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The Power and Promise of Authentic Learning in Higher Education: Critical Approaches and Practical Strategies

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A special issue of Education Sciences (ISSN 2227-7102).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2025) | Viewed by 9935

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Elisa Bone

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Guest Editor

Education Innovation Exchange, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
Interests: higher education; experiential learning; mobile learning; curriculum change; academic development

Dr. Hayley Bugeja

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Guest Editor

School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
Interests: student collaboration; assessment design; problem-solving skills; peer-evaluation online learning

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Authentic learning may be described as the activities and tasks that situate learning within contexts that are personally, professionally and socially relevant to students, connecting them to their discipline, interests, experiences and future careers. The potential benefits of authentic learning, including in terms of fostering engagement and belonging, and building the skills and knowledge relevant to real-world applications, are increasingly important to higher education institutions that aim to promote the workplace readiness of their graduates.

The successful completion of authentic learning and assessment tasks often requires deep and complex thinking and must be scaffolded across the curriculum to connect with the diverse needs of students. Increases in student numbers and diversity across institutions also creates challenges for traditional authentic learning opportunities such as practicals, field trips, internships and placements.

At the same time, the expansion of accessible software, databases, and educational technologies has broadened the potential to extend authentic learning opportunities to other delivery modes and contexts, offering powerful promise for collaborative learning across disciplinary, institutional and geographic boundaries.

In this Special Issue, we call for articles that present research work, opinion pieces and commentary examining the benefits, challenges and possibilities of building authentic learning opportunities in modern higher education contexts, including those that critically evaluate the concept of authentic learning itself and explore its meaning in the context of a rapidly changing world. We also encourage scholars from the Global South and other disadvantaged communities to share underrepresented voices in submissions to this open-access publication.

We welcome articles that align with the following themes:

Work-integrated learning and maintaining authenticity in a rapidly changing world;
Building authenticity into the curriculum at scale;
The utilisation of technologies to enhance authenticity in learning;
Authenticity and its relationships with student motivation, engagement and belonging;
Field-based and practical learning in modern higher education;
Authentic assessment and assessing authenticity—definitions, utility, and challenges in implementation;
Partnering across disciplines and externally to build authentic learning opportunities.

Dr. Elisa Bone
Dr. Hayley Bugeja
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Education Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

work-integrated learning
problem-based learning
authentic assessment
technology-enhanced authentic learning
interdisciplinary partnerships
situated learning
curriculum development

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Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 1127 KB

Open AccessArticle

Developing Peer-to-Peer Feedback Literacy Through Authentic, Situated Learning Experiences

by Peter Carew, Jocelyn Phillips, Carolyn Cracknell, Selwyn Prea, Debra Virtue, Christine Nearchou and Tandy Hastings-Ison

Educ. Sci. 2026, 16(4), 521; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci16040521 - 27 Mar 2026

Viewed by 360

Abstract

Authentic, situated learning experiences which mirror the collaborative nature of healthcare practice are essential in preparing students for their future professions. Feedback literacy may be thought of as the understanding, capacity, and disposition needed to make sense of information and use it to enhance work or learning strategies. This study explored how feedback literacy can be developed through situated, interprofessional peer-to-peer feedback within a community-based paediatric health screening programme. Using an exploratory Action Research qualitative design, the planning activities stage explored current practice, gathering student insights via interviews, reflections, and a workshop to co-design an Interprofessional Feedback Conversation Guide (IPFCG). The IPFCG was piloted, integrating structured feedback tools and protected time for peer exchange, within the community screening activity. Feedback regarding use of the IPFCG contributed to the gathering data stage, which was followed by the evaluation and reflection stage. Evaluation revealed four key themes: value, engagement, optimising relationships, and structuring conversations. Students valued receiving feedback from peers outside their discipline, actively engaged with the process, emphasised the importance of building rapport, and utilised structured dialogue. These findings highlight how authentic, field-based learning can foster feedback literacy, enhancing the development of professional identity. The interprofessional nature of the program reflects the complexity of modern healthcare and demonstrates how curriculum-integrated models of authentic learning can enhance student engagement and workplace readiness. This study contributes to the evolving conversation about embedding authenticity in higher education and offers a practical model for building collaborative communication within situated learning experiences at scale. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Power and Promise of Authentic Learning in Higher Education: Critical Approaches and Practical Strategies)

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14 pages, 1452 KB

Open AccessArticle

Embedding Authentic Learning: A Case Study in Curriculum Transformation

by Emily Wright, Simone Taffe, Sandra Luxton and Nicki Wragg

Educ. Sci. 2026, 16(3), 392; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci16030392 - 4 Mar 2026

Viewed by 541

Abstract

Authentic learning is widely recognised as critical for graduate employability, yet embedding it across curricula presents challenges, including resourcing, time for redevelopment, and managing large-scale cultural change. Scalable approaches require pilot studies to explore how authentic learning principles can be implemented and scaffolded effectively. This paper presents a case study of an Australian university’s co-created ‘Authentic Learning Blueprint’, designed to embed industry/community engaged learning throughout the learner’s experience. Phase one involved a team of educators, drawing on insights from learners, and employer feedback to co-develop the Blueprint. The Blueprint allows learners to progress through scaffolded stages, Novice, Associate, and Emerging Practitioner, gaining discipline-specific and industry-ready skills through real-world project briefs and work-integrated learning experiences. The Blueprint distributes teaching and learning responsibilities across learners, educators, and industry/community in a three-way partnership model. Learning experiences were designed to reflect knowledge and skills relevant to professional practice. In phase two, the proof-of-concept was applied to two design units, one undergraduate and one postgraduate, and we tested acceptance and scalability, with positive student feedback. Phase three showcases how the Blueprint then informed curriculum redesign within the design school’s flagship course, including trials of ungraded assessment to further support authentic learning. The findings demonstrate that a co-created, scaffolded approach integrating industry-engaged experiences from enrolment to graduation can bridge the gap between academia and professional practice. This study contributes a practical framework for embedding authentic learning at scale, offering insights for institutions seeking to enhance employability through curriculum innovation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Power and Promise of Authentic Learning in Higher Education: Critical Approaches and Practical Strategies)

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24 pages, 10955 KB

Open AccessArticle

Recruitment Rush: A Boardgame to Teach Students About Recruiting Participants for a User Experience Study

by Melissa J. Rogerson, Benjamin McKenzie and Elisa K. Bone

Educ. Sci. 2026, 16(2), 282; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci16020282 - 10 Feb 2026

Viewed by 549

Abstract

Authentic student projects in higher education reflect plausible real-world scenarios, connecting the curriculum to students’ future careers. In Human–Computer Interaction, this is realised through focus on real-world design and evaluation problems, which offer similar challenges to those found in industry settings. A limitation, however, is seen in the teaching of participant recruitment, with students typically choosing convenience samples of friends and family as their research participants rather than developing a balanced and budget-conscious recruitment strategy. This paper presents Recruitment Rush, a boardgame designed specifically to meet this challenge, presenting a meaningful real-world recruitment scenario that can be played in under an hour to stimulate understanding of how to recruit participants for a study. Evaluation of the game with 95 students and academics shows that the game is engaging and invites conversation and reflection on the nature of participant recruitment even beyond the direct HCI context. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Power and Promise of Authentic Learning in Higher Education: Critical Approaches and Practical Strategies)

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21 pages, 573 KB

Open AccessArticle

Ai-RACE as a Framework for Writing Assignment Design in Higher Education

by Amira El-Soussi and Dima Yousef

Educ. Sci. 2026, 16(1), 119; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci16010119 - 13 Jan 2026

Viewed by 1139

Abstract

Higher education continues to encounter the challenge of redesigning writing pedagogy beyond the rapid adoption of emerging technologies. This challenge is particularly evident in English writing courses, which play a role in developing students’ writing and research skills in universities across the United Arab Emirates (UAE). While generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools offer practical affordances for writing instruction, their growing use has also raised concerns about academic integrity, authenticity, and critical engagement. Although early discourse has focused on the risks and potential of GenAI, there remains a clear dearth of frameworks to guide instructors in designing meaningful and engaging writing assignments. This paper introduces Ai-RACE, an adaptable pedagogical framework for designing purposeful and innovative writing tasks. Grounded in classroom-based insights, principles of writing pedagogy, constructivist and multimodal learning theories, Ai-RACE conceptualises assignment design around five interconnected components: AI integration, Relevance, Authenticity, the 4Cs, and Engagement. Employing a design-focused qualitative approach, the study uses instructional practices and student reflections to examine the implementation of Ai-RACE in writing contexts. Although situated within a specific institutional context, the study offers transferable guidelines for designing writing assignments across international higher education settings. By positioning Ai-RACE as a design heuristic, the study demonstrates its potential in supporting engagement, critical thinking, writing skills and ethical use of AI, and highlights the importance of rethinking writing pedagogy and the professional development in AI- influenced contexts. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Power and Promise of Authentic Learning in Higher Education: Critical Approaches and Practical Strategies)

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15 pages, 1276 KB

Open AccessArticle

Harness a Simple Design to Make Authentic Learning Moments Visible: A Design-Based Research Study in Clinical Reasoning

by Kelly Galvin and Louise Townsin

Educ. Sci. 2025, 15(12), 1679; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15121679 - 12 Dec 2025

Viewed by 572

Abstract

There is a growing demand for digital innovation to facilitate authentic communication during the learning experience at Australian Universities. Student’s communication is considered ‘authentic’ in various ways, from using discipline-specific professional language to expressing personal values through honest self-reflection. Enhancing authentic rational decision-making during social learning online is one priority area now available for students developing clinical reasoning skills. Using a Design-based Research (DBR) methodological framework, 34 students, 26 educators, and 5 learning designers from Torrens University Australia provided iterative feedback on the development and implementation of a simple digital decision wheel tool, aimed at supporting independent and collaborative decision-making. Three DBR phases were implemented, encompassing an initial pilot and development stage with 3 subjects, and two subsequent phases with an additional 17 subjects that were incorporated using a decision wheel tool for independent and problem-based learning. Data were generated through 44 semi-structured interviews and 20 focus groups across twenty undergraduate subjects delivered in various learning modes across five 12-week DBR action cycles. Reflexive thematic analysis and bounded rationality theory guided analysis. Outputs reveal that a simple digital tool contributed positively to making authentic learning moments visible and promoted inclusive and formative dialogue. Benefits included development of psychological authenticity when preparing to make authentic industry decisions. The initiative aligns with broader educational goals for resourcing and developing tools to scaffold a ‘critical pause’ before articulating authentic thinking when engaging with humans and machines. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Power and Promise of Authentic Learning in Higher Education: Critical Approaches and Practical Strategies)

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17 pages, 296 KB

Open AccessArticle

Beyond Detection: Redesigning Authentic Assessment in an AI-Mediated World

by Steven Kickbusch, Kevin Ashford-Rowe, Andrew Kemp, Jennifer Boreland and Henk Huijser

Educ. Sci. 2025, 15(11), 1537; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15111537 - 14 Nov 2025

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 4022

Abstract

The rapid uptake of generative AI (e.g., ChatGPT, DALL·E and MS Copilot) is disrupting conventional notions of authenticity in assessment across higher education. The dominant response, surveillance and AI detection, misdiagnoses the problem. In an AI-mediated world, authenticity cannot be policed into existence; it must be redesigned. Situating AI within contemporary knowledge work shaped by digitisation, collaboration and evolving ethical expectations, we reconceptualise authenticity as something constructed in contexts where AI is expected, declared and scrutinised. The emphasis shifts from what students know to how they apply knowledge, make judgement, and justify choices with AI in the loop. We offer practical design for learning moves, i.e., discipline-agnostic learning design patterns that position AI as a collaborator rather than a cheating application: tasks that require students to critique, adapt and verify AI outputs, provide explicit process transparency (prompts, iterations, rationale) and exercise assessable demonstrations of digital discernment and ethical judgement. Examples include asking business students to interrogate a chatbot-generated market analysis and inviting pre-service teachers to evaluate AI-produced lesson plans for inclusivity and pedagogical soundness. Reflective artefacts such as metacognitive commentary, process logs, and oral defences make students’ thinking visible, substantiate attribute, and reduce reliance on punitive “gotcha” approaches. Our contribution is twofold: i. a conceptual account of authenticity fit for an AI-mediated world, and ii. a set of actionable, discipline-agnostic patterns that can be tailored to local contexts. The result is an integrity stance anchored in design rather than detection, enabling assessment that remains meaningful, ethical and intellectually demanding in the presence of AI, while advancing a broader shift toward assessment paradigms that reflect real-world professionalism. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Power and Promise of Authentic Learning in Higher Education: Critical Approaches and Practical Strategies)

Other

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15 pages, 244 KB

Open AccessOpinion

Do Synoptic Assessments Lead to Authentic Learning? A Critical Perspective on Integration and Intentionality in Higher Education Assessment Design

by David Tree and Nicholas Worsfold

Educ. Sci. 2026, 16(2), 187; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci16020187 - 26 Jan 2026

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 404

Abstract

Synoptic assessment has gained prominence in higher education as a way to bridge fragmented curricula by enabling students to synthesize knowledge across modules. However, structural integration through assessment does not automatically produce authentic learning. Drawing on theoretical analysis and three reflective case studies from UK undergraduate programmes, this paper offers a critical practitioner perspective on how synoptic assessment and authentic learning intersect in practice. We argue that integration and authenticity represent distinct pedagogical imperatives that require deliberate alignment. Through comparative analysis of successful, partially successful, and unsuccessful implementations of assessment strategies, we demonstrate that authentic learning emerges not from integration per se, but from intentional design embedding real-world relevance, developmental scaffolding, clear purpose, and student agency. Our case studies reveal that without such intentionality, synoptic assessments risk becoming structurally coherent but pedagogically hollow exercises that fail to engage students meaningfully. Key challenges include inconsistent staff understanding, inadequate contextual framing, and insufficient attention to progressive capability development. We propose practical design principles grounded in practitioner experience: embedding authenticity through professional relevance, scaffolding complexity appropriately, enabling open-ended student responses, and establishing strong programme-level leadership with authority over assessment strategy. The core contribution of the paper is to articulate these design principles for embedding authenticity within synoptic assessment at programme level, particularly in increasingly modularised and flexible curricula, such as those designed to enable lifelong learning. By positioning integration as necessary but insufficient for authentic learning, we advance critical understanding of assessment reform and address emerging tensions between programme coherence and increasingly modularized curricula serving diverse learner pathways. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Power and Promise of Authentic Learning in Higher Education: Critical Approaches and Practical Strategies)

12 pages, 239 KB

Open AccessCommentary

Enhancing Authentic Learning in Simulation-Based Education Through Electronic Medical Record Integration: A Practice-Based Commentary

by Sean Jolly, Adam Montagu, Luke Vater and Ellen Davies

Educ. Sci. 2026, 16(1), 132; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci16010132 - 15 Jan 2026

Viewed by 735

Abstract

As new technologies, such as electronic medical records (EMRs), are introduced into healthcare services, we need to consider how they may be incorporated into simulated environments, so as to maintain and enhance authenticity and learning opportunities. While EMRs have revolutionised clinical practice, many education settings continue to rely on paper-based documentation in simulation, creating a widening gap between educational environments and real-world clinical workflows. This disconnect limits learners’ ability to engage authentically with the tools and resources that underpin contemporary healthcare, impeding the transfer of knowledge to the clinical environment. This practice-based commentary draws on institutional experience from a large, multi-disciplinary simulation-based education facility that explored approaches to integrating EMRs into simulation-based education. It describes the decision points and efforts made to integrate an EMR into simulation-based education and concludes that while genuine EMR systems increase fidelity, their technical rigidity and data governance constraints reduce authenticity. To overcome this, Adelaide Health Simulation adopted an academic EMR (AEMR), a purpose-built digital platform designed for education. The AEMR maintains the functional realism of clinical systems while offering the pedagogical flexibility required to control data, timelines, and learner interactions. Drawing on this experience, this commentary highlights how authenticity in simulation-based education is best achieved not through technological replication alone, but through deliberate use of technologies that align with clinical realities while supporting flexible, learner-centred design. Purpose-built AEMRs exemplify how digital tools can enhance both fidelity and authenticity, fostering higher-order thinking, clinical reasoning, and digital fluency essential for safe and effective contemporary healthcare practice. Here, we argue that advancing simulation-based education in parallel with health service innovations is required if we want to adequately prepare learners for contemporary clinical practice. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Power and Promise of Authentic Learning in Higher Education: Critical Approaches and Practical Strategies)

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