Which type of assessment measures student understanding of the learning process and product?

Authentic assessment is designed to evaluate students' understanding of the learning process and the products they create. It emphasizes real-world tasks that require students to apply their knowledge and skills in practical situations. This approach assesses students not only on what they know but also on how effectively they can use their knowledge in contexts that mimic real-life challenges.

By incorporating tasks that reflect the complexities of real-world applications, authentic assessments allow educators to see how well students can integrate and apply their learning. This type of assessment often involves projects, performances, or portfolios, which showcase the depth of understanding and the quality of the work produced by students, providing a more comprehensive picture of their capabilities than traditional testing methods.

In contrast, diagnostic assessments focus on identifying students' strengths and weaknesses before instruction begins, formative assessments are used during instruction to monitor student learning in order to adjust teaching strategies, and summative assessments evaluate student learning at the end of an instructional period to measure overall achievement. Authentic assessments combine elements of process and product, making them particularly effective for gauging student understanding.