CREATING AUTHENTIC LEARNING AND ASSESSMENT ENVIRONMENTS

The aim of this study is to investigate how the concept of “authentic learning” and “authentic assessment” is formed in the discourse of education executives. Authentic learning is based on the theory of social constructivism, according to which the social nature of knowledge is emphasized and the learner builds knowledge by creating meaningful authentic activities. Authentic assessment is described as a dynamic form of assessment which focuses on the skills developed by students during the learning process. The design of learning environments is based on the nine features of authentic learning, constructivism and the theory of embedded learning. In this study examples of authentic activities that support authentic learning environments are presented. In these activities a variety of authentic techniques are used and they are related to different subjects, such as Physics, Ancient Greek, Mathematics, Environmental studies, etc. The sample of the study consisted of 114 adults participating in a training program as a qualification for their professional development during the year 2018-2019. Quantitative analysis of the data was conducted. The analysis of the data revealed that an authentic learning environment consists of experientiality, interdisciplinarity, team work, problem solving, self-assessment, peer-assessment, real-world relevance, which are characteristics of authentic learning and assessment. Moreover, the implementation of authentic learning activities in different learning contexts can lead to the development of cognitive, metacognitive, social and communicative skills of the 21st century.