EDUC 5313 - Week 2 Blog

EDUC 5313 – Week 2 Blog  

Part 1: Authentic Intellectual Work (AIW) in education emphasizes meaningful, real-world learning that encourages students to engage in higher order thinking and problem solving. It prioritizes deep understanding and relevance to students’ lives, equipping them with skills they can apply beyond the classroom.

AIW differs from traditional education by prioritizing a deeper understanding and mastery of skills rather than rushing to cover a broad range of content. While traditional assessments often focus on testing memorization and repetition of information, AIW promotes creativity and uses performance-based assessment to evaluate student's ability to solve problems and apply their knowledge.

According to Newmann et al. (2007), the three key criteria of AIW are the construction of knowledge, disciplined inquiry, and value beyond school (pp. 4-5). The first criteria, construction of knowledge, requires students to apply foundational skills and understanding to tackle more complex problems. Through analysis and critical thinking, students build knowledge actively rather than passively absorbing facts, thereby creating deeper understanding.

Disciplined inquiry, the second criteria of AIW, encourages students to engage in deeper thinking by building on foundational knowledge. It involves thoroughly investigating specific problems to develop a deeper understanding and using detailed communication to justify and convey explanations and reasoning.

Finally, the third criteria, value beyond school, emphasizes that the work students produce has significance beyond the classroom, helping them develop skills that prepare them for future careers. Intellectual challenges rooted in real world contexts are often more meaningful to students than those created solely for classroom instruction.

One specific example of AIW in my adult radiography program is lab competency simulations. Students apply their classroom learning by collaborating with classmates and practicing hands on positioning in the lab. Once I determine they have mastered the skill they perform the examination for competency, using a classmate as their patient while I observe and provide feedback. These skills are then further developed and refined in the clinical setting.

Part 2: One recommendation to close the use divide mentioned in the National Educational Technology Plan (NETP) was to “build public-private partnerships with local businesses, higher education institutions, and nonprofit organizations to help students access edtech- enabled hands-on learning and work-based learning experiences” (NETP, 2024, p. 11). Oklahoma State University in Oklahoma City has recently implemented a Polytech initiative that aligns with these recommendations. Through partnerships with various healthcare facilities, students gain hands-on experience in the clinical setting. We also support and monitor students’ work-based learning experiences. Our program boasts a 100% job placement rate within six months of graduation, with many students already working in the field while still completing the program. As diagnostic medical imaging is now fully digital, students must learn to adapt to many different software interfaces to succeed in the profession.

Part 3: AIW Framework and the Triple E framework are both approaches that aim to improve the quality and relevance of education. While AIW emphasizes deep thinking and knowledge construction to equip students for real-world challenges, the Triple E Framework centers on integrating technology into education and evaluates how affectively technology engages students, enhances the learning process, and extends learning beyond the classroom. Both approaches share similarities in that they encourage higher order thinking and active engagement with content, prioritize real-world application, making learning meaningful to students lives, and support the idea that education should foster a deeper understanding and skill development beneficial beyond the classroom.

References:

Gaer, S. & Reyes, K. (2022). Finally, Some Guidance! Using the Triple E Framework to Shape Technology Integration, Adult Literacy Education, 4 (3-34).

Newmann, F. M., King, M. B., & Carmichael, D. L. (2007).  Authentic instruction and assessment: Common standards for rigor and relevance in teaching academic subjects.  State of Iowa Department of Education.

Office of Educational Technology. (2024). A Call to Action to Close the Technology Access, Design, and Use Divides: National Educational Technology Plan. Department of Education. Retrieved from: https://tech.ed.gov/netp/