ENHANCING STUDENT ENGAGEMENT WITH AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT IN TECHNOLOGY-BASED PROGRAM: A MULTI-FACETED APPROACH

Abstract

This paper builds upon a preliminary investigation into the effectiveness of authentic assessment within a Mobile Application Development course. Aligning with Luan & Cowling (2015), authentic assessment has been shown to enhance student motivation and satisfaction through engagement with real-world client projects. However, while the initial pilot study revealed increased motivation and satisfaction among most students engaged with real clients, a minority expressed concerns regarding performance pressure. This earlier pilot highlighted student anxiety associated with performance expectations in authentic assessment contexts. Notably, the current research on authentic assessment in mobile application development fails to adequately address this specific concern. To address these concerns and further investigate student acceptance of authentic assessment, this study proposes a novel multi-faceted approach for a Technology-based program offered at Central Queensland University. The approach integrates real-world client involvement with faculty-provided support resources. Clients will offer project insights, while faculty will curate relevant websites and examples to bridge the gap between client expectations and student understanding. This combined approach aims to leverage the benefits of authentic assessment (client interaction, real-world application) while mitigating student anxieties by providing targeted academic support. The study will evaluate the impact of this multi-faceted approach on student acceptance of authentic assessment and their motivation to complete the assessment task. The study will evaluate the impact of this multi-faceted approach on student acceptance of authentic assessment and their motivation to complete the assessment task.