Authentic assessment, now standard in higher education, asks students to complete tasks mirroring real-world challenges. Yet a gap remains between what universities teach and what workplaces demand, according to Dr. James Thompson, a senior lecturer in the School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Science at Adelaide University.
Universities emphasize knowledge and skills acquisition through what Thompson calls the "learning to be" paradigm. Employers, however, prioritize consistency, reliability, and personal attributes. The disconnect appears in several areas. Authentic assessments typically capture a student's optimized effort at one time point, while workplaces value how a person performs under pressure over time. Universities increasingly grant deadline extensions and accommodate flexible attendance, but employers expect punctuality and on-time delivery. Academic feedback is often standardized for defensibility, whereas professional critique tends to be candid and specific. Students frequently choose their teammates and working conditions, but professionals must adapt to unfamiliar colleagues and environments.
Thompson proposes a "Being to Learn" philosophy that shifts focus from what students need to learn to who they need to become. The approach suggests universities design experiences that teach students how professionals actually work, not just what tasks they perform.
Specific strategies include framing assessments around professional contexts like shift work and client expectations, anchoring designs to standards from professional bodies, providing candid feedback aligned with workplace norms, requiring students to work with unfamiliar peers to build adaptability, and emphasizing initiative and independent problem-solving over prescribed instruction.
Thompson argues authentic assessment, while valuable, is not sufficient alone. To prepare students for employment, universities must help them develop professional identity and behavior, not just complete academic tasks.