Authentic Tasks

  Today, I am looking at what makes a good authentic task.  Not every authentic task found on the internet are good.  I know many of the performance tasks are written to provide a single answer.

Authentic tasks allow teachers a way to make math relevant for the student by asking them to make real world decisions.

When looking at authentic tasks or trying to write one, it is best to remember there is a product involved because in real life an employee usually creates something and does not complete a worksheet.  The product might be something like someone in the government using census data to determine trends of growth or an environmental scientist who creates a policy paper.

When deciding if an authentic task is "real" apply the following guidelines:

1. It has a purpose and is engaging.  In other words, students have to see there is real value in the task.  They should want to do it.

2. Models how people solve real problems at work or in communities.  They should be designed to include negotiation, planning, action, reporting, evaluating and exploring of alternatives.

3. Has students apply their knowledge by drawing on skills and strategies from different areas of mathematics.

4. Allows students to demonstrate what they know and can do. Students should be able to contribute and they should be challenged.

5. Supports multiple representations and solutions.

6.  Offers opportunities for meaningful learning and allows students to use higher order thinking  strategies.  Students should be allowed an "aha" moment, be able to develop a number of problem solving strategies and skills, and allow for the construction and evaluation of conjectures, rules or generalizations.

7. Results in some product as a result of their deliberations.  At the end, they have a tangible result.

It is easy to find a variety of authentic tasks on the internet but not all of them are realistic or meet the above criteria.  Evaluate and determine if the task meets all of the criteria before assigning it.  I've found worksheets having students answer questions which fall under the category of error analysis not a proper task filled with interest.

Let me know what you think.  I love hearing feedback.