A Research-Led Approach to Authentic Assessment Design for an Introductory Accounting Course

Authentic assessment helps graduates acquire skills that will prepare them for work and help them to handle real-life work scenarios. However, there are few studies and research on practical examples and design of authentic assessment for accounting courses. This chapter discusses how the authors used a research-led approach in designing authentic assessment for an introductory accounting course. After conducting a literature review, a toolkit for authentic assessment design was developed to assist both novices and experts in this area tasked with authentic assessment design. The use of this toolkit led to the development of assessments that aimed to nurture the desirable but often-neglected graduate attributes for accounting and business school students. The authors also discussed the types of authentic assessment that were developed for an introductory accounting course using this toolkit. With an increased assessment of these skills, the need for rubrics was highlighted. It is evident from the authors’ experience that feedback and reflective practices are crucial when implementing authentic assessment.