Traditional Assessment
Traditional assessment is what usually comes to mind when you hear the word "test". Traditional assessments consist of paper/pencil exams and computer exams that use selected or constructed response questions.
Authentic Assessment
Authentic assessment is a performance-oriented evaluation with a focus on real-world application. Portfolios, simulations, lab experiments, role-plays, and observations are all examples of authentic assessment. Authentic assessment takes place in context,
promotes reflection, and can be somewhat subjective. In authentic assessment, it is possible for students to arrive at the same level of competency through different methods. In other words, it allows students to solve the same problem using different
approaches. Authentic assessments where students are demonstrating a skill can be graded as pass or fail, but they don't have to be. Many instructors use a rubric to grade students. See the resource, Authentic Tasks and Rubrics,
for examples of authentic assessments by subject area.
Is one better than the other?
Both traditional and authentic assessments can be formative or summative. Neither assessment is better in general, but one may be better suited to measure a stated learning outcome.
For example, if the objective states that a student will be able to use titration to determine the concentration of a solution, then an authentic assessment is a better assessment because it measures whether or not a student is able to
perform titration. If the objective states that a student will be able to calculate the molarity based on titrations, then a traditional assessment would be aligned to that objective because a student can demonstrate their ability to calculate
through a constructed or open response question.
In some situations, both authentic and traditional assessment serve as valid ways to measure student learning. In the latter example, a student could also be given an authentic assessment where he/she completes a lab requiring the
use of titration to calculate molarity, while demonstrating a host of other skills they have learned throughout the course.