EL7003+Authentic+Learning


 * ** EL7003-8 ** ||  ||
 * ** Instructional Design and Engaging E-Learning Activities ** || ** 1 Authentic Learning ** ||
 * Wonderful job overall Steve. A few hints, avoid citations in intro and conclusion. These should both be your own thoughts. I saw an over-reliance at the beginning of the paper on quotations. Paper showed a well-developed focus with outside examples. Wonderful use of resources! Substantially achieved stated learning outcomes and integrated key concepts. Well written and consistent use of APA. **
 * Wonderful job overall Steve. A few hints, avoid citations in intro and conclusion. These should both be your own thoughts. I saw an over-reliance at the beginning of the paper on quotations. Paper showed a well-developed focus with outside examples. Wonderful use of resources! Substantially achieved stated learning outcomes and integrated key concepts. Well written and consistent use of APA. **

=Authentic Learning Characteristics = The foundational principle of authentic learning is learning by doing which is often considered the best way to learn. Authentic learning seeks to go beyond mere content and uses various means to focus on “ real-world, complex problems and their solutions ” ( Lombardi, 2007, p. 2 ). This focus is generally achieved through problem-based learning ( Lombardi, 2007; Oliver, 2001 ), case-based learning ( Lombardi, 2007; Oliver, 2001 ), project based learning ( Oliver, 2001 ), inquiry based learning ( Oliver, 2001 ), and role-playing ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Lombardi, 2007; Oliver, 2001 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">). The essence of authentic learning is found in 10 design elements that include (a) relevance to the real-world, (b) problems are poorly defined, (c) require considerable amounts of time and resources, (d) looking at the problem from multiple perspectives, (e) collaboration as necessary for success, (f) reflection, (g) “ <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">encourage interdisciplinary perspectives <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">” ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Reeves, Herrington, & Oliver, 2002, p. 564 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">), (h) assessment is included as part of the project, (i) results that constitute a complete product, and (j) differing paths and means for solution ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Lombardi, 2007; Reeves et al., 2002 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">). The purpose of this paper is to select four of the preceding characteristics deemed most critical for an e-learning environment, providing support for the choice, with a full explanation of each along with an example of their incorporation into an online course.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Real-world Relevance
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">That learning should be relevant to the real world appears to be the most important characteristic of authentic learning and by extension to constructivist theory, since the word authentic has the connotation of being genuine, real, with verity to basics or origins (Authentic, n.d.)*. The choice of real-world relevance as critical to authentic learning is supported by many writers ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Ruey, 2010 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">). Cunningham, Duffy, & Knuth (1993) identified the need to “ <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">embed learning in realistic and relevant contexts <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">” <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">(p. 59 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">) and Dunlap and Grabinger (1996) argued that learning needs to be situated in meaningful contexts. In Reeves, Herrington, and Oliver (2002) this characteristic was the most often cited with nine additional citations regarding the importance of learning activities mimicking as closely as possible the environments in which the learning is to be applied. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Pedagogically “ <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">learning rises to the level of authenticity when it asks students to work actively with abstract concepts, facts, and formulae inside a realistic – and highly social – context mimicking <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">” ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Lombardi, 2007, p. 3 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">) “ <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">professionals in practice <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">” ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Reeves et al., 2002, p. 564 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">). Segrave and Holt (2003) demonstrated in two case studies how higher education can design more realistic learning environments for professionals. In one case a “ <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">totally simulated work placement <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">” ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">p. 12 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">) experience was created for journalists, and in the other a guided resource-based environment was created for teachers “ <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">spanning the entire undergraduate teacher education program <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">” ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">p. 18 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">). In this context students are able through experience to develop applicable skills that can be transferred to their professions, but can also discover portable skills that transcend disciplines. Real-world situations allow students to learn to define problems clearly; to discover, classify, and weigh resources; to set priorities; and make connections between what is known and what is new and unfamiliar ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">An, 2008; Dunlap & Grabinger, 1996; Oliver, 2001; Reeves et al., 2002 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">). <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">The company that I work for is a US-based Fortune 100 Technology Company. This company creates hardware, software, service, and educational products. In the online courses for this company, it would be very easy to include this characteristic into the training that is designed and provided. In each class, a lab environment is designed, created, and made available to students to practice the skills that are learned in the class. The development environments in these labs are similar, if not identical to the ones students will encounter after training. By ensuring that these lab environments closely mirror their working conditions the practice activities increase the possibility that the skills gained in training will transfer and improve their work performance.*

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Ill-defined Problems
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">The next most cited characteristic by Reeves et al. (2002) was that “ <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">authentic activities are ill-defined, requiring students to define the tasks and sub-tasks needed to complete the activity <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">” ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">p. 564 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">). As I reflect on my own learning throughout my life, and my personal learning style, I find that I do not learn nearly as much when I am passively receiving information, or reacting to questions that the teacher has identified as important. I have also found that during my time as an instructor of others that it is I that have learned far more than my students,* and I believe this is due to engaging in the higher level cognitive activities of Bloom’s (1984) taxonomy inherent in setting goals, creating objectives, and winnowing through different sources of information to identify what is most important. It is this process that Reeves et al. (2002) is proposing in this characteristic.* <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Too often learning has focused on simplistic, isolated bits of knowledge that are bereft of context and tends to promote easy to attain cognitive skills like memorizing, understanding, and applying ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Dunlap & Grabinger, 1996; Lombardi, 2007 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">). Constructivist theory assumes that the best way to learn is through student experimentation, instead of the memorization of right and wrong answers. “<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">By confronting students with uncertainty, ambiguity, and conflicting perspectives, instructors help them develop more mature mental models that coincide with the problem-solving approaches used by experts <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">” ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Lombardi, 2007, p. 10 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">). Posing activities where the problem is left nebulous allows students to not only develop metacognitive skills, but also to see the interrelationships between, the applicability toward problems, and the complexity of the knowledge learned ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Dunlap & Grabinger, 1996 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">). If properly implemented, imprecisely worded problems encourage students to take control of their learning (<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Dunlap & Grabinger, 1996; Haythornthwaite & Andrews, 2011; Lombardi, 2007; Ruey, 2010 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">) and facilitate the higher-order learning of Bloom’s taxonomy (1984) - analysis, synthesis , and evaluation. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">This characteristic would be more difficult to implement in my working environment. The technologies that are taught are usually very specific in their syntax, and in the way that code, or administrative tasks need to be performed. Each of our courses covers a huge amount of information in a specific number of days, either online or in a traditional classroom. I attempt to include this characteristic into my lab activities by encouraging students to attempt to solve the activity from just the activity overview (which gives a problem statement for what needs to be done). In this way students need to remember and understand the concepts, and applicable syntax to arrive at the solutions, so that they can solve the problems with the required knowledge and skills. If students follow the detailed step-by-step instructions they are less likely to have an understanding of, or the ability to apply their knowledge to their working environment.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Sustained Investigation
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">I included the third characteristic of authentic learning of Reeves et al. (2002) because I feel that it subsumes four of the other 10 characteristics.* Complex activities that take a long period of time to complete give students (a) the time to look at completing the task in multiple ways, (b) time to collaborate with others, while (c) having the time to reflect on what they are accomplishing, and (d) finalize a complete solution or product ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">An, 2008; Lombardi, 2007; Reeves et al., 2002 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">). This characteristic also had the third most citations in the Reeves et al. (2002) article. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Learning takes time. According to learning research, two things are important to translate short-term memories into long-term memories; concepts need to be repeated on a regular basis and seen in different contexts, (<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Bahr & Rohner, 2004 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">) and concepts are related in the learner’s mind directly to social circumstances and associated with specific settings, activities, and people ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Lombardi, 2007 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">). Authentic learning encourages complex activities that “ <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">are completed in days, weeks, and months <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">” ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Reeves et al., 2007, p. 564 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">) allowing students time to “ <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">examine the task from different perspectives, using a variety of resources <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">” ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">p. 564 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">) and reflect individually, along with reflecting and collaborating with other students to gain from other students’ experience and knowledge while working toward the “ <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">creation of a whole product <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">” ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">p. 564 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">) as a solution. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">This characteristic may be a challenge in the training that my company offers. Each class is offered for a specific number of consecutive days in a single week. In order to implement this characteristic into the online training a whole new model for training would have to be accepted. Instead of selling classes in blocks of consecutive days, classes could be designed with delivery of necessary information in the morning, a complex and fulfilling lab activity during the afternoon, and then the expectation of researching the next set of topics through the week, followed by the same sequence the next week until students attain a specified or mastery level of the technology.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Competing Solutions and Diverse Outcomes
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">The last characteristic described by Reeves et al. (2002) specifies that “ <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">authentic activities allow competing solutions and diversity of outcome <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">” ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">p. 564 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">). I included this characteristic because it is closely related to the fourth characteristic of encouraging differing perspectives and multiple resources ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Lombardi, 2007; Reeves et al., 2002 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">). From my perspective the four characteristics chosen account for all of the pedagogical necessities of authentic learning except seamless assessment. There are not black-and-white, write-or-wrong answers in most situations, and an emphasis of this truth is essential for learning and educational maturity. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">This characteristic furthers the idea that there are multiple solutions to any complex problem. By examining the problem from various contending perspectives and seeking answers from a variety of resources students are encouraged to develop skill in determining what may be relevant and inside the problem domain, and what is irrelevant. The idea of authentic learning is that the student will come to develop analysis and synthesis skills in regard to their specific area and be able to create solutions where none existed before while being able to validate the value of competing pieces of information and theory ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">An, 2008 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">). <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Coding solutions can be developed in a number of ways. While all courses at my company are not development courses, and in some cases there may be only one correct way to follow a procedure, there are ways to write activity overviews so that the student must think through different choices, and arrive at a workable solution. For development and coding classes there are many possible ways to get the same functionality, and none of them are wrong. We can implement this characteristic at work by not providing suggested code with the activity, but encourage students to take the knowledge they have gained and apply it in the activities in ways that make sense to them. As long as the resulting code gets the results asked for in the activity, then the solution is acceptable.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Conclusion
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Lombardi (2007) argues that “engaging activities supported by the proper scaffolding can help students develop expertise across all four domains of learning” (p. 8). By providing real-world scenarios for students to gain experience in profession specific as well as portable skills, by beginning with nebulous problems that require students to think, winnow, and create to solve problems, by participating in long-term and sustained activities that encourage long-lived attachments and memory, and by allowing multiple paths and solutions to activities, learning situations can enable and increase students cognitive, affective, psychomotor, and conative skills, and produce better and more rounded people as well as students ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Lombardi, 2007 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">).

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> [PP1] <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">With dictionary definitions, only need the dictionary and date of publication (online it would be copyright). Do not need to include in references. [According to APA 6th ed. this is incorrect and both the citation and reference are needed.] <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> [PP2]Great example and great planning. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> [PP3] <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Redundant. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> [PP4]It is also said that to really understand something, we must teach it! Like you, I learn so much more teaching! <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> [PP5]Good point.


 * = References ||
 * * An. J. (2008). Activity theory for designing ubiquitous learning scenarios. In M. Iskander (Ed.), //Innovative techniques in instruction technology, e-learning, e-assessment, and education// (pp. 338-341). London, England: Springer Science+Business Media.
 * Authentic. (n.d.). In //Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary// (11th ed.). Retrieved from http://merriam-webster.com/dictionary/authentic *
 * Bahr, N., & Rohner, C. (2004, July). The judicious utilization of new technologies through authentic learning in higher education: A case study. //Annual Conference Proceedings of Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia, Miri, Sarawak, 27//. Retrieved from http://www.herdsa.org.au/wp-content/uploads/conference/2004/papers/bahr.pdf
 * Bloom, B. S. (1984). //Taxonomy of educational objectives//. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.
 * Cunningham, D. J., Duffy, T. M., & Knuth, R. A. (1993). The textbook of the future. In C. McKnight (Ed.), //Hypertext: A Psychological Perspective// (pp. 56-59). London, England: Ellis Horwood.
 * Dunlap, J. C., & Grabinger, R. S. (1996). Rich environments for active learning in the higher education classroom. In B. G. Wilson (Ed.), //Constructivist learning environments// (pp. 65-82). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Educational Technology Publications.
 * Haythornthwaite, C., & Andrews, R. (2011). //E-learning theory and practice//. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.
 * Lombardi, M. M. (2007). Authentic learning for the 21st century: an overview (ELI Paper 1). In D. G. Oblinger (Ed.), //EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative: Advancing Learning through IT Innovation (pp. 1-12)//. Retrieved from http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI3009.pdf
 * Minter, R. L. (2011). The learning theory jungle. //Journey of College Teaching and Learning, 8//(6), 7-15. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/874488117?accountid= 28180 *
 * Oliver, R. (2001). Developing online learning environments that support knowledge construction. In L. S. Stoney & J. Burns (Eds.), //Working for excellence in the e-economy// (pp. 407-416), Churchlands, Australia: we-B centre.
 * Reeves, T. C., Herrington, J., & Oliver, R. (2002, July). Authentic activities and online learning. //Annual Conference// //Proceedings of Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia. Perth, Western Australia//, //25//. Retrieved from http://www.herdsa.org.au/wp-content/uploads/conference/2002/papers/Reeves.pdf
 * Ruey, S. (2010). A case study of constructivist instructional strategies for adult online learning. //British Journal of Educational Technology, 41//(5), 706-720. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8535.2009.00965.x
 * Segrave, S., & Holt, D. (2003). Contemporary learning environments: Designing e-learning for education in the professions. //Distance Education, 24//(1), 7-24. doi:10.1080/01587910320000066499

[PP1] Not necessary to include in references. [Actually in APA 6th ed. my citation and reference is correct .] [PP2] ProQuest database – this is a unique search URL and can not be accessed by another person, even with ProQuest access. ||
 * Reflection:** My mentor really started my growth in the doctoral program with writing. There were times (as in this paper) where she was wrong, or was using a different version of APA than I was - but in each of those cases when I pointed out the APA citations, she immediately acknowledged her mistake. In addition she focused on good mechanics. Introductions and conclusions should have few if any citations and should be my own words - they should be so well written and grabbing that I shouldn't need to state what it is that I will show, I just write it. This class improved my writing more than any of the previous classes did, and I'm grateful that she took the time, and made the effort.


 * Note from later:** All of the retrieved from's that reference NCU or proquest are incorrect and should either include the doi, or failing that should reference the actual article, and failing that should reference the journal home page per APA guidelines.