Authentic Online Learning

Building An Online Learning Co

Learning-by-doing is generally considered the most effective way to learn. The Internet and a variety of emerging communication, visualization, and simulation technologies now make it possible to offer students authentic learning experiences ranging from experimentation to real-world problem solving. This white paper explores what constitutes authentic learning, how technology supports it, what makes it effective, and why it is important

Authentic learning aligns well with the needs of today's participatory learners. The challenge is to channel their online and collaborative abilities and interests into academic pursuits, helping them develop the higher-order thinking skills they may not acquire on their own. This second paper in the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative's authentic learning series presents case studies on how institutions have used technology to foster authentic learning and thus better meet learners' needs. 

The Journal of Authentic Learning (ISSN 1558-7320) is a peer-reviewed, online journal, published by the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at the State University of New York at Oswego, which provides a forum for dissemination of original ideas in research, practice, or theory of authentic learning and teaching. Relevant article topics include, but are not limited to the following: classroom tested techniques that relate learning to real world experience; hands-on learning materials that present difficult concepts in a concrete way; classroom simulations of authentic situations; and problem-based learning and inquiry focusing on real-world problems with authentic products. 

What are authentic tasks? Explore the links to learn more about authentic tasks, to investigate examples of web environments that use authentic tasks, and to read the theoretical ideas that provide the foundation for the approach.

This scenario describes students collaborating to carry out an authentic task, in this case reducing global warming. Under the influence of social constructivist learning theories, many educators have become interested in students' active construction of meaning grounded in their own experience.2 To support the construction of meaning, students need to interact with one another in accomplishing authentic activities in social contexts similar to those in which these activities will actually be used.3 Peer interaction can enhance the construction of meaning and advance students' intellectual growth.4

Students in information technology need realistic, hands-on experience to master IT skills. When students have the opportunity to train with a hands-on curriculum and prepare to certify in the IT field, they become more deeply engaged in both their education and their career path. LabSim, an IT certification training curriculum used at National College, gives students hands-on experience through simulated labs that support lecture, videos, and written lessons. By completing this hands-on training, IT students have experienced greater success in their education, and some have obtained certifications that led to career opportunities

Assessment is an integral component of any successful teaching effort. Research has shown that students engage with subject matter based in part on their expectations about how their achievement will be evaluated. Educators who strive to bring authentic learning experiences to their students must devise appropriate and meaningful measures to assess student learning and mastery of concepts at hand. Although some barriers must be overcome, numerous examples point to the opportunities available for effective assessment of authentic learning initiatives. These approaches to assessment are vital to ensuring that models of teaching and learning with technology see their full potential

Significantly, educational researchers are coming to the conclusion that "the value of authentic activity is not constrained to learning in real-life locations and practice, but that the benefits of authentic activity can be realized through careful design of Web-based learning environments."10 Today's Web-based learning environments give students access to many of the same resources that professionals use in their research.