Authentic Intellectual Work

 Authentic Intellectual Work (AIW) refers to any learning activity that seeks to elevate students above the collection of various facts and processes in school, and provide them with opportunities to solve problems as professionals do. This is a departure from the traditional mile-wide and inch-deep curriculum, so that students may obtain a depth of knowledge through meaningful activities.

Newman, et al. (2007) define Authentic Intellectual Work (AIW) as “construction of knowledge, through the use of disciplined inquiry, to produce discourse, products, or performances that have value beyond school” (p. 3). This means that a learning activity must be a novel problem to solve that requires the student to use a greater depth of knowledge than simple recall or understanding of facts. Once faced with the novel problem, the student must be required to use the acquired knowledge to gain deeper understanding and communicate that understanding in varied and flexible ways. In addition, the acquisition of the knowledge must serve a greater purpose than simply complying with the curriculum to earn a grade.

Gura (2016) asserts that creativity is synonymous with innovation and problem solving, and one aspect of innovation is to tackle novel situations. There is no textbook solution to a problem that has yet to be encountered, and only by interacting with these rich, open-ended tasks can students develop the skills to become leaders of innovation in whatever industry they join upon adulthood. One example of an AIW task is to have students collect real data from citizens of their communities for the purpose of analyzing the data to find trends of interest, displaying the data using multiple statistical graphs, and presenting a discovered issue of concern at a local government meeting. This activity puts the practice of collecting and analyzing data fully into the realm of knowledge construction that goes beyond the classroom.

The 2017 NEPT seems to corroborate the importance of authentic intellectual work, as the focus of technology integration seeks to engage students by encouraging the solving of real problems and connecting with others outside the classroom. For example, students could use online collaborative data collection tools to not just analyze local concerns and patterns, but to partner with other students in other communities. This would allow students to compare and contrast the main concerns and data trends among multiple geographical areas and demographics.

Kolb (2020) emphasizes using technology for engagement, enhancement, and extension of learning. The data collection activity supports extension because students are able to use the collaborative data collection software outside of the school setting, and they are using their community as the sample from which to retrieve the data. Finally, by collaborating with students in other areas, they are extending the learning even further and building the 21st century skills necessary for future success.

Gura, M. (2016).  Make, learn, succeed:  Building a culture of creativity in your school. Portland, OR:  ISTE. ISBN#:  9781564843807

Kolb, L. (2020). Learning first, technology second in practice: New strategies, research and tools for student success.  Portland, OR: ISTE.

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

Office of Educational Technology. (2017). Reimagining the role of technology in education: 2017 National Education Technology Plan update. Retrieved from http://tech.ed.gov.