Cathie Greve

EDU 585
Through the years, many students have thought studying history or literature was boring. When asked
why these subjects are boring, many students state that history is just about memorizing dates and events
or they dont understand what a literary work means. These students clearly do not understand how
history and literature impact the making of a nation and its culture. For example, 239 years ago some
men fought an American war for independence from Great Britain to obtain liberty for all. The war was
not just waged on the battlefield, but also through persuasive speeches and writings. So why is
something that happened over two hundred years ago important today? As a result of that war, the
greatest nation in the history of the world, America, was born and citizens continue to enjoy the freedom
that was purchased then. Admittedly, knowing dates is not that exciting, but what if a student were to
learn that these men felt so strongly about freedom that they were willing to give up their fortunes and
even their lives for it? What if they actually understood the events that led up to this war so they could
safeguard America against future threats to freedom? What if what students learned in Government and
English class affected their everyday lives?
Learning of this type is called authentic intellectual work according to author Bruce King. King
researched the effectiveness of common standards used for teaching social studies and his research could
apply to teaching English as well. In the article Authentic Intellectual Work: Common Standards for
Teaching Social Studies, King proposes that students are so busy meeting teacher and state test
requirements that no meaningful learning is actually occurring. During student teaching, observation
was made that confirm Kings supposition. English and history can be taught in a fun and engaging way
that allow a student to understand and enjoy lessons that can be impactful on their lives. A student
sitting at a desk taking notes and memorizing curriculum content only uses approximately 3% of the

brains capacity and does not remember anything after the test, but many proponents of authentic
learning say it does not need to be that way (Revington, 2012). In English and history, there is much to
be learned from other societies as well as our own and students need to learn to critically think and apply
what they learn to their lives. This cannot be done with rote memorization.
Most jobs in our society require one to think outside the box, so to speak, and to use critical thinking
skills. Where are these skills learned? School is a good place to start! Authentic intellectual work is the
idea that knowledge can be taught in such a way that it is applicable to life. Bruce King states that
authentic intellectual work involves original application of knowledge and skills, rather than just
routine use of facts and procedures (King, Newmann, & Carmichael, 2009). This process has three
criteria. The process begins with a construction of knowledge. Constructing knowledge involves using
prior knowledge (or finding new relevant knowledge) to solve a new problem. The second criterion
involves disciplined inquiry. Learners should use a prior knowledge base, strive for in-depth
understanding and develop and express their findings through elaborated communication (King,
Newmann, & Carmichael, 2009). The process ends when the student produces a discourse or
performance through which they are able to communicate from a platform of relevance rather than just
spitting back facts. This discourse usually has value beyond the classroom as true intellectual
accomplishments have useful, personal value. When adults write letters, devise a budget, design a
building etc. they are communicating ideas that have had an impact on them or on others. In contrast,
many school assignments lack meaning to a student other than certifying success in school.
Authentic learning is not just a hands on approach to teaching. It is important to note that the
challenges should not just be interesting to students, they should involve particular intellectual
challenges that when successfully met would have meaning to students beyond complying with teachers'
requirements (King, Newmann, & Carmichael, 2009). An example of authentic learning would be a

short essay written by a twelfth grader justifying the US intervention in Kuwait. In the essay, it is clear
the student constructed knowledge and then had a disciplined inquiry into historical instances where
aggression was not stopped. He was able to produce a work that connected to an important policy of
today. A second example might involve students writing from the standpoint of a literary character. This
assignment is high on construction of knowledge and disciplined inquiry, but low on value beyond
school, however, not all criteria can or should be met in each assignment. How does one know if
authentic learning is taking place? Some signs to look for are students who are deliberately engaged,
have genuine curiosity or intense concentration and those who have excitement in their questioning
(Revington, 2012).
Research has shown that students who learn this way have a higher level of achievement then
students who are not required to do authentic intellectual work. These results have been consistent
across all grades as well as in other countries. Has this evidence transformed schools today? Not really,
but it could. Although learning standards are currently in place, they tend to emphasize subject matter.
Critical thinking is often talked about, but because teachers must cover volumes of subject matter for
end of grade tests, they often do not have time to challenge a child to think more in depth. So is it
important to make this concept a goal in schools? Rather than adding a new goal to the standards, this
idea should be used as a framework that insists . . . that whenever a school or teacher is involved in
teaching content or skills from an academic or applied discipline, serious effort should be devoted to
helping students produce authentic intellectual work (King, Newmann, & Carmichael, 2009). This
framework would also better prepare students for life in the workplace, citizenship, and be useful in their
personal lives. It is important to note that authentic learning does not mean disposing of traditional
teaching methods, but rather balancing them with the authentic intellectual process. Students would then
be more excited and engaged in the learning process. Unfortunately, many students automatically

assume a subject like history or English will be boring and teachers can inadvertently reinforce this
assumption. Doug Lemov says, A belief that content is boring is a self-fulfilling prophecy (Lemov,
2010). Teachers can make great inspiring lessons out of any topic and it is a teachers job to make what
they teach engaging. Students will respond when a teacher truly engages them.
A final aspect of authentic learning is the need to have high expectations for students. It is critical
to hold the expectations high, but also to accommodate those children with learning challenges. The
teacher should not lower expectations, for those with learning challenges, but rather accommodate their
needs. For example, a child may do better taking a test orally as opposed to writing it all down. Most
children with learning issues have a normal IQ they just process information differently and it is the job
of the teacher to make material accessible so students can connect to it (Lemov, 2010).
A students learning experience can be enriched by utilizing some, if not all, of the aspects of
authentic intellectual work. Many of these ideas could easily be worked into traditional teaching
methods and make a class so much more interesting to a student. The research is clear that students who
receive high levels of authentic instruction consistently achieve more than students who do not
regardless of race, gender or socioeconomic status. Is it possible making this concept a framework for
traditional teaching methods could change our classrooms for the better? Absolutely it is and should be
considered by every school district.

References
King, B, Newmann, F, & Carmichael, D. (2009). Authentic intellectual work: common standards for
teaching social studies. Social Education, 73, 43-50.
Lemov, D. (2010). Teach like a champion: 49 techniques that put students on the path to college (No
ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Revington, S. (2012, May 15). Authentic Learning. Retrieved August 9, 2014, from
http://authenticlearning.weebly.com/

Authentic Intellectual Learning

Cathie Greve
Salem College
August 10, 2014