Abstract:

To seek improvements in the relevance of course activities to adult learner needs, the author has developed an online digital repository of authentic learning artifacts in his undergraduate online course (exploration of western classical music) as the first stage of an action research project for which subsequent user experience data collection will be performed.

Authentic learning in this context is based on the author's initial curriculum refinement in which traditional assessments (quizzes, essay assignments, etc.) based on the retention and recall of facts and concepts about music composers and compositions are augmented by a series of selected online sources for authentic artifacts (music scores, audio/video performances) that form the basis of discussion and project assignments in which learning is situated in authentic learning activities and assessments.

The author describes his review of research literature into situated and authentic learning and his research into learning style preferences of online learners as the basis for supporting online learners with audio and visual online presentation of authentic artifacts in the practice domain of music (composition and performance).

A description follows of how these research findings have been initially applied in the author’s online courses as the basis for subsequent action research focusing on usability of these techniques within an online learning environment.

The instructional techniques of this innovation are described in terms of how online teachers can search, select, encode, and annotate audio and video material in online courses across many subject areas within the context of legitimate re-use tactics and data repository use that conform to established conventions for public domain, licensed, and fair use of intellectual property.

The paper concludes with a proposal for subsequent user experience evaluation that is deemed appropriate to the early adoption stage of this e-learning innovation.

Keywords:

authentic learning, authentic assessment, situated learning, audio and video material, re-use, digital data repository, intellectual property, user experience.