Authentic e-LearningWhat, why and how?

Hanna TeräsUniversity of Wollongong

April 11 2013

Image: Bailey & Muppet

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image: neilalderney123

Q1: What is authentic e-learning?

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Authenticlearning

approaches

Case studies

Real-world problems Inquiry-based learning

SimulationsProjects

Learning by doing

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image: andercismo

Realistic tasks set in academic settings to challenge students to think and solve problems the way

professionals would do in the actual real

world situation

Herrington, Reeves & Oliver 2010

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image: neilalderney123

Q2: Why use authentic e-learning?

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Johnson, L., Smith, R., Willis, H., Levine, A., and Haywood, K., (2011). The 2011 Horizon Report.

Austin, Texas: The New Media Consortium.Thursday, April 11, 13

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Information, content and connections are readily available. The role of the teacher as a coach, guide

and facilitator becomes ever more important.

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We expect to be able to learn, work

and study wherever, whenever.

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Image: Dawn Willis Manser

The importance of collaboration in working life will only increase. This forces us to reconsider our

learning tasks.

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Information society:

Producing, handling and transmitting information has a

central role in economy. Knowledge society:

Innovations, renewal, technological

development and openness to new

ideas are in key role.

(Technical Research Centre of Finland)

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General skills in a knowledge society (to name a few)

• Information literacy

• Communication skills

• Reflection

• Solving complex problems

• Creativity

• Critical thinking

• Commitment to lifelong learning

• Initiative and responsibility

• Intellectual curiosity

• Multicultural competence

• Self-direction

• Leadership

Eg. Reeves 2006, Ruohotie 2005, Trilling & Fadel 2009...)Thursday, April 11, 13

WHOA! Hold on a second...

How can these be taught?

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They can’t.

These are skills that are acquired when the learning environment and working

methods support their acquisition.

Image: Matthew Stinson

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image: neilalderney123

Q3: How might I build such a learning environment?

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Authentic context

Non-linear, beware of oversimplification

Provide the purpose and motivation to learning

Helping to cope with complexity

The chance to immediately apply in one’s own work

Recognition of one’s classroom as a learning environment

Alongside work

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Authentic tasks

•Real-world relevance•Production instead of reproduction•Complex and ill-defined•Completed over a longer period

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•Collaborative projects running for 3-6 months•Implementing in one’s own classroom•Supported by theory and reflection

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Access to expert performance

•Access to expert thinking•Various levels of expertise•Sharing of narratives•Distributed expertise

Image: Capoeira Practice on Dili Beach

•Learning from each other•Expertise from outside the program through social media

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Multiple perspectives

•Not just a single perspective such as textbook•Freedom to express different points of view•Wide variety of learning resources and materials

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•Various open learning resources•Participants find resources independently•Sharing and collaboration throughout the course•Learning in diverse teams

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Collaborative knowledge construction

•Joint problem solving and social support•Collaboration vs. cooperation •Team or pair learning instead of individual learning•Encouraged through technology

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•Collaborative projects building on the diverse expertise of the participants•Digital social narratives •The most rewarding, yet the most challenging element!

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Reflection

•Reflection in and on action•Opportunities to make choices•Social reflection•Comparing ideas

Image: Make up your mind!

•Blogs for ongoing reflection•Reflecting on both theory and practice•Social reflection through blog commenting and discussion

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Articulation

•Speaking and writing about one’s growing understanding

•Presenting arguments, defending ideas

Image: Blå

•Blogs: writing to a real audience, not just the teacher

•Awareness of one’s learning process

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Scaffolding and coaching

•No “transmission of knowledge” but facilitating the learning process•Peer scaffolding•Adequate learning design

Image: Coach

•Team facilitators•Clear, weekly design in Moodle•Newsletters•Responsing to feedback

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Authentic assessment

•Seamless integration with task•Polished products •Multiple measures

•Assessing the process and the product•Assessing collaborative tasks•Portfolio

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Discussion & Conclusions

Boredom

DiscomfortImage: Balancing Act

Rewarding

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Discussion & Conclusions

Structured and linear

Overwhelming

Image: life is just one big balancing act

Dealing with complexity

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Discussion & Conclusions

Suffocating

Abandoning

Image: Finding balance

Scaffolding

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Discussion:

•How could I integrate some of these elements into my work?

•What are the biggest potential obstacles on the way?

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More information: authenticlearning.info

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Thank you!hteras@uow.edu.au

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