INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGY: "The travel agency" - authentic task

What is an authentic task ? ( compito autentico )

In general, an authentic task is one which:

• is purposeful and engaging
• models how people solve real problems in work and/or communities
• puts knowledge to work
• potentially demonstrates what students know and can do
• supports multiple representations and solution strategies
• offers opportunities for meaningful learning and higher order cognitive thinking
• results in some product, presentation or outcome as a result of the deliberations of the group and/or individual

In other words, it can be said that an authentic task

• is real-world and involves making real-world decisions
• involves the creation of a product
• requires multiple skills and covers more than one subject
• has to be performed collaboratively
• promotes students' autonomy
• develops multiple competencies
• arises from a non-googleable question

When constructing authentic tasks, the acronym GRASPS may help:

G    Real-world Goal

R    Real-world Role

A    Real-world Audience

S     Real-world Situation

P     Real-world Products or Performances

S     Standards

THE TRAVEL AGENCY  is an activity I did with my third year students, which worked well and is an example of authentic task.

STEP 1

Devising the task, using the GRASPS elements

The Travel Agency by dan_ro8970

STEP 2

Creating the webquest


STEP 3

Dividing the students into groups, giving instructions, setting a time limit ( 2 hours )

STEP 4

"Setting up" the travel agencies and performing the oral tasks ( a big thank you to Benedicta Pretorino, a real-world nice girl, who spent some days in our school, observing my flipped students while preparing her degree thesis )




STEP 5

Giving them positive feedback, for both effort and achievement.
Some students took their job so seriously they even produced an elegant brochure in order to convince Miss Pretorino ( and that was extra-non required work ).



FINAL REFLECTIONS

This task involved students in a productive use of technology, integrated more subjects
 ( english, ICT, geography ), gave students choices, promoted meaningful learning and assessed students' ability to operate in an authentic context.