It is not a discrete discipline. We can measure its success only when it is integral to curricular goals. It should not be our goal simply to have students and teachers use the equipment. The technology environment is still immature, said Robbie McClintock, director of the Institute for Learning Technologies at Columbia University. Grading and storing the kind of creative work that comes from the integration of technology into the classroom is much harder than simply entering number grades into a database.
Authentic assessment focuses on students applying their knowledge to create a product.
Students are given criteria for their decisions. Using an electronic encyclopedia, a spreadsheet template, and a presentation template, students seek, analyze and organize the information and later develop a persuasive multimedia presentation to demonstrate their findings, conclusions and recommendations. Teachers use specifically designed criteria to evaluate students fairly on the basis of their group behavior as well as their ability to solve problems and analyze and communicate information while using technology. The exercise clearly models skills that students will use in work environments. But this shift in strategy is time-consuming.