Exploring the Authenticity and Rubric Function of an EAP Presentation Assessment

Abstract

The issue of authentic assessment is one that has come to prominence in recent years in both higher education and language teaching alike. However, there is a relevant small amount of research on the rubrics and criteria used to evaluate authentic assessments. As such, this chapter provides an evaluation of a presentation assessment used on an EAP programme in Japan. Firstly, the degree to which the assessment can be considered authentic is explored. Then the rubric function is assessed using many-facet Rasch measurement. The analysis suggests that the assessment could be considered to be authentic and that the rubric functions well, but both areas have room for improvement. These areas are discussed, as well as other implications for presentations of authentic EAP assessments.