How do you create authentic learning tasks?

How do you create authentic learning tasks? If you are a teacher, you might have heard this term before, but what does it mean and why is it important? Authentic learning tasks are activities that engage students in meaningful and relevant problems or challenges that reflect real-world situations. They allow students to apply their knowledge and skills across disciplines, contexts, and cultures, and to develop deeper understanding, creativity, and critical thinking. In this article, we will explore some key features and benefits of authentic learning tasks, and share some tips and examples on how to design and implement them in your classroom.

1 What makes a task authentic?

Authentic learning tasks are not just simulations or exercises that mimic reality, but rather based on real or realistic scenarios that require students to use multiple sources of information, collaborate with others, and produce original and useful outcomes. For a task to be considered authentic, it must be relevant and meaningful to the students' interests, goals, and experiences; complex and ill-structured, with no single or simple solution; involve higher-order thinking skills such as analysis, synthesis, evaluation, and creativity; require students to use various tools, resources, and strategies including technology, media, and communication; allow students to demonstrate their learning in multiple ways and formats such as presentations, portfolios, or products; and provide opportunities for feedback, reflection, and self-assessment.

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Aleena Khan

Instructional Leadership, Teacher Trainer and Educator, Assistant Examiner Physics CAIE
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Apart from skill building, authentic tasks allow students to build a connection of what they are being taught with the real world. It is an experience that they gain allowing them to make use of what they are being taught more effectively. This leads to a lifelong learning for the students and gives them the opportunity to develop their individual personalities. It is my personal experience, the topics that were reinforced with students using authentic tasks in middle years were the ones they found the easiest in their high school classes. Having taught the same batch at both levels, I could see the difference in my studens' ability to recall and apply those concepts.

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2 Why use authentic learning tasks?

Authentic learning tasks can be incredibly beneficial for students, enhancing motivation, engagement, and achievement by making learning more relevant, challenging, and enjoyable. They can also help students develop essential skills and competencies for the 21st century, such as problem-solving and decision-making, collaboration and communication, creativity and innovation, critical thinking and inquiry, self-regulation and metacognition, and cultural awareness and diversity. Moreover, authentic learning tasks are great for differentiated instruction as they let students work at their own pace, choose their own topics and methods, and express their own voice and perspective.

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3 How to design authentic learning tasks?

Designing authentic learning tasks requires careful planning and alignment with curriculum goals and standards. To guide you, start by identifying the learning objectives and outcomes that you want your students to achieve. Then, choose a real-world problem or challenge that is relevant and meaningful to your students and connects to the learning objectives. Define the task parameters, such as the duration, scope, resources, roles, and expectations. Create a rubric or checklist that specifies the criteria and indicators of quality for the task. Additionally, provide scaffolding and support for your students through modeling, coaching, questioning, and feedback. Finally, monitor and assess your students' progress and performance throughout the task.

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Aleena Khan

Instructional Leadership, Teacher Trainer and Educator, Assistant Examiner Physics CAIE
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It is essential to note that the authentic tasks should only evaluate what has been explicitly taught. Implicit learning outcomes should not be part of the assessment criteria. Effective authentic tasks should have options of variety of products to allow the teachers to differentiate assessment on both product and process. This caters to students who have different learning styles.

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4 How to implement authentic learning tasks?

Creating an environment for authentic learning tasks necessitates flexibility and support that encourages student autonomy, collaboration, and creativity. To begin, introduce the task to your students and activate their prior knowledge and interest. Then, engage them in brainstorming, researching, and planning their approach. Facilitate their work and learning by providing guidance, feedback, and resources. Furthermore, motivate them to communicate and cooperate with peers, experts, or community members. Additionally, showcase their work and learning by inviting them to present, share, or publish their outcomes. Finally, involve your students in reflecting on their learning process and product as well as celebrating their achievements.

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Aleena Khan

Instructional Leadership, Teacher Trainer and Educator, Assistant Examiner Physics CAIE
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Share the evaluation rubrics with the students right at the beginning. Guide the students on how to use those rubrics to produce work that is meeting the required criteria and yet has been completed effectively and efficiently. Once the products have been completed, allow students to share these with the community on open days and exhibitions. This will develop a sense of pride and achievement in the students.

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5 Examples of authentic learning tasks

Authentic learning tasks can be applied to any subject, grade, or topic. For example, you can create a podcast or a video about a social or environmental issue that is important to you. Designing a board game or a mobile app that teaches a concept or skill is another option. You can also write a letter or proposal to suggest solutions or improvements for problems in your community. Additionally, you can conduct a survey or experiment to answer questions or test hypotheses. Finally, you can plan and organize a fundraising event or service project for a cause that you support.

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6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Aleena Khan

Instructional Leadership, Teacher Trainer and Educator, Assistant Examiner Physics CAIE
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While planning for authentic taks, keep in mind the student learning outcomes and objectives. Plan for the task first and then plan and organize the learning experience for the students for that topic/ unit. This will allow you to keep focus on applications of the content rather than just stating the factual knowledge. Hence this allows students to approach the topic / unit using higher order thinking skills.

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How do you create authentic learning tasks?

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1 What makes a task authentic?

2 Why use authentic learning tasks?

3 How to design authentic learning tasks?

4 How to implement authentic learning tasks?

5 Examples of authentic learning tasks

6 Here’s what else to consider

Teaching

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How do you create authentic learning tasks?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 What makes a task authentic?

2 Why use authentic learning tasks?

3 How to design authentic learning tasks?

4 How to implement authentic learning tasks?

5 Examples of authentic learning tasks

6 Here’s what else to consider

Teaching

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