Authentic Tasks in History Class - Literature review Example

Authentic Tasks in History Authentic learning and assessment are widely advocated best practices for room teaching and assessment. Authentic learning refers to the application of real-world tasks and problems as the initiative strategy for developing knowledge and enhancing the learning experience (Neo, 2003). The term “authentic” is broadly used to describe the reflection of real-world expectations and tasks. Effective education practice necessitates that educators endeavor to bring authentic learning experiences to their students by developing suitable and evocative measures for evaluation of student learning and mastery of related concepts. Although some barriers have to be overcome in this process, most cases indicated that great opportunities exist for successful use and assessment of authentic learning programs (Neo, 2003). Authentic learning is extensively regarded as the most efficient method of learning. Through the use of the Internet and a wide range of emerging visualization, communication, and simulation technologies, it is possible to offer students authentic useful learning experiences that range from experimentation to real-world problem solving. This paper explores the use of authentic learning, its significance, effectiveness and how it can be used to improve students’ performance. Introduction An authentic task is an assignment to evaluate how learners apply objective-propagated knowledge and skills to real world situations. These tasks are performed by students to learn academic skills and content. The tasks are more interested in how well learners can use the information they gain as opposed to how much knowledge they acquire. Real-world problems motivate students to learn since most students often show a preference for actively participating in tasks rather that just listening (Neo, 2003). Furthermore, according to most educators, learning-by-doing is the most effectual way to learn. Authentic tasks play a significant function in shaping the concepts learned in classrooms. They provide a formula and objective for learning in classrooms and need time to achieve. They are intended to engage learners in an act, or series of acts that necessitate the development and application of knowledge. In addition, authentic tasks are put in evocative contexts that mirror the manner in which tasks may be encountered and approached in real life. The tasks may involve day-to-day situations, such as arrangements to produce and sell tees for a community fundraising project, or real-world tasks performed in disciplines, like carrying out a chronological investigation into a history concept learnt in the classroom. Authentic tasks are not regular processes in classrooms and schools, but explorations and contemporary perceptions on how learners acquire knowledge suggest that these types of tasks are strongly effective for learning (Neo, 2003). A unique characteristic of authentic tasks is that they are valuable and meaningful beyond the classroom setting. By participating in authentic tasks, students experience what they, or other individuals, may go through real-life environment. In a classroom, this may entail engaging in real-world activities, which are the same as the type of tasks that professionals undertake. For instance, authentic tasks in a science classroom may call for learners to carry out scientific experiments using procedures similar to the ones used by scientists in performing their work, but tailored to be meaningful and appropriate for students. Students in this science classroom may study the water and air quality of their neighborhoods, design and build a model soil erosion control system for park or study the impact of invasive species on local habitats. While taking part in these tasks, students learn essential science concepts, acquire skills that are a reflection of expert scientists’ practice, and discover directly how to apply their knowledge and skills real-world, problem-solving contexts. Authentic tasks are vital as they provide motivation and meaning for learning. They offer students a chance to relate to real-life situations, connect with their personal interests, and partake in the subject matter. A key benefit of authentic tasks is that they initiate learners to methods of problem solving and reading that that reflect the work of experts in practice (Neo, 2003). This assists the students to develop real-world expertise. While partaking in authentic tasks, students develop artifacts or products which showcase the knowledge and skills they have gained. These artifacts can often be used to assess the learners in a way that represents the complex nature of performance evaluation n the real world. Authentic learning has not been effectively implemented in most education systems over the past decades. Some of the experiments in the curriculum are too dangerous, costly, or difficult to perform within the classroom setting while others are simply impossible to conduct. For instance, teachers cannot carry out an experiment to demonstrate the tectonic plates in motion, the occurrence of an earthquake at will, or to go back in time and repeat decisive instants in the American Civil War. However, the recent developments in technology and the increasing usage of Information Communications Technology (ICT) have enabled authentic learning and assessment that improves the performance of students by engaging them in real-world tasks (Neo, 2003). This enables students to work collaboratively among themselves in collaboration with each other in fostering communication, developing knowledge and enhancing personalized learning skill. Using authentic tasks, students are presented with complex, open-ended tasks and project that need to be related to acquisition of knowledge and skills. Authentic learning is action oriented and develops knowledge in a flexible setting environment. When authentic tasks are used in the teaching-learning process, the educators only act as facilitators, providing resource guidelines, advice and consultations to encourage learners to participate in the process (Neo, 2003). The tutors guide students as they perform their research to gather and analyze information, discover new things, relate concepts taught to real-world tasks, and report their findings. Authentic tasks allow students to take responsibility for their own learning by supporting them to discover their education needs and choose what resources are vital in the process of accomplishing their tasks. They also promote cooperative and collaborative learning among learners and their peers. In this collaborative environment, students play a major role in promoting learning (Neo, 2003). The curriculum content is tailored to be authentic, and incorporate the real-world setting; authentic assessment is used to evaluate the performance of the students, and their learning of the authentic content. Since learners are allowed to take responsibility for their own learning, they learn the skill of self-reflection. This makes them gain proficiency in evaluating their individual progress in learning and assessing their peers to learn how to successfully give beneficial feedback to their peers. Literature review This section presents an exploration of the works or other authors pertaining to the use of authentic tasks in improving student’s performance. Theoretical Perspectives During the early 20th century, John Dewey, a mentor and philosopher campaigned for the use of authentic tasks in education to assist learners gain and expand knowledge of subject matter and improve their self-regulation and logical reasoning skills (Herrington & Reeves, 2010). Dewey based his opinions on the fact that students learn best via decisive action and that real-life tasks are ideal for development of knowledge and useful skills. In successive decades, learning theorists and researchers in education elaborated further on the idea of authenticity. Their study endeavored to explain how authentic tasks aid in thinking and to acquire an insight into the classroom settings for which authentic tasks are most valuable. The research and learning theory concluded that learners develop more robust, useful, and integrated knowledge by taking part in their learning and assisted to gain sophisticated understanding. Learning cannot be simply achieved by requiring learners to merely perform a task. In many common situations, tasks in the classroom lead to the acquirement of discrete information that is not very memorable, meaningful, or usable. According to psychologist David Perkins, such information, which is frequently the result of rote memorizing, and is hardly transferred to other cases, is inert knowledge (Herrington & Reeves, 2010). Students require cognitive engagement, intellectual investment and active application of concepts in order for meaningful learning to take place. Cognitive engagement depends on both the actual task and the context in such the task is located. This notion is referred to as situated cognition (Brown et al., 1989). Situated cognition stresses that a task and the context in which the task is fulfilled are both an integral part of the knowledge acquired. The situated cognition perspective suggests that when students discover new information in the perspective of authentic tasks, they can easily make sense of the acquired information and share it with their experiences or what they already know. In such instances, it is more likely that new ideas will become intelligible since they are placed into perspective. Context offers learners a mental structure that they can use to make sense of the learning experience. Lack of a suitable structure to connect new ideas makes it difficult for students to collect and relate new information, and organize it in a manner that can easily be memorized and put to use. Situated cognition also proposes that students acquire information regarding the situations and conditions in which it the information and its applications is necessary and useful by engaging in authentic tasks. Consequently, learners are likely to be capable of taking the knowledge they have acquired in one situation and transferring it to another. In addition, students are more apt to appropriately connect their academics work and their individual lives. From a situated cognition perspective, authentic tasks engage learners cognitively by offering opportunities for active thinking, integration, and application of ideas in circumstances that are appropriate away from the classroom (Herrington & Reeves, 2010). In most cases, the experience leads to learning that is motivating and meaningful to students from and individual standpoint. Authentic Tasks in Classrooms Authentic tasks are employed in various classroom settings, such as science, mathematics, and history classrooms. Also, a growing number of instructional courses use authentic tasks as a technique to position learning in real-life perspectives. (Blumenfeld et al., 2006). For instance, Project-Based Science (PBS), a course for middle-school science classroom settings (Krajcik, et al., 2000), enables learners to partake in authentic tasks in a manner similar to the way scientists carry out their work. Students in PBS classrooms participate in projects that involve scientific inquiry which are structured using driving questions that direct teaching and act to manage students research. For example, in a project on the concept of physics of collisions, learners are taught about motion and force by carrying out tasks related to the sets of questions. These questions position the physics subject in a perspective that is likely to be interesting to young learners. While the students brainstorm on the question relating to a particular topic, they carry out investigations, gather data, weigh and explain reasons, and confer and present results (Krajcik, et al., 2000). The authentic tasks assist students to learn scientific practices and content that relates to the development of an evidence-based response. Discussion Strengths and Limitations Strengths When tasks are authentic and positioned in real-world perspectives, learners’ motivation increases. Motivation is crucial since it can result in increased cognitive engagement and in so doing improve (Blumenfeld et al., 2006). For example, authentic tasks frequently develop compelling and appropriate need-to-know cases for learning that raises learners’ interest while motivating them to make investment in their education. Increased interest and investment in education can raise the degree of engagement of learners. Consecutively, sustained cognitive engagement assists learners to gain skills and knowledge in the course of working on tasks. Authentic tasks are therefore beneficial because they offer an important and motivating background for education that gives opportunities to enthusiastically think over and apply essential ideas. Research on authentic tasks points to the fact that when they are executed, they are likely to bring increased accomplishment and motivation for education (Hickey et al., 2001). In particular, authenticity may be critical for learners from different backdrops, particularly those with cultural and language backgrounds that are different from the mainstream, and who might not recognize appropriate links between school and their daily lives and interests. For example, Luis Moll describes how tutors tailored integrated mathematics and science projects that entailed parents contributing their expertise and knowledge concerning topics related to the neighboring community (Krajcik, et al., 2000). The research established that a teacher draws from the funds of knowledge of students (the cognitive, cultural and linguistic resources which they bring to school) to come up with tasks that assist learners to establish connections, learners find the lessons meaningful and are motivated to understand. Generally, the evidence gathered from research on authentic tasks with students in various school settings is positive. Learners reap academic benefits and their interests, engagement, and motivation increases. Authentic tasks assist learners to make connections and apparently, it also helps them to gain a comprehensive and distinct understanding of new material and appreciate the importance of such. Limitations in Using Authentic Tasks The practice of using authentic tasks in classrooms is a difficult and intricate process. It may be challenging to teachers since most of them may have not previously had an experience with authentic tasks and may therefore lack knowledge on how to implement them (Herrington & Reeves, 2010). Compared to typical classroom tasks, authentic tasks are performed for a span of days or weeks instead of minutes or hours. It is necessary that teachers cautiously sequence tasks to enable students to gain suitable skills and knowledge while working over time. Teachers also need to provide orientation to their learners regarding new ways of learning. On the other hand, learners are expected to be more self-reliant in their learning and undertake additional responsibility. Participating in the tasks alone is not enough; learners need to gain more interest in what they do and identify how it is related to their personal beings. Definitely, not all learners will find personal meaning in the tasks. Such cases necessitate that teachers use instructional techniques to support learners cognitive engagement and motivation. The other limitation for learners is that useful engagement in authentic tasks frequently entails finding solutions to problems whereby no direct and easy solutions exist (Herrington & Reeves, 2010). The difficulties of finishing tasks can become discouraging to students. If authentic tasks are to be used by teachers in an effective manner, the challenges of supporting students and organizing instruction must be addressed. A key limitation in use of authentic tasks is that they are not well compatible with the current school culture and organization. The organizational structures of institutions, including workloads of teachers, material resources, class scheduling, and evaluations that measure knowledge of basic facts, are planned for narrow assessment and conventional teaching. Additionally, school norms normally engage learners directly from either textbooks or the teacher. Parents, teachers, and students anticipate tasks to fit this structure of instruction. However, authentic tasks require students to think differently about tasks in the classroom setting. They need extra instructional time and resources, a diverse instructional standpoint on teachers’ part, and additional effort on the part of learners. Although the advantages of using authentic tasks are clearly defined, some changes in student and teacher roles as well as changes in the schools’ structure have to be made if extensive use of these tasks is to be implemented. Despite the fact that such changes are formidable, they promise to convert classrooms into areas where learners take part in complex tasks from which they derive meaning, relate to real-life circumstances, and assist them develop practical knowledge and strong understandings (Herrington & Reeves, 2010). This type of learning condition might prove beneficial to all learners. Strategies That You Can Implement In Your Classroom In order to develop authentic tasks, teachers should recognize the interests and backgrounds of their students, resources in the school and community, and disciplinary practice and content. The characteristics of a high quality authentic task include feasibility, real-world relevance, sustainability, accessibility, and alignment to learning objectives (Bruffy, 2012). Feasibility deals with the available resources in the school and community resources and whether the materials and resources at hand can allow students to can carry out the task given. Real-world relevance is the degree of connection between the task and experiences or issues beyond the scope of the classroom. Authentic tasks are most useful when they have meaning and personal value that expands to the adjacent world, therefore giving learners a sense of purpose for partaking in the tasks. Sustainability refers to the capacity of a task to uphold cognitive engagement for a period. This characteristic is important for ensuring that learners acquire knowledge while taking part in the authentic tasks. Accessibility is concerned with the suitability of the task given the prior skills and knowledge of learners and its capacity to assist students to progress in their understanding. An accessible authentic task will help learners to gain knowledge regarding crucial content and grow skills and improve understanding concerning the conditions in which the recently acquired skills and knowledge can be used. The last characteristic is alignment to learning goals. An authentic task that does not correspond to important learning goals embedded in the school’s mission statement and standards is unlikely to be utilizable in school settings (Bruffy, 2012). One approach that can be taken in developing high-quality authentic tasks involves the use of learning goals. With learning goals in mind, teachers can come up with tasks that will capture the interests of learners and incorporate essential skills and ideas. Teachers can also use existing curriculum materials and identify opportunities within the resources to create authentic tasks that connect to the daily lives and curiosities of students (Frey et al., 2012). In addition, teachers can create authentic tasks by paying attention to students and drawing directly from their interests, ideas, experiences and other issues in their communities. Another method entails teachers working together with students to discover and form possible tasks. Finally, teachers can collaborate with community experts, including architects, writers, engineers, scientists, and historians, to come up with engaging and meaningful tasks that assist students to learn about specialized practices. In order to use authentic tasks effectively with learners, teachers should address various features of the classroom surrounding environment. First, teachers need to develop classroom conditions that support learners in gaining knowledge from authentic tasks. It is essential that teachers guide students on ways to engage in tasks and how to derive knowledge from them. Without dedicated support, from teachers, learners will not develop the knowledge and skills required for successful engagement in authentic tasks. Teachers should also develop a social atmosphere that helps learners in working collaboratively and productively while encouraging them to take risks and attempt difficult tasks. Assessment is also an important subject; teachers should offer authentic assessment of learning that is incorporated within the tasks and mirrors the goals and nature of the tasks (Frey et al., 2012). An example of a successfully implemented instructional program that employs authentic tasks is a mathematics series created by John Brans-ford and his colleagues and titled “The Adventures of Jasper Woodbury”. The program resources include video-based narrative escapades that give learners in grades five and above real-life arithmetic challenges. For instance, the series features a probability and statistics adventure titled “The Big Splash”, in which learners assist a character to create and assess a business plan for fundraising for a project run by students. Another adventure in the series, titled “Blueprint for Success”, is meant for geometry allows learners to help characters in designing a park as they learn key geometry concepts. The main purpose of the narratives to develop experiences that is similar to learning that occurs in real life. Additionally, the challenges faced in solving the puzzles enable students to apply mathematics skills and concepts and skills in real-world. Summary and Conclusions Authentic tasks describe a method of learning that appears promising for improvement of students’ performance. In this paper, we have reviewed authentic tasks in terms of its strengths, limitation and appropriateness for application in learning basing our arguments on available literature. The cases on actual learning conditions and resources necessary for successful application of authentic tasks have been described and identified. The discussion has shown that the various roles of various stakeholders in education practice strongly contribute to the success of the suitable learning conditions. Also the characteristics of high quality authentic tasks have been described including cognitive instruments for effective knowledge development. References Blumenfeld, P. C., Marx, R. W. & Harris, C. J. (2006). Learning environments. In W. Damon, R. M. Lerner, K. A. Renninger, and I. E. Sigel (Eds.), Handbook of Child Psychology 6th ed., Vol. 4: Child Psychology in Practice. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Bruffy, W.R. (2012). Authentic tasks: a participatory action research study on a teaching method for the inclusive classroom. Education Doctoral Theses. Paper 23. Frey, B. B., Schmitt, V. L., & Allen, J. P. (2012). Defining Authentic Classroom Assessment. Practical Assessment Research & Evaluation, 17(2), 1-18. Available online: http://pareonline.net/getvn.asp?v=17&n=2 Herrington, J., & Reeves, T. C. (2010). A guide to authentic E-learning. New York: Routledge. Hickey, D. T., Moore, A. M., & Pellegrino, J. W. (2001). The Motivational and Academic Consequences of Elementary Mathematics Environments: Do Constructivist Innovations and Reforms Make a Difference? American Educational Research Journal, 38(3), 611– 652. Krajcik, J. S., Blumenfeld, P. C., Marx, R. W., & Soloway, E. (2000). Instructional, curricular, and technological supports for inquiry in science classrooms. In J. Minstrell & E. H. van Zee (Eds.), Inquiring into inquiry learning and teaching in science. Washington, DC: American Association for the Advancement of Science. Neo, T. K. (2003). Using multimedia in a constructivist learning environment in the Malaysian classroom. Australian Journal of Educational Technology 19(3), 293-310. http://www.ascilite.org.au/ajet/ajet19/neo.html Read More