GATEways to Teacher Education

A journal of the Georgia Association of Teacher Educators reflection, interdisciplinary perspectives, integrated assessment polished products, and multiple interpretations” (p. 173). Authentic activities promote the connection between the acquisition of content in a real-world situation which promotes creative thinking, critical thinking, and/or problem-solving skills (Essop, 2020). Wiggins (1990) described authentic tasks in the context of assessment. He asserted that these tasks are “ill-structured” because they help students “rehearse for the ‘game’of adult and professional life” (p. 1). Resnick (1987) described significant differences between “school” learning and learning outside of the school context, noting the frequent disconnect between classroom learning and social experiences and learning outside of the classroom which, frequently, require a great deal of cognitive resources.

In short, authentic learning activities are deliberately planned experiences that promote higher-order thinking while connecting course content to life beyond the classroom. Resnick (1987) stated, “There is growing evidence, then, that not only may schooling not contribute in a direct and obvious way to performance outside school, but also that knowledge acquired outside school is not always used to support inschool learning” (p. 15). As educators, it is important to help our students bridge the gap between classroom and life experiences.

In consideration of motivation, authentic activities and learning experiences have great potential to inspire students to desire to engage in tasks that bridge the course-life connection gap. The expectancy-value theory of motivation is predicated on bringing value to tasks (Ormrod & Jones, 2018). Specifically, utility value is important in authentic learning experiences in which students are able to connect tasks to be completed as part of coursework to usefulness as pertinent to their future goals (Sherman, 2017). Additionally, Hattie (2012), asserted that learning should be visible to students, to help them value learning–to be motivated to engage in lifelong learning (p. 1).

LikeAustin, students often ask the question, “Why do I have to do this?” On August 29, 2020, the website, Edutopia, shared a quotation by educator Howie Hua on their social media page. Hua (2020) stated, “To prevent giving out busywork, write down the purpose of the assignment, and if you aren’t 100% convinced about that purpose, consider reassigning it.” Hua’s (2020) statement speaks directly to the question, “Why do I have to do this?” Ultimately, it addresses the value of course content in authentic settings.

As educators in a teacher preparation program, it is our desire that our pre-service teacher candidates strategically and deliberately plan and facilitate instructional activities with authentic contexts for their own future students. In order for our candidates to be able to do this, they need to see it in action; therefore, we strive to bridge the gap through our practice, modeling a variety of strategies to bridge the gap between theory and practice.

InvestigatingAuthentic Learning Opportunities in Coursework

Educators make purposeful and deliberate decisions when planning for instruction. After informal conversations as a result of Erin’s conversation with Austin, we (the researchers, or the first six authors) decided to investigate how we each deliberately incorporate authentic learning activities in our own courses. Therefore, this study sought to answer the question, “How