Authentic Learning in the Digital Age

Book Review: Authentic Learning in the Digital Age

by Larissa Pahomov

In Authentic Learning in the Digital Age, Larissa Pahomov draws upon her experiences with an innovative school in Philadelphia called the Science Leadership Academy (SLA) to illustrate and explain a framework for “… implementing a personalized, inquiry-based education in a typical secondary school.” (2)  She also provides strategies for the effective integration of technology.

Each chapter of the book explores one of the 5 core values of this framework.  There is a question and answer section, called Roadblocks and Work-arounds, near the end of each chapter with advice on how to overcome challenges associated with implementing the core value.

She begins by hi-lighting some positive features of technology:

• a tonic for the “monotony of memorization”; (5)
• provides authentic learning and engagement in and beyond the classroom;
• democratizes learning by allowing personalization and providing communication among  all   students; “Suddenly the teacher is just another commenter on the [online] discussion         thread.” (7);
• allows students to both bring in and reach out to the world; and,
• eases teacher workload by providing timesavers such as online calendars and means such as Google docs for providing feedback.

Science Leadership Academy, Philadelphia

The focus of Chapter 2 is the first core value – authentic inquiry-based instruction, which is characterized by choice, personalization, and relevance.  The author cautions that choice shouldn’t mean that every student has his/her own adventure; instead, it means that the learning opportunities should honour student preferences as much as possible.  As well, she qualifies relevance as follows: “Relevant does not have to mean ‘cutting edge’ or even ‘contemporary’ … [just] relevant to [students] personally.” (23)

The components of authentic classroom inquiry include:

• Identify open-ended higher level questions that don’t have specific factual answers;
• Identify learning goals;
• Build a flexible assessment framework, including both formative strategies, such as checklists and check-ins and rubrics for summative evaluation; and,
• Model inquiry every day.

In the Roadblocks and Work-arounds section of Chapter 2, the author cautions that inquiry isn’t authentic if the inquiry is some version of “guess what’s in the teacher’s brain”. (34)  To avoid this scenario, students should construct their own questions, and the teacher should be comfortable with a certain level of unpredictability in the process.

The second core value is student research that allows for autonomy, activity, and metacognition.  Student research is active when students go beyond Google to look for uncollected content – that is, material, like primary sources, that has not been indexed. (44)  It is also an active process when students conduct their own surveys, interviews, or labs.  According to Pahomov, “A good line of inquiry is un-Googleable.” (49)

Notre Dame High Schools (Ottawa Catholic SB) conducted their own surveys
for this inquiry

Teachers should permit students to choose their own research material; however, teachers should anticipate some of the resources the students will require and provide them with sources of knowledge (ie. periodicals and online research data bases). Teachers should also provide exemplars of good research projects.  Most important of all, they should assist students in learning how to assess the credibility of information – especially information found on internet sources such as Wikipedia.  The author writes: “Students need a crash course in how Internet search engines work.  Algorithms, predictive search fields, and user histories all need to be exposed and explored.” (58)

Chapter 4 explores collaboration – the 3^rd core value in the framework.  To be successful, student collaboration should be documented (assessed), asynchronous, and classroom-based.  With respect to the second characteristic, Pahomov states, “Good collaboration involves work done separately as well as together.” (66)  The key to asynchronous collaboration is an anchor document, “which outlines the requirements for the project as well as the expectations and roles of each of the group members.” (67)

Effective collaboration can be achieved by the teacher modeling it every day.  Daily collaborative strategies include turn and talk and peer editing.  Teachers need to teach collaboration skills by describing the specific roles students will assume in the process and by providing them with success criteria for and exemplars of working together.  As well, “a level of scaffolding commensurate with the students’ own comfort level with group work” (73) is key.  As much as possible, students should work through group dynamics problems and disputes on their own, but the teacher should provide guidance when required.

Presentations, the 4^th core value, should be flexible, shareable, and interactive.  Students will gain greater confidence if they can choose the presentation medium.  Their presentations should be shared beyond the classroom, since a larger audience will motivate them to produce quality products.  “By setting up a common landing page for finished work, students can ‘tour’ projects online.” (87)  Peer assessment adds a greater degree of interactivity.

St Joseph H S (OCSB) student's creative presentation

 - a board game on the themes in Of Mice and Men 

Clear success criteria need to be established for an exemplary product.  Encouraging students to enter their presentations in contests or competitions is a great way to add authenticity to the learning process.  They will receive useful feedback.  For students reticent to share with large audiences, teachers can begin with strategies such as Think, Pair, Share, which require sharing with very small groups. 

Two work-arounds are suggested to prevent students from spending too much time on the format of the presentation to the detriment of its content:

• Front-load the technical skills;
• Have students draft, edit, and revise their content before transferring the work to its final medium. (103)

The final value is reflection, which should be metacognitive, applicable, and shared to be meaningful.  The author notes that “by sharing their reflections on their academic work, students can both advise and seek help from their peers.” (113)

Reflection should occur throughout the learning process, not just at the end of a unit or after a test.  Students will engage in more authentic reflection on their work and better see the value in reflection if teachers provide them with qualitative feedback before grading their work.  Peer reflection should be integrated with teacher reflection on a student’s work.   The author recommends gallery walks as an effective peer-reflection activity.  Her final suggestion on reflection is that teachers should use “a consistent set of questions or prompts for students’ reflections [on their work], asking them to respond to the rubric criteria.” (121)

St Francis Xavier H S student researchers' reflections

on their collaborative inquiry 

In the final chapter, the author identifies 5 practices and policies that are part of the school culture at SLA that support its successful inquiry-based model of learning:

• A common language, focused on the five core values, for all learning opportunities, assessment rubrics, and school rules;
• An open door climate, which is reflected by teachers posting units online and a welcoming approach to classroom visitors;
• Outside partnerships for all students, including internships with institutions which provide personalized experiential learning; 
• A lengthy student advisory period twice a week that builds strong teacher-student and student-to-student relationships over the course of the 4-year program; and,
• A first days approach that features a 2-week Summer Institute program for new students.

Authentic Learning in the Digital Age is marred by a few usage errors such as truer (109) and the awkward off of. (85 & 137)  There is also an editing error on page 85 – the word took is used instead of look. 

Despite the small blemishes, the book presents an excellent framework for learning in the digital age.