Authentic Tasks

  We hear the words "Authentic Tasks" bandied around but how can we tell if it is indeed authentic or just something labeled that way.  Many of the "Authentic tasks" I find have a feel of not quite being real.  Perhaps its the way they are written or perhaps they are something my students have little experience of.

But I was interested in what makes a task "Authentic".   So I looked up the definition for authentic tasks.

1.  The task must have a clear connection to the real world which means the one I found concerning the ratio of cans of red paint to blue paint was not as authentic as it could have been due to a lack of context such as the ratio needed to produce a certain shade of purple paint for the house.  I have seen houses painted a lovely shade of purple but I'd never do it.

I've seen comments about the real may not be totally real but it might have a connection to literature or to history.  One year I had students determine the number of boats in the village, the average number of passengers per boat so they could figure out how long it would take the people in our village to move the number of soldiers they moved at Dunkirk.

2. It must make students think about it and it must take some time.  If students are finished in five minutes, it is probably not as authentic as it could be. 

3.  It should require students to use different approaches and different ways of representing the problem.  In other words, students should look at it with more than one perspective.  In addition, they need to know and understand a variety of mathematical concepts in order to solve the task.

4. It must allow for collaboration  and discussion which is something my students need to work on.  Right now, collaboration usually means one student does it and everyone else copies while discussion consists of "Let so and so do it".

5. The task must have students find a solution and interpret the solution in context of the situation. The reality is that too many tasks do not allow students to interpret the solution.

6.  A good task will challenge and motivate all levels of learners in the classroom.  Even the struggling students will want to try rather than give up while the more advanced students are not bored.

The next thing in regard to authentic tasks is to consider writing them yourself.  For many situations writing your own authentic tasks is much better because students do not always relate to what we consider the usual.  Out in the village, students are more likely to tell you how much gas the boats will use if you are going over to another village to hunt.   They can't even pop down to the hardware store to buy paint to a specific color specification which is what most people are able to do.

If you want to make your won authentic tasks consider the following:

1.  Make sure it has a real-world connection because it provides a relevant frame for student work.  Look at topics such as immigration, buying a house, entertainment, jobs, throwing a party, etc.  This can provide a bridge between that learned in the classroom and why it should be learned.  It makes classroom learning relevant.

2. The task requires students to create some sort of product.  The product could be an argument, creating a policy, etc. Just keep in mind what type of product can students make to address the problem or situation, who is their audience, and what value does the final product have.

3. The task should be interdisciplinary so students see connections between the disciplines, math, and life.

4. In order to solve the task, students must collaborate because through collaboration and discussion, they increase their knowledge.  In addition, collaboration and discussion are skills needed in the modern work place.

5.  It helps if the task requires students to look for information to help solve the task.

I will probably try writing a few authentic tasks over the summer that meet these criteria.  I've come to the conclusion that not all found on the internet meet the criteria for authentic tasks and if they do, many of my students do not relate to them.

Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.