; Villarroel et al , 2020; Sotiriadou et al , 2019). A student-created podcast fitted these assessment requirements.…”

Implementing a strategic campus-wide approach to authentic assessment: considerations and recommendations for implementation

“…According to Sadler and Reimann (2018), research into academics' conceptualisation of assessment indicates it is complex, in part due to the dual purposes of assessment; that is, the requirement for it to be for learning as well as of learning. Unfortunately, there is limited investigation in the literature into academics' understanding of assessment in the higher education context (Sadler and Reimann, 2018;Yeo and Boman, 2019;Nkhoma et al, 2018). More focus has been placed on conceptual and practice change in teaching approaches.…”

Writing assessment strategies for online learning during pandemic era

“…Mueller (2005), authentic assessment is a form of assessment in which students are asked to perform real-world tasks that demonstrate meaningful application of important knowledge and skills. Nkhoma et al (2018), types of authentic assessment include portfolios, reflective journals and studies, presentations, discussions, and performance appraisals, and much more. This picture description assessment model is included into the category of portfolio writing.…”