Natasha Malone_EDUC 5313 Week 2 Blog - Technological Integration

 Authentic/Authentic Instruction and Assessment

The nature of Authentic Intellectual Work encompasses of the unique application of skills and knowledge that allows individuals to accomplish complex work that is socially or personally meaningful to individuals.

Authentic Intellectual Work goes beyond the routine use of facts and procedures learned in a traditional learning environment.  An example of Authentic Intellectual Work can be the unique business skills needed for an entrepreneur to start a new business.  Authentic Intellectual Work goes beyond the traditional approaches of instruction and assessment.   The setting of traditional instruction in schools involve the routine use of facts and procedures that does not allow students to achieve complex accomplishment as in authentic intellectual work.  For instance, a student in school will learn the importance of recycling under traditional instructions with no high-level learning.  However, in Authentic Intellectual Work students will create recycle bins for citizens to utilize.

Authentic Intellectual Work (AIW) allows individuals to produce meaningful results which involves the construction of knowledge, through disciplined inquiry to accomplish work that is valued beyond school.  Authentic Intellectual Work can be achieved through construction of knowledge where skilled individuals must draw on their basic skills to solve complex problems.  To solve complex problems, adults must construct unique knowledge by organizing, interpreting, evaluating, and synthesizing previous knowledge to solve unique problems based on a variety of experiences.  Additionally, skilled individuals construct knowledge to solve complex problems through disciplined inquiry.  Disciplined inquiry requires skilled adults to utilize prior knowledge, strive for in depth understanding, develop and express their findings through elaborated communication.  Once an individual accomplishes a product, they must value their work beyond school. An individual must be able to use their unique work to better society or themselves, which will allow society to value their work.

The construction of knowledge is the initial stage that a person must engage in to produce AIW.  For instance, empirical evidence shows that students who engaged in AIW activities or assignments produce better work than students who does not.  According to a 1990—1995 CORS study, it showed that elementary, middle school and secondary students from across the U.S. who engaged in high authentic pedagogy work of constructing knowledge and inquiry mean score in math and social studies were highest compared to the other schools engaged in lower or average authentic work with their students (Newmann et al., 2007, p. 19-20).  Additionally, 1988 to 1992 National Educational Longitudinal Study conducted surveys and testing on 10 000 students in 1000 schools from 8^th – 12^th grade.  The students who were exposed to high authentic pedagogy class performed better compared to low authentic pedagogy class.  This study proves that students who are exposed to AIW lessons can build in-depth understanding of work taught and perform excellent on any tests as they are exposed to constructing knowledge and inquiry (Newmann et al., 2007, p 21-22).

Authentic Intellectual Work (AIW) can be applied to any discipline.  For instance, in mathematics as illustrated on page 28 of “Authentic Instruction and assessment common standards for rigor and relevance in teaching academic subjects” in an eighth-grade math class a substitute teacher incorporated AIW in her lesson of percent or fractions where she allowed the students to value the application of fractions and percentages beyond school through using budget and discount coupons to calculate what they could afford based on the percent discount.  She had students create a test to accurately measure their understanding of percent and fraction from their family’s budget.  The teacher reported that this authentic instruction activity allowed students to develop complex understanding of percentage and fraction that a basic worksheet would not have accomplished.

2017 National Education Technology Plan update

2017 NETP allows opportunities for students and educators to utilize technology to execute the components of AIW in the classroom.  In the outline of the first section “Learning: encouraging and empowering learning through technology” students can utilize technology to construct knowledge where individuals can use online platforms to collect data from around the world and gain skills learned from these online platforms in the form of research to organize, interpret, evaluate, and produce complex work.  For example, students who want to write a novel can use online platforms to carry out research to assist them to write a creative novel.  Technology can also enable learning environments where students can inquire and gain knowledge from peers and communicate complex work through online communities.  Additionally, students can value their work by publishing their work beyond the classroom using online platforms to reach a global audience.

The 2017 NETP highlights Perceptual Learning Modules (PLM) software for math that allows users the opportunity to use technology to detect patterns across multiple math problems in an innovative way that allows students to produce AIW by means of constructing knowledge, inquiring, and making connections to real life situations.

Triple E Framework

The connection between the AIW Framework and Kolb’s Triple E Framework is that both frameworks are measuring tools used to ensure that students are producing meaningful work in the classroom.  For instance, engagement is the first level of the Triple E framework, that ensures students are on task when using technology.  Similarly, the AIW constructing knowledge is the first level where the students actively use their knowledge to solve complex problems. Enhancement is the second level of the Triple E, where students utilize technology to add value to learning through exploration, creation and problem solving.  Similarly, AIW’s second level to producing work is an inquiry cycle where students explore and research to produce quality work.  Extension is the last level of the Triple E measuring tool where students utilize technology to extend their learning outside the classroom and make connections to real life situations. Similarly, AIW’s last level is where students solve problems and apply their knowledge in the real world.  The two frameworks can be used as rubrics to grade students progress in the classroom.  Both the Triple E and AIW frameworks can utilize technology to ensure that students move through a level of thinking skills that will produce meaningful work.

 

References

Kolb, L. (2020). Learning first, technology second in practice. Portland, OR: ISTE.

    Chapters 2 - 4.

Newmann, F. M., King, M. B., & Carmichael, D. L. (2007). Authentic instruction and assessment: 

    Common standards for rigor and relevance in teaching academic subjects. State of Iowa Department 

    of Education. Introduction, Chapters 1 - 2.

Office of Educational Technology. (2017).  Reimagining the role of technology in education: 2017 

    Educational Technology Plan update. Retrieved from http://tech.edu.gov. Introduction and Section 

    1.