Freeman, Olivia, Hand, Rosie and Kennedy, Aileen (2021) Breaking Down Silos Through Authentic Assessment: A Live Case Analysis. Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice, 21 (4). pp. 236-241.
Keywords: authentic assessment, live case analysis, curriculum framework, formative assessment, real-world application INTRODUCTION This paper describes the design, implementation and outcome of an inter-disciplinary and cross-programme 'authentic assessment' method which was developed and carried out in response to a rapidly changing learning and teaching environment and a new institutional context. Assessment components included fleldwork, industry engagement, formative assessment components and a summative presentation to the senior marketing team and theme park owner. Four design principles have been developed to articulate how the final curriculum framework might shape what, where and how people learn at TU Dublin. * Step forward and try new things * Make our learning experience active, useful and related to the world (of work) * Use our talents; everyone has something to learn and something to teach * Create the space and time to do work that matters In this paper we map our assessment innovation, a live business case analysis, against these design principles to frame our discussion and explore the ways in which this innovation reflects the pedagogical tenets encapsulated in the framework. Authentic assessment (Mueller, 2005) is not a new approach within business education but there is a dearth of empirical research on authentic assessments in business disciplines in general (Sotiriadou, Logan, Daly and Guest, 2019) and particularly in formal learning environments as opposed to work placements (Ashford-Rowe, Herrington and Brown, 2014).