Authentic Learning

Authentic learning occurs when students are exposed to learning experiences that reflect the ‘real world’. In particular, authentic learning aims to emulate the reality and complexity of situations which typically arise in the real workplace within the students’ field of study, and which students will likely encounter in their professional careers. In principle, authentic learning is an age-old concept, rooted in the traditional apprenticeship, where apprentices (e.g., stonemasons) learnt their profession by working alongside their masters. In the 21st century, authentic learning is still very common in vocational education, where learners are being trained on the job for practical tasks and professions—in this context, learning takes place by operating within the real workplace.

In higher education, authentic learning is less prevalent, because higher education has historically revolved around classroom-based learning, theory, and conceptual knowledge, de-coupled from actual workplace context. This lack of prevalence, however, does not reflect a lack of interest from the higher education community. Since research suggests that authenticity supports deep learning and knowledge application, as well as the enhancement of employability and self-efficacy, higher education providers in many countries make discernible efforts to offer authentic learning opportunities and environments to their students.

Authentic learning can take many forms, and not all learning activities reflect the real world to the same extent. Following this train of thought, some authors have referred to the notion of authenticity as a continuum, whereby learning [Page 150]experiences vary according to how authentic they are perceived to be. It is therefore possible to identify three main forms of authentic learning experience, which can be placed along the authenticity continuum: (a) low-authenticity learning experiences that focus on real-life problems, (b) medium-authenticity learning experiences that resemble or mimic reality, and (c) high-authenticity learning experiences, which take place within a real-world setting in the student’s field of study. This entry presents an overview of the key characteristics of authentic learning and then discusses each form of authentic learning with reference to varied examples.