ABSTRACT
This chapter presents important work from the past (Dewey's theory of an educative experience – Dewey, J. (1938). Experience and Education. New York: Touchstone.) and more contemporary perspectives as theoretical arguments for authentic assessment (AA). It also presents a theoretical basis for AA with more contemporary perspectives. The chapter includes a quick overview of seminal pieces of AA research. They all seem to suggest that AA has led to significant improvement in student work especially those that require higher order thinking. Dewey did not write about assessments, but one can perhaps infer from his belief that "all genuine education comes about through experience" (1938, p. 25). However, he cautions not all experiences are equally educative. For any experience, including that of assessment, to be educative, they need to adhere to two principles: Principle of continuity, Principle of interactivity.
