Authentic e-learning involves realistic tasks that mimic real-world problems to challenge students. It uses case studies, learning by doing, projects, simulations, and inquiry-based learning. Authentic e-learning is used because information is readily available, learning can occur anywhere, and collaboration is important for work. General skills taught through authentic e-learning include information literacy, communication, reflection, problem-solving, creativity, critical thinking, and more. These skills are acquired when the learning environment and methods support their development through authentic contexts, tasks, access to expertise, multiple perspectives, collaborative knowledge construction, reflection, articulation, scaffolding and coaching, and authentic assessment. Potential challenges include dealing with complexity, finding the right structure

1. Image: Bailey & Muppet
Hanna Teräs
Authentic e-Learning University of Wollongong
What, why and how? April 11 2013
Thursday, April 11, 13

2. Q1: What is authentic e-learning?
image: neilalderney123
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3. Case studies Learning by doing
Authentic
learning
Projects approaches Simulations
Real-world problems Inquiry-based learning
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4. 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
image: andercismo
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5. Q2: Why use authentic e-learning?
image: neilalderney123
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6. Johnson, L., Smith, R., Willis, H., Levine, A., and Haywood, K.,
(2011). The 2011 Horizon Report.
Austin, Texas: The New Media Consortium.
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7. Information, content and connections are readily
available. The role of the teacher as a coach, guide
and facilitator becomes ever more important.
Image by boliston
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8. We expect to be
able to learn, work
and study
wherever,
whenever.
Image by jakebouma
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9. The importance of collaboration in working life will
only increase. This forces us to reconsider our
learning tasks.
Image: Dawn Willis Manser
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10. Information society: (Technical Research Centre of Finland)
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.
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11. General skills in a knowledge society (to name a few)
• Information literacy • Commitment to lifelong learning
• Communication skills • Initiative and responsibility
• Reflection • Intellectual curiosity
• Solving complex problems • Multicultural competence
• Creativity • Self-direction
• Critical thinking • Leadership
Eg. Reeves 2006, Ruohotie 2005, Trilling & Fadel 2009...)
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12. WHOA! Hold on a
second...
How can these be
taught?
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13. They can’t.
These are skills that are
acquired when the learning
environment and working
methods support their
Image: Matthew Stinson
acquisition.
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14. Q3: How might I build such a
learning environment?
image: neilalderney123
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15. Non-linear, beware of The chance to immediately
oversimplification apply in one’s own work
Provide the purpose and Recognition of one’s
motivation to learning classroom as a learning
environment
Helping to cope with
complexity Alongside work
Image: Rain and shine
Authentic context
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16. •Real-world relevance •Collaborative projects
•Production instead of running for 3-6 months
reproduction •Implementing in one’s own
•Complex and ill-defined classroom
•Completed over a longer •Supported by theory and
period reflection
Image: LEGO Worker
Authentic tasks
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17. •Access to expert thinking
•Various levels of expertise
•Sharing of narratives
•Distributed expertise
•Learning from each other
•Expertise from outside the
program through social media
Image: Capoeira Practice on Dili Beach
Access to expert performance
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18. •Not just a single perspective such •Various open learning resources
as textbook •Participants find resources
•Freedom to express different points independently
of view •Sharing and collaboration
•Wide variety of learning resources throughout the course
and materials •Learning in diverse teams
Image: Assortment of theatre masks
Multiple perspectives
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19. •Joint problem solving and social •Collaborative projects building on
support the diverse expertise of the
participants
•Collaboration vs. cooperation
•Team or pair learning instead of •Digital social narratives
individual learning •The most rewarding, yet the most
challenging element!
•Encouraged through technology
Image: P1000283
Collaborative knowledge construction
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20. •Reflection in and on action •Blogs for ongoing reflection
•Opportunities to make choices •Reflecting on both theory and
•Social reflection practice
•Comparing ideas •Social reflection through blog
commenting and discussion
Image: Make up your mind!
Reflection
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21. •Speaking and
writing about
one’s growing
understanding
•Presenting
arguments,
defending ideas
•Blogs: writing
to a real
audience, not
just the teacher
•Awareness of
one’s learning
process
Image: Blå
Articulation
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22. •No “transmission of •Team facilitators
knowledge” but facilitating the •Clear, weekly design in Moodle
learning process
•Newsletters
•Peer scaffolding •Responsing to feedback
•Adequate learning design
Image: Coach
Scaffolding and coaching
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23. •Seamless integration with task
•Polished products
•Multiple measures
•Assessing the process and the
product
•Assessing collaborative tasks
•Portfolio
Authentic assessment
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24. Discussion & Conclusions
Rewarding
Boredom
Discomfort
Image: Balancing Act
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25. Dealing with complexity
Structured and Overwhelming
linear
Image: life is just one big balancing act
Discussion & Conclusions
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26. Scaffolding
Abandoning
Suffocating
Image: Finding balance
Discussion & Conclusions
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27. Image: Bodum
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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28. More information:
authenticlearning.info
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29. Thank you!
hteras@uow.edu.au
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