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"Thick" Authenticity: New Media and Authentic Learning
Abstract
Discusses authenticity as it is applied to educational interventions and argues that the concept should be analyzed more closely. Describes four kinds of authenticity; analyzes how computational media are well-suited to support different aspects of authentic learning; and discusses connectivity, modeling, and pluralism. Contains 75 references. (Author/LRW)
... This includes games education. Shaffer and Resnick (1999) argue that there are different uses of the terms "authentic learning" that are each mutually reinforcing, and that educators should try to design educational interventions that support them all. The four uses they identify are real-world authenticity (when the materials and activities align with the non-classroom world), authentic assessment (assessment is aligned with what students really should be learning), personal authenticity (when what is learned is aligned with what students want to know), and disciplinary authenticity (when methods of inquiry are aligned with disciplinary practices) (Shaffer and Resnick 1999). ...
... Shaffer and Resnick (1999) argue that there are different uses of the terms "authentic learning" that are each mutually reinforcing, and that educators should try to design educational interventions that support them all. The four uses they identify are real-world authenticity (when the materials and activities align with the non-classroom world), authentic assessment (assessment is aligned with what students really should be learning), personal authenticity (when what is learned is aligned with what students want to know), and disciplinary authenticity (when methods of inquiry are aligned with disciplinary practices) (Shaffer and Resnick 1999). ...
... In games education, especially when its orientation prioritizes the professional over the academic, classes where students work in teams developing a game are a focus for the kinds of authentic learning experiences Shaffer and Resnick recommend. For the purpose of this article I will discuss real-world authenticity and personal authenticity (Shaffer and Resnick 1999). ...
Having a large (>100) team of students work on a single game as part of their games education experience sounds like a terrible idea. But, is it really? I provide an examination of the reasons why students are encouraged to participate in collaborative game development projects, challenge some of those assumptions, and propose the megateam as an alternate model that might be worth considering. I also present a brief post-mortem of a large (~70 student) team class explicitly designed to provide an educational experience more authentic to working at a large game studio by forcing an organizational structure that foregrounds the content pipeline (and bottlenecks), requires additional communication and coordination, and challenges everyone to maintain a coherent vision for the game they were working on. All of these are common problems identified in game industry post-mortems. While the megateam experience was not without flaws, it demonstrates there is potential for re-imagining the student game project experience such that it highlights a production model (i.e. AAA game development) that is more authentic to what many students aspire to, and may end up participating in. In this way game educators can better prepare students meet their career expectations and help them succeed.
... Clubs can be a great way for "institutional knowledge" about a program to be handed down from more experienced students to those who are just starting their education. Similarly, they can also allow for learning to happen in contexts and ways that are more authentic to professional/industry practice (Shaffer and Resnick 1999). While these Student Groups are "bottom-up" initiatives that arise directly from student efforts, the role that faculty and administration can play in supporting them is often critical to their success. ...
What are some factors that contribute to the success of a game program? The curriculum and how it is taught, the way a program is organized, and understanding game students are all important factors. There is an additional aspect: the role that extra- curricular initiatives and supports play. We report on an interview study where game educators discussed the things their game programs do outside of the classroom to support and help their students. These efforts are grouped into initiatives that contribute towards strengthening a community of learners, those that help students develop their professional identities, efforts for broadening student’s experience, and managing/creating relationships with the game industry. By presenting and collecting these initiatives we can identify possible gaps in a program and encourage a more holistic perspective on higher education focused not only on the curriculum, but also on those things that can happen in between or adjacent to coursework.
... En anledning till att välja verklighetsnära undervisning är att det är ett sätt att sätta undervisningen i ett sammanhang och göra den meningsfull (t.ex. Shaffer & Resnick, 1999). Styrdokumenten för ämnet teknik lyfter fram att undervisningen ska vara meningsfull genom att visa på hur kunskaper om och i teknik har betydelse för människor, vårt samhälle och vår miljö, till exempel i relation till hållbar utveckling. ...
Verklighetsnära undervisning är undervisning som strävar efter att likna verkligheten – undervisning som är autentisk i förhållande till det som händer utanför skolan. Att göra undervisningen verklighetsnära kan skapa motivation och meningsfullhet, både för elever och för lärare.
Det går att göra undervisningen verklighetsnära på olika sätt genom att exempelvis välja verklighetsnära sammanhang, genom att lösa verkliga problem och genom att använda arbetssätt och metoder som också används utanför skolan.
Det är först när eleven upplever att undervisningen knyter an till livet utanför skolan som verklighetsnära undervisning lever upp till sitt namn. Lärare behöver därför sätta undervisningsinnehållet i ett sammanhang och ge eleverna förståelse för hur det som görs i skolan hör ihop med det omgivande samhället.
... En anledning till att välja verklighetsnära undervisning är att det är ett sätt att sätta undervisningen i ett sammanhang och göra den meningsfull (t.ex. Shaffer & Resnick, 1999). Styrdokumenten för ämnet teknik lyfter fram att undervisningen ska vara meningsfull genom att visa på hur kunskaper om och i teknik har betydelse för människor, vårt samhälle och vår miljö, till exempel i relation till hållbar utveckling. ...
Begreppet teknisk multilitteracitet kan beskriva de grundläggande kunskaper och kompetenser som är nödvändiga i ett teknikintensivt samhälle.
Teknisk multilitteracitet beskriver de tekniska kunskaper en medborgare behöver för att klara av ett yrke där man hanterar teknik, kunna läsa teknik inom yrkesutbildning eller högre utbildning eller rent av klara sig i samhället.
Teknisk multilitteracitet kan beskrivas som en kompetens, en handlingsberedskap eller en slags ”läskunnighet” som består av dynamiska och situationsanpassade förmågor för att förstå, använda, hantera och värdera befintlig såväl som ny teknik.
... En anledning till att välja verklighetsnära undervisning är att det är ett sätt att sätta undervisningen i ett sammanhang och göra den meningsfull (t.ex. Shaffer & Resnick, 1999). Styrdokumenten för ämnet teknik lyfter fram att undervisningen ska vara meningsfull genom att visa på hur kunskaper om och i teknik har betydelse för människor, vårt samhälle och vår miljö, till exempel i relation till hållbar utveckling. ...
Lärare bör starta med att låta eleverna studera blockdiagram där reglersystemet som helhet beskrivs, innan man visar enskilda komponenter som till exempel sensorer och reglerdon. Syftet med detta är att fokusera på reglersystemets övergripande funktion och principerna för återkoppling.
Elever kan bygga egna, enkla reglersystem till exempel med BBC Microbit, där de själva kan testa principerna för återkoppling och lära sig mer om enskilda komponenter och hur de ska kopplas ihop.
De övergripande principerna hos reglersystem och byggande av enkla system kan påbörjas redan på mellanstadiet, medan byggande av mer avancerade system lämpligen introduceras på högstadiet. Att räkna på olika typer av reglering i system görs lämpligen i slutet av gymnasiet, eller därefter, beroende på elevernas kunskaper i matematik.
... En anledning till att välja verklighetsnära undervisning är att det är ett sätt att sätta undervisningen i ett sammanhang och göra den meningsfull (t.ex. Shaffer & Resnick, 1999). Styrdokumenten för ämnet teknik lyfter fram att undervisningen ska vara meningsfull genom att visa på hur kunskaper om och i teknik har betydelse för människor, vårt samhälle och vår miljö, till exempel i relation till hållbar utveckling. ...
Teknikens betydelse för samhället blir större för varje dag som går och formar också stora delar av våra liv. Våra hem är fyllda med olika apparater som, utan att vi egentligen tänker på det, ansluter oss till tekniska system som i sin tur försörjer oss med vatten, el, telekommunikation och annan infrastruktur. Tekniken spelar också en viktig roll i yrkeslivet, oavsett om man arbetar med att utveckla ny teknik, att underhålla teknik eller att använda teknik i sitt arbete. Behovet av att förstå tekniken har alltså aldrig varit så stort som nu varför vi valt att sätta samman denna antologi. Boken är skriven med blivande och verksamma lärare i fokus. Vi har därför valt att lyfta fram en bred förståelse för teknik och teknikundervisning, samtidigt som vi försökt visa hur denna förståelse kan vara ett verktyg för att utveckla undervisning. Målet för oss i redaktionen har med andra ord varit att skapa en blandning av texter som med varierande konkretion belyser den konstruerade världen ur ett flertal olika perspektiv...
... By engaging students in programming to manipulate media such as sound, images, and movies; this approach stands in contrast to the overly technical, application-devoid, and creatively lacking nature of traditional programming courses (Guzdial, 2003). However, Guzdial and colleagues grappled with the concept of authenticity in their media computation approach, as defined by Shaffer and Resnick (1999) as: (a) personally meaningful, (b) realworld connected, (c) disciplinary thinking-oriented, and (d) assessment-reflective learning. While acknowledging potential contributions to a future community of practice by introducing computation to non-CS majors (Guzdial & Tew, 2006), Guzdial and colleagues questioned the authenticity of their course due to the limited practical application of the specifically taught tools in professional contexts. ...
Background and Context: Efforts to engage adult learners in computer science in the United States have been largely unsuccessful. While research examining the use of music for teaching computer programming with K-12 learners is emerging, little research with adult learners exists. Objective: This study evaluates the effect of computer coding musical compositions on adult learner's attitudes towards computer science. Method: This study utilized the TunePad programming environment to engage adult learners in a computer programming course. Data were obtained through an attitudes towards computing survey and individual interviews. Findings: Quantitative data from participants suggest that computer coding musical compositions positively affected their attitudes toward computer science. Findings from interviews provide insight into how these types of learning activities affected attitudes. Implications: Results of this research will be useful for organizations tasked with assisting adult learners in retraining and ups-killing in computer science.
... What's more, networked learning also allows easy access to information in a variety of media granting students the freedom to explore on their own thus freeing tutors from playing the proverbial 'sage on the stage' and allowing them instead to play the 'guide on the side' (Tiene andIngram, 2001. Shaffer andResnick, 1999). Accordingly, web-based or Internet-based education is the new craze and higher education is witnessing an increasing proliferation of web-based instruction. ...
Holmes et al. (2001) have suggested that the advent of new educational technologies warrants a new kind of educational theory - 'communal constructivism.' Communal constructivism attempts to move beyond social constructivism and capture specific elements of the additional value that C&IT applications bring to the learning and teaching environment. Our paper will critically evaluate the usefulness of Holmes et al's ideas through a case study of the way in which a virtual learning environment, Blackboard, is currently being used to support students on a level three unit ICT in an Educational Context at Sheffield Hallam University.
... By engaging students in programming to manipulate media such as sound, images, and movies; this approach stands in contrast to the overly technical, application-devoid, and creatively lacking nature of traditional programming courses (Guzdial, 2003). However, Guzdial and colleagues grappled with the concept of authenticity in their media computation approach, as defined by Shaffer and Resnick (1999) as: (a) personally meaningful, (b) realworld connected, (c) disciplinary thinking-oriented, and (d) assessment-reflective learning. While acknowledging potential contributions to a future community of practice by introducing computation to non-CS majors (Guzdial & Tew, 2006), Guzdial and colleagues questioned the authenticity of their course due to the limited practical application of the specifically taught tools in professional contexts. ...
Background and Context: Efforts to engage adult learners in
computer science in the United States have been largely unsuccessful.
While research examining the use of music for teaching computer
programming with K-12 learners is emerging, little research
with adult learners exists.
Objective: This study evaluates the effect of computer coding
musical compositions on adult learner’s attitudes towards computer
science.
Method: This study utilized the TunePad programming environment
to engage adult learners in a computer programming course.
Data were obtained through an attitudes towards computing survey
and individual interviews.
Findings: Quantitative data from participants suggest that computer
coding musical compositions positively affected their attitudes
toward computer science. Findings from interviews provide insight
into how these types of learning activities affected attitudes.
Implications: Results of this research will be useful for organizations
tasked with assisting adult learners in re-training and upskilling
in computer science.
ResearchGate has not been able to resolve any references for this publication.