Designing Authentic Assessments with Digital Tools (Quick Reference Guide)

Designing Authentic Assessments with Digital Tools (Quick Reference Guide)

By Shantia Kerr Sims

QRG Details

Product Code: QRG126049

ISBN: 9798888371107

Release Date: October 2026  

Length: 8.5" x 11" laminated guide, 3 panels / 6 pages

Transform your grading practice with this accessible guide to designing authentic digital assessments that will boost student engagement, foster agency, and deepen learning.

Traditional, high-stakes testing often fails to capture the true depth of student progress, creativity, and critical thinking. In today’s rapidly evolving educational landscape, educators need modern strategies to measure learning accurately and equitably.

This practical guide bridges the gap between technology and pedagogy, providing K–12 teachers and instructional coaches with immediately actionable strategies to design authentic, performance-based assessments. By integrating digital tools and technology in meaningful ways, you can foster deeper academic growth, streamline personalized feedback, and spark genuine student agency. A built-in QR code links directly to an author-curated resource that includes detailed information on suggested tools and rubric examples to meet your assessment needs.

The guide covers the following approaches to authentic assessment:

• Game-Based Learning and Assessment: Digital approaches that boost student motivation, drive decision-making, and provide immediate formative feedback.
• Strategic Rubrics: Frameworks for creating clear, transparent criteria for student performance.
• Digital Portfolios: Proven methods to help students document and reflect on their learning journey.
• Peer and Self-Assessment: Strategies that promote metacognition, reflection, and student ownership.
• Digital Badges and Micro-Credentials: Innovative ways to recognize student skills and competencies beyond standard letter grades.

By exploring diverse approaches to authentic assessment, this guide provides the digital tools and strategies you need to enhance the learner experience, while helping you foster student agency.

8.5" x 11" 3-panel foldout guide (6 pages), laminated for extra durability and 3-hole-punched for binder storage 

About the author

Shantia Kerr Sims is a professor of educational technology at the University of Central Missouri. Her research and academic expertise focus on educational media design, teacher professional development, and promoting equity in education. Driven by the belief that technology should remove barriers to learning, Sims is dedicated to helping educators design inclusive, transformative learning experiences. She is the author of Designing Authentic Assessments with Digital Tools.