Designing Authentic Learning to Meet the Challenges of Digital Natives in First-Year Program: An Action Research in Chinese University

Successful students' transitions from high school to institutions of higher education is one of the most widely studied areas. Nowadays, the proliferation of wireless network and mobile devices in higher education, especial in classroom, creates new learning opportunities and educational challenges. This paper employed an action research focusing on designing effective teaching and authentic learning in the technology-rich classroom. It aims to meet the challenges of digital natives in the first year program. A study of one cohort of students was conducted over a period of four months. It indicated that the effective teaching and authentic learning would help the students adjust the college life faster, and develop the good learning habits.