ELI Web Seminar, November 3, 2008 1:00 p.m. ET (12:00 p.m. CT, 11:00 a.m. MT, 10:00 a.m. PT); runs one hour

Guidelines for Implementing Authentic Tasks in Web-Based Environments

Special Guest

Thomas C. Reeves
Professor of Educational Psychology and Instructional Technology
University of Georgia

Thomas C. Reeves is a professor of Learning, Design, and Technology at The University of Georgia, where he teaches program evaluation, multimedia design, and research methods. Since receiving his PhD at Syracuse University in 1979, he has developed and evaluated numerous interactive learning programs for both education and training. In addition to numerous presentations and workshops in the USA, he has been an invited speaker in more than 25 other countries. He is a past president of the Association for the Development of Computer-based Instructional Systems (ADCIS) and a former Fulbright Lecturer.

In 1995 Reeves was selected as one of the "Top 100" people in multimedia by Multimedia Producer magazine. From 1997–2000 he was the editor of the Journal of Interactive Learning Research. In 2003 his book Interactive Learning Systems Evaluation (co-authored with John Hedberg) was published, and he became the first Fellow of the Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE).

Summary

Julie Little, interim director of the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative, will moderate this web seminar with Thomas Reeves, in which he’ll explore both the theory and the development behind the use of authentic tasks in online learning environments.

Although authentic tasks can be incorporated more easily in web-based learning environments as course management systems have become more flexible, many higher education instructors remain uncertain about how to design engaging authentic learning environments. With advances in learning theory and technology, there is increased potential for authentic tasks to be used as the primary underlying pedagogy for supporting learning in face-to-face, blended, and totally online courses. These tasks can range from relatively simple life examples that serve as vehicles for practicing specific skills to a more radical approach of building a whole course around a compelling authentic task.

In this seminar, Reeves will describe the theory, research, and development underlying authentic tasks in web-based learning environments as well as practical design guidelines for implementing this innovative approach.

Additional Resources

• Reeves, Thomas C., Jan Herrington, and Ron Oliver. "Authentic Activities and Online Learning." Sydney: HERSDA, 2002.
• ELI Resources: Authentic Learning Series (see the ELI Resources page for the full series
• "Authentic Learning for the 21st Century: An Overview," May 2007.
• "Approaches That Work: How Authentic Learning Is Transforming Higher Education," July 2007.
• AAC&U, Fostering Integrative Learning.
• Authentic Tasks website