Designing a technology-enhanced authentic learning environment for a large engineering class

Abstract

A growing body of evidence suggests that one area in which new approaches have been a significant improvement over traditional teaching methods in tertiary education is where there has previously been a detachment between what is taught in the classroom and the real life scenarios where that content is used. For this reason, the creation of authentic learning environments in tertiary education has been advocated over the last decade. The literature now provides the necessary theoretical framework and boundaries of what can be defined as an authentic learning environment. Here, we present the design of several teaching practices aimed at creating an authentic learning environment in a large undergraduate engineering class. In particular, we leverage on various technological tools to overcome the inherent difficulties of providing an authentic learning environment in the presence of a large group of students.