Thick authenticity: New media and authentic learning

Shaffer, D. W., & Resnick, M. (1999). Thick authenticity: New media and authentic learning. Journal of Interactive Learning Research, 10(2), 195-215. http://epistemicgames.org/cv/papers/thickauthenticity99.pdf
Abstract:

The term “authentic” has become something of a buzzword in recent years when applied to educational interventions. It is applied loosely and inconsistently to a wide range of theoretical and practical work. This paper argues that the concept of authenticity should be analyzed more closely. An analysis of the literature on authentic education suggests that there are four identifiable “kinds” of authentic learning: (a) learning that is personally meaningful for the learner, (b) learning that relates to the real-world outside of school, (c) learning that provides an opportunity to think in the modes of a particular discipline, and (d) learning where the means of assessment reflect the learning process. Each of these kinds of authenticity, on its own, has contradictions and problems associated with it. The paper argues for a “thick” view of authenticity, which recognizes that the different “kinds” of authenticity presented in the literature are interdependent and mutually-supporting: we can not really achieve one without the other. The paper then analyzes how, because of their ability to support different aspects of authentic learning simultaneously, computational media are particularly well-suited to support thickly authentic learning. The idea of thick authenticity thus provides a potentially useful guide for educators trying to design computational learning environments.