1. Enhancing student learning through authentic learning experiences Pam Crawford (CDC) Ginny Saich (DAICE)

2. 23 January 2006Authentic Learning Experiences2 Aims Session Aims: 1.Introduce authentic learning and assessment 2.Highlight its relevance and potential for: 2.1enhancing the student learning experience 2.2 contributing to student employability 3.Identify a range of authentic learning approaches 4.Enable participants to consider potential opportunities for their own application of approaches Participant Aims:

3. 23 January 2006Authentic Learning Experiences3 Session Content Session aims Defining authentic learning Exemplifying authentic learning Disciplinary relevance and application What next?

4. 23 January 2006Authentic Learning Experiences4 What is authentic learning? Learner-centred (constructivism) Involves active learning (application) Uses authentic tasks (real world) Interdisciplinary in nature Requires integration/synthesis of knowledge Often involves collective work (tackling complexity and/or achieving efficiency) Diversity of possible outcomes

5. 23 January 2006Authentic Learning Experiences5 Common Elements 1 Understand problems/tasks/situations: –relevance of past experience and prior knowledge? –minimising ambiguity and/or misinterpretation? –measuring/identifying success and/or degree of achievement? Relevance to assessment?

6. 23 January 2006Authentic Learning Experiences6 Common Elements 2 Tackling problems/tasks/situations –Identifying/selecting/developing relevant knowledge/skills/activities? –Alternative strategies/competing solutions and the criteria used in comparing them? –Making it ‘manageable’? –Recognising the value of a diversity of outcomes?

7. 23 January 2006Authentic Learning Experiences7 Examples of Use –Advisory Clinics eg. law, health –Online environments/simulations –Service learning (most disciplines)

8. 23 January 2006Authentic Learning Experiences8 Relevance to Sectoral Developments QAA enhancement themes: »integrative assessment »teaching/research linkages »employability »flexible delivery

9. 23 January 2006Authentic Learning Experiences9 Use at Stirling Case studies of good practice

10. 23 January 2006Authentic Learning Experiences10 Potential opportunities How might authentic learning be used in your context? Projects and problem-based learning Placements/Clinics Linkage to research Integrative assessment Flexible delivery

11. 23 January 2006Authentic Learning Experiences11 Discussion Identification/selection of relevant course content/concepts/theories Application to problem-solving/real world issues Presentation of outcomes/findings/product Identification of emergent issues, problems for further activity/research Development of criteria for evaluation - recognising success and/or effective solutions Cross-curricular/interdisciplinary opportunities

12. 23 January 2006Authentic Learning Experiences12 The Future Personal application/practice Resources/support required Linkage to departmental/institutional developments/strategies Next steps?