Authenticity in Action - Comparing Student's Perceptions and Educators' Intentions
Abstract
Undergraduate students participating in a field course visited a multidisciplinary research site (Hyytiälä forestry station and SMEAR-II) and performed an open-ended inquiry assignment with the openly available data measured there. Their perceptions of authenticity were surveyed three times during the course and compared to the initial expectations set by the course organisers. The answers present a picture of high regard for many aspects usually connected with authentic education but also highlight a discrepancy between educator intentions and participant experiences. Clearest differences arose in aspects relating to location and reflection. For designers of educational activities and objectives, pin-pointing and analysing such misalignments can be useful in focusing future iterations to better serve their intended purpose.
