Definition of Authentic Activities

Authentic activities are skills or tasks students practice in the classroom that are similar to those encountered in real-life situations (Ormrod, 2012).  The incorporation of real-life situations into the academic setting allows students an opportunity to navigate environments that are ill defined, complex, and representative of the world outside the classroom.  This type of experiential learning is necessary for the development of the student's skills to include problem-solving, collaboration, communication, and resourcefulness (Billings & Halstead, 2012).