Tips and Trends in Authentic eLearning for Instructional Designers (Part 1)

This is Part 1 of a 2-part series on how to effectively use authentic learning in eLearning for instructional designers.

PART ONE:

Authentic learning is an instructional approach that gives learners the opportunity to create a meaningful, useful, and shared experience.

It allows learners to explore, collaborate, and construct concepts and relationships involving real-world projects and problems in a meaningful way. Learners are able to learn these concepts in a way that is relevant to them.

Authentic learning is real life learning. It is a learning style that inspires learners to construct a tangible and purposeful product that is shared with their world.

It is the job of the instructional designer to provide learners with the necessary resources to accommodate their success. Portfolios are often used to organized the content that is processed.

 The Hierarchy of Instructional Skill Development is a framework that aids instructional designers to help learners reach their full potential to authentic learning.

Instructional designers should include engaging content and integrated online activities, as well as project-based activities and simulations. These factors are necessary for authentic learning to be effective in the online classroom.

Steve Revington, a leading expert in authentic learning says...

“Training/education has but one main purpose – to prepare learners for the real world. To do that we need to get 'real' in training/education. It is imperative that we provide ongoing, authentic learning opportunities to our learners.”

 

 

Revington also established what he named The 12 Elements of Authentic Learning.

The 12 Elements of Authentic Learning, defined by Steve Revington, is a list of tried and true elements that are necessary when delivering successful authentic learning events and units.

We will go over each of these elements in detail as well as why they are important to prospering in authentic learning...

1. The first element of authentic learning is to produce a tangible product or outcome that can be shared within the eLearning course and the rest of the world.

This can be anything from an original cupcake recipe created and marketed to a community, to learners growing their own ancient herbs and medicine. The key to this element is that the product is real.

2. The second element of authentic learning is to have a clearly defined community audience. It is vital to identify what the product is aimed for.

It is important for instructional designers to plan effectively and understand the audience’s interest.

For example, in order for a self-made video to be successful, language and script must be appropriately planned out.

3. Once the product, purpose, and audience has been established, design-back planning should be outlined by instructional designers in order to create a work place of success.

This includes a list of explicit skill sets, curriculum connections, support information, learning processes, and resources that are need to be gathered. The more input the learners have, the more ownership takes place.

4. The fourth element of authentic learning is to have well-defined criteria. Criteria must be specifically associated to the audience it is intended for with quality expectations in mind.

Quality research and consultation must be in place in order to achieve successful criteria. This idea is kind of like scaffolding. It may be necessary for criteria to be revisited as more understanding is established.

5. Role playing is a form of engagement that all age groups have enjoyment in taking part of. This can be tricky in online training, but many tools now allow for these types of collaboration.

This element of authentic learning is like a form of heightened creativity when learners get to be someone else allowing them to be fully absorbed in the journey. In addition, taking on a part or position on a team is another perspective a role playing that learners enjoy.

If an instructional designer can attempt at least one or two authentic learning approaches within a course, then that is a great start.