EDUC 5313 Week 2: Authentic Intellectual Work

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Image source: AIW Institute, The Framework page.


In today’s post, I’d like to look at Authentic Intellectual Work (AIW). First, let me discuss my views of what Authentic Intellectual Work is and how it differs from traditional approaches to instruction and assessment. In my own words, I believe that Authentic Intellectual Work is when the instruction and assessment has the student apply what they have learned and not just regurgitate facts. With traditional approaches, teachers (myself being guilty of this) will present the information to the students, and then the students are expected to basically mimic the lesson. Authentic Intellectual Work provides students with the opportunity to understand why the information is important and how they can apply it in situations outside of the classroom. 

There are three components of Authentic Intellectual Work. These are: construction of knowledge, disciplined inquiry, and value beyond school. “According to the AIW framework, the merit of any practice or technique, whether conventional or innovative, should be judged on the extent to which its use includes intellectual demands consistent with the production of authentic intellectual work” (Newmann, King, & Carmichael, 2007, p.15). For me, as a previous math teacher, I think the value beyond school is very important, but not every math topic in pre-algebra will extend to a student's needing it once they graduate. I mean, how often do you use the quadratic equation in daily life? Do you even remember what it is? So, as Newmann, King, and Carmichael (2007) point out, “judgments about the extent to which intellectual work is 'authentic' should be made on a continuum, from less to more, depending on how fully all three criteria are met” (p. 6).

A specific example of Authentic Intellectual Work in math would be percentages. There are so many ties to value beyond school. Giving students a budget, having students look at restaurant menus and pick a meal, calculate tax and tip, and then write out if they could afford it or not, could be made into Authentic Intellectual Work. The teacher would provide the guidance (giving each student a different amount of money they could spend and providing the tax rate), but students would choose the restaurant, what they wanted to eat, and an explanation of affordability. For example, a student might determine that if they only leave a 5% tip, they could still pay, but then they would need to discuss if that would be the proper thing to do in that situation. As an additional activity, the teacher could request that the student calculate the tip the next time they go to the restaurant with their family and to bring in a copy (picture would be fine) of the receipt along with an explanation of how they calculated the tip.

In 2024, the National Education Technology Plan (NETP) was updated. Universal Design for Learning and the Digital Use Divide are two key components. Though there is no direct connection to Authentic Intellectual Work, the opportunity is there to do both. In the NETP (2024), it states, “Universal Design for Learning (UDL) aims to make learning accessible and effective for all students by reducing barriers and supporting learner variability” (p. 22). In the example above about percentages, a teacher could easily reduce barriers by providing the class time to research the restaurants. She could also ask the students to tell her their favorite restaurants and then provide printed menus. 

I would be remiss if I didn’t also discuss the connection between Authentic Intellectual Work and Kolb’s Triple E Framework (Kolb, 2011). Both focus on creating meaningful learning experiences that teach students skills they can use beyond the classroom. The AIW has its three components mentioned above. The Triple E also has three components (hence the name) with an emphasis on how technology can engage, enhance, and extend learning. Both have the goal of active participation by the students rather than just having information shared with them. 

In the math example I shared earlier, the lesson on percentages connects directly to all three es. Engagement happens when students are motivated by a task that feels real and relevant - choosing a restaurant and calculating tax and tip for a meal they would actually order gives the activity purpose. Enhancement happens when the students are using technology to research the menus or using the physical copies that they would see if they were actually in the restaurant. The extension happens because students can actually take this beyond the classroom and it is a meaningful skill they will use on a regular basis. 

In the end, combining AIW with frameworks like Triple E and UDL helps students see why learning matters and how it connects to real life.


References

AIW Institute. (n.d.). The framework. https://aiwinstitute.org/learn-more/the-framework

Kolb, L. (2011). Triple E Framework. University of Michigan, School of Education.

Newmann, F. M., King, M. B., & Carmichael, D. L. (2007). Authentic instruction and assessment: Common standards for rigor and relevance in teaching academic subjects. State of Iowa Department of Education. https://vdoc.pub/documents/authentic-instruction-and-assessment-728sj1u45440

Office of Educational Technology. (2024). A call to action for closing the digital access, design, and use divides: 2024 National Educational Technology Plan. U.S. Department of Education. https://tech.ed.gov/netp/


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