A Return to Doing

Abstract

Elements that define competency-based education are provided, and followed by a history and evolution of this educational philosophy that has become increasingly attractive and necessary to both institutions and learners. Authentic assessment is introduced as the heart of competency-based education and as the instrumental element that differentiates competency-based education from traditional approaches. Examples of authentic assessment are provided from field-specific domains. Drivers from industry, government, and learners are described and linked with the progression of authentic assessment. The design and evaluation of authentic assessment is explored with a thorough explanation of the ways in which properties of reliability and validity are established. The chapter concludes with a forecast for the change that authentic assessment will bring in competency-based education.