Article 2024

The case for scaling authentic learning across undergraduate and postgraduate research skills courses

Teaching in Higher Education
Journal · Vol. 29 · Issue 6 · pp. 1442-1459
Abstract

Authentic learning is gaining popularity in higher education, particularly for courses related to research skills, where authentic assessments can overcome trepidation from both students and faculty. Prior literature has demonstrated the potential value of authentic client-based projects (CBPs) in such settings. However, questions remain about how best to scale authentic learning across different student cohorts, including both undergraduate and postgraduate courses. This paper explores two case studies of authentic learning applied across undergraduate and postgraduate research courses. We explore the impact of different forms of authentic learning, ranging from in-class activities to fully authentic client-based projects, on both student satisfaction and success rates. The results suggest that client-based projects represent a trade-off between satisfaction and learning at the undergraduate level but can be highly successful at postgraduate level if implemented effectively. We provide practical tips for how faculty may scale authentic learning and assessments across undergraduate and postgraduate courses. © 2022 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Keywords

Author Keywords

Student success Authentic learning student satisfaction client-based projects

Index Keywords

Author Affiliations
Department of Management and Marketing, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC, Australia
Funding & Acknowledgements
No funding information
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