Authentic Experiences Research Articles

‘It’s one of your main things in life like’: how children’s conceptualisations of play can inform educational practice

ABSTRACT Play is fundamental to childhood yet difficult to define, with the views of the players themselves often overlooked. Sixty-eight children (aged 4 to 13 years) were interviewed across two primary schools in the Republic of Ireland to gain a child-centred understanding of play. Reflexive thematic analysis generated thirteen themes: (1) fun; (2) social; (3) creative and imaginative; (4) physically active; (5) context-dependent; (6) a fundamental childhood experience; (7) happiness and pleasure; (8) toys and materials; (9) games; (10) autonomy and agency; (11) outdoors and nature; (12) competition and challenge; and (13) adult involvement. Implications for education include the need to use children’s conceptualisations of play to create authentic play experiences.

Creating group work-integrated learning experiences for non-clinical health degrees: A practitioner reflection

Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) experiences, integral for equipping students with the skills and knowledge crucial for employment and success in their chosen careers, have traditionally been associated with accreditation requirements in professional programs. More recently, acknowledging the importance of WIL experiences in non-professional programs has grown. In this reflective paper, the experiences of the practitioner tasked with developing a new WIL capstone course for students in Health and Biomedical Science degrees are described. Grounded in social exchange theory, where interactions are viewed as exchanges aimed at maximising rewards while minimising costs, the intent was for student groups to engage with a range of authentic project experiences offered by industry, community, and academic staff (the WIL partners). Critical elements were the active involvement of a diverse array of partners and the importance of relationship building for the long-term sustainability of the project experiences. I discuss and reflect on the specific strategies employed to engage the WIL partners, inspiring them to collaborate and develop meaningful projects suitable for students pursuing various career paths. Additionally, I reflect on the invaluable experiences and feedback provided by our partners.

A longitudinal study of interprofessional education experiences among health professional graduates.

Effective teamwork and collaboration among health professionals is a well-recognized strategy toward enhancing patient outcomes. However, there is a lack of understanding on how to best prepare health professionals for collaborative practice. The aim of this research is to gain a better understanding of how graduates of five health professions (dentistry, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, physiotherapy) perceive and experience interprofessional education for collaborative practice (IPECP) throughout their health professions journey, with a focus on transition to practice. This longitudinal study employed an interpretive, narrative methodology to understand interprofessional identity development of 24 individuals who had recently graduated from a health professions program (dentistry, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, physiotherapy) at a Canadian university. Participant experiences were analyzed using narrative analysis. Participants' narratives provided insight into the context, factors and curricular experiences needed for interprofessional identity development and preparedness for collaborative practice. Participants identified the importance of socialization and connection with others, collaborative role models and exposure to collaborative experiences and settings for interprofessional practice. Participants expressed some dissatisfaction with their earliest IPECP experiences and most valued their exposure to 'real-life' practice examples and clinical scenarios. Participants desired more authentic experiences of interprofessional collaboration during their programs. Improving health professionals' interprofessional socialization and collaborative experiences within IPECP is critical to improving patient outcomes. Study findings can inform future curricula and IPECP strategies that create conditions to enhance collaborative practice and ensure the preparedness of a future health workforce with a strong collaborative identity.

Digital Dreams and Dubious Dollars: The Challenge of Immersive Van Gogh

The purpose of this study is to discuss the popularity, questions, and controversies surrounding art-themed digital immersive exhibitions based on the life and paintings of Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890). Since 2019, art-themed immersive exhibits have become extremely popular, with attendance that outstrips many museums showing the same artists, spawning controversy and challenging the fine art world. This study examines the rise of immersive art experiences, arguments for and against immersive spectacles as a way of experiencing artwork, and theoretical perspectives. Methodologies include research into historical, cultural, and commercial contexts including reviews, analyses, critiques, and participant observation. The study discusses components of the exhibition and presents specific arguments for and against them by producers, art critics, critical theorists, and spectators. Questions considered include: Are these exhibitions offering authentic art experiences, or are they exploiting great art for profit? Are they making art more accessible, or are they leading people away from seeing original paintings? Is the way people relate to art fundamentally changing in the age of social media, and if so, how will museums adjust? This study is novel in that it presents and evaluates diverging viewpoints on these controversies and proposes a more flexible approach that centers participant experiences over marketing claims and critical objections.

Critical factors for the success of historic food markets: insights from Bolhão market, Portugal

ABSTRACT Historic food markets (HFM) have become prominent attractions, offering visitors a unique blend of local culture, social interaction, traditional foods, and authentic experiences. Recognised as important to both tourism and community life, HFM are now integrated into urban development strategies worldwide. Despite their importance, there is a notable lack of research on HFM. This study addresses this gap by analysing the specific HFM elements influencing visitor satisfaction and revisit intentions at Bolhão Market, a historic landmark in Porto, Portugal, which reopened in 2022 after extensive rehabilitation. Surveying 371 visitors, we used PLS-SEM to examine various dimensions of the market, including some previously unexplored in the literature. Multigroup analysis identified differences between first-time and repeat visitors. Results reveal that product perception is the strongest determinant of visitor satisfaction, followed by the market’s physical environment, authenticity, and aesthetics. Price and events do not influence satisfaction or revisit intention, suggesting the unique market experience outweighs these factors. First-time visitors prioritise the physical environment, while repeat visitors value aesthetics more. This study not only provides the most comprehensive analysis to date of the subject, but it also fills a significant research gap and provides actionable insights for managers and policymakers.

Authentic perception experience of tourists in traditional agricultural cultural heritage village: Scale development and validation

Authentic perception experience of tourists in traditional agricultural cultural heritage village: Scale development and validation

An Authentic Learning Experience for Medical Students on Conducting a Family Meeting

An Authentic Learning Experience for Medical Students on Conducting a Family Meeting

Anatomy of the economic value generated by a cultural event

The article measures the economic effects of decisions made by two agents in the cultural and creative sector. Managers of a cultural event decide to produce it: it mobilizes a flow of artists and creatives who materialize their creations. Individuals decide to visit it: it mobilizes a flow of individuals who produce experiences by attending the event. The result is revealed by the economic dimension of the value generated by a cultural event: new income and jobs for the host territory of the event and unique and authentic cultural experiences for those attending the event. The empirical literature has drawn attention to the need for more precise measures of economic value, in particular that do not overestimate. A combination of instruments is used: interviews (n = 6) with event managers/organizers; a face-to-face survey (n = 173) with representatives of commercial stalls; a face-to-face survey of attendees (n = 1,030); and, an input–output model is adapted to the area of impact. The article provides a methodologically useful framework for identifying and estimating more reliable measures of the material (economic) value created by a cultural event, which can be replicated in a variety of events around the world.

“Powered by emotions”: Exploring emotion induction in out‐of‐school authentic science learning

AbstractThis study explored the impact of authentic out‐of‐school learning on students' beliefs about their science learning efficacy and career aspirations. The learning activity, designed following an authentic learning framework, was led by research scientists. We examined how students' emotions, induced in an authentic scientific activity, mediated the connection between the perceived authenticity and the self‐efficacy/aspiration beliefs. Data were gathered from 177 secondary science students participating in an out‐of‐school activity using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Three questionnaires were applied: (1) Perceived authenticity (Post, 7 items, Likert scale); (2) Semantic differential emotion questionnaire (SDEQ) (Pre‐Post, 5 items); and (3) Beliefs questionnaire in two parts: Self‐efficacy and science aspirations (pre‐post, 7 + 5 items, Likert scale). The collected data were integrated into quantitative models of affect with authenticity as an independent variable, the differences in the pre‐post belief structures as the dependent variable, and the emotions as mediators. Multiple regression analyses were performed to develop the models by evaluating the size and significance of the relationships between the variables. The results indicated the perceived authenticity significantly predicted both self‐efficacy and the career aspiration pre‐post differences. However, emotions behaved as a mediating variable only for self‐efficacy growth. An additional model evaluated the connection between students' emotions learning science in school and their experience of authenticity and emotions in the out‐of‐school activity. The study contributes to the literature by revealing underlying affective mechanisms related to out‐of‐school authentic science activities and suggesting theoretical and empirical justifications.

Reflection on the Application of Virtual Reality in Tourism Education

With the widespread application of virtual reality (VR) technology in tourism education, educators must critically reflect on the ethical issues it raises. This paper analyzes the implementation of VR in tourism education and explores its impact on students' authentic learning experiences. The study examines the practical effects of virtual learning in teaching, offering advanced case studies of VR education and addressing the challenges encountered during its use. Findings suggest that the application of VR in education must prioritize the process-based experience of learners, emphasizing the importance of preserving students' opportunities to engage with educational reality. The study advocates for maintaining the humanistic care found in traditional teaching while reconfiguring new pedagogical practices in integrating technology and education.

A Retrospective Study of Sexual Minority Women’s Gendered Sexuality: Butch and Femme Sex at the Turn of the 21st Century

This study is a retrospective examination of how sexual minority women have experienced their sexuality. The analysis examined a national archival dataset that was collected online in the US and Canada to examine the relationship between gender and sexuality in 1084 sexual minority women in 2003, with a focus on butch and femme identities. It provided an understanding of how gender and sexuality interacted at the turn of the last century when the gender identity landscape differed from that of today. While this study collected data from butch and femme women approximately 20-years ago, the results have implications for how we develop situated understandings of the relationship between gender and sexuality. Findings indicated gendered patterns in sexual preferences and attraction that can shed light on how gender and sexuality have evolved in connection. At the same time, there were no differences in sexual satisfaction, which suggests that the enactment of gendered sexuality (in which attraction is structured by a gender dynamic) was experienced as empowering rather than oppressive. We examine our findings in relation to current scholarship on gendered sexuality to consider how sexuality is constructed and reconstructed across time. The findings support a view of gendered sexuality as a source of pleasure, affirmation, and positive embodiment. We theorize gendered sexuality as functioning to enhance experiences of authenticity and resist heteronormativity. The study holds implications for research on the interaction of gender and sexuality.

Electronic word-of-mouth intentions in personal and public networks: a domestic tourist perspective

This research investigated the determinants of electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) sharing intentions in personal and public online networks among domestic tourists. Using a quantitative research design, this study surveyed domestic tourists visiting five major tourist destinations in India. Six hundred thirty valid responses were subjected to principal component analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and structural equation modeling to examine the relationships among destination attributes, tourists’ psychological processes, and their intentions to engage in eWOM. The findings show that destination inhabitants’ friendliness and the natural beauty of the destination influence tourists’ overall destination experience. The overall destination experience and personal pleasure from vacations impact eWOM sharing with friends and family (personal networks) and with strangers (public networks). The results also indicate that the overall destination experience mediates the relationship between destination attributes (destination inhabitants’ friendliness and the natural beauty of the destination) and online sharing intent with friends and family. The overall destination experience also mediates the path between personal pleasure from vacations and eWOM sharing intent in personal networks. For tourism developers and destination managers, this study underscores the importance of enhancing the natural appeal of destinations and fostering positive interactions between tourists and locals. It also suggests creating authentic experiences at the destination so that tourists with high involvement generate eWOM about the destination.

Bildung, hermeneutics, divergence: learning in the dystopian university

Abstract In this article, I offer an account of the 2014 dystopian-fiction film Divergent, based on the novel by Veronica Roth. The film tells the story of Beatrice, a young woman living in a postapocalyptic Chicago, and her process of enrolment into the higher education system. I argue that Beatrice’s troubled story can help us to uncover the high tension between today’s university’s self-alienating mechanisms and the thirst for Bildung. I suggest that the notion of ‘divergence’ can help to develop an account of Bildung in an innovative direction. ‘Divergence’ is a term used in the film to define individuals—like Beatrice—who cannot fit into the categories established by the government to sort students into appropriate educational pathways. I link the notion of ‘divergence’ to an interpretation of Gadamer’s account of Bildung. First, I draw on Gadamer’s thinking to suggest the metaphor of the university as a ‘crossroads’ and outline the idea of the risks and possibilities that are attached to authentic learning experience. Then I explore the self-alienating mechanisms that Gadamer saw at work within the postindustrial structure of the university. In conclusion, I develop Gadamer’s notion of self-education along the lines of the idea of divergence. While some argue that the university can still be a place for human encounter and gathering, I aim to show that, without divergence, it remains a site of displacement, or a dystopia.

Enhancing the community of inquiry in online courses: Making the case for blogs

The purpose of this article is to advocate for blogs as a method of building social presence, to present options for administering blog assignments, to provide feedback from students who completed blog assignments, and to contrast the practice of teaching with blogs to teaching with the frequently utilized discussion boards. Blogs create community, encourage dialogue, and inspire metacognitive processes leading to an authentic learning experience. Blogs can be effective and efficient tools for activities such as class bios/introductions, case studies, class reflections, or student assignment feedback, whereas discussion boards can be more effective in instances that necessitate genuine two-way dialogue such as asking for instructor assistance. Additionally, guidance for obtaining student satisfaction with using blogs in class is presented.

Diversity and Inclusion Through Collaboration: Co-Producing a Simulation Curriculum to Address Discrimination Against Trainees.

Discrimination toward trainees is a pervasive problem, with surveys showing it is often perpetrated by patients. For several years, residents and faculty in an internal medicine residency have participated in a workshop offering a framework for responding to discriminatory behavior by patients. As part of a larger effort to reinforce this teaching and promote an inclusive environment, the authors pursued a multi-pronged simulation curriculum that could be incorporated into graduate medical education programs across their institution. First, the authors conducted trainee and faculty focus groups to better understand their experiences. Qualitative data was collected, including recommendations for responding to discrimination, characteristics of the most common experiences, and trainees' own ideas for worthwhile simulation scenarios. Trainees and faculty were then brought together in a collaborative process to co-develop simulation cases that were later implemented in curricula across multiple learner levels, specialties, and contexts. Participants in these simulations reported improved comfort in responding to discrimination in the moment and/or in the wake of such incidents. Through trainee-faculty collaboration, the project yielded authentic and impactful simulation experiences for learners, while also giving trainees an opportunity to turn previous trauma into constructive learning opportunities that promote an inclusive environment.

Going farther, together: completing literacy professional development as peers

PurposeIn the Fall of 2019, Marietta College and Marietta City Schools, in Marietta, Ohio, piloted a program to improve literacy knowledge and pedagogy through completing LETRS training, a two-year literacy professional development based on the science of reading, as peers.Design/methodology/approachThis project was aligned to effective professional development research that states better trainings are content-specific, allow support and collaboration and are ongoing throughout the school year (Blank and de las Alas, 2009; Darling-Hammond, Hyler, and Gardener, 2017) and respect participants work/life schedules (Bigsby and Firestone, 2017).FindingsSome benefits of this collaboration were that teachers, college faculty and teacher candidates were able to communicate more effectively about literacy because we all had shared background knowledge and spoke the same language when it came to literacy. We were also able to make more meaningful clinical experiences for our teacher candidates because we created a stronger connection between the knowledge and pedagogy taught in students’ literacy courses and the practices they saw in real classrooms. Inservice teachers saw the college faculty and teacher candidates as strong partners, which greatly strengthened our clinical preparation.Practical implicationsThe paper includes implications for the development of stronger partnerships between teacher preparation program faculty and school partnership faculty and more authentic and meaningful clinical experiences for teacher candidates.Originality/valueThis project shows how meaningful partnerships and clinical experiences can be created when partnership faculty are seen as peers.

The Influence of Guest Perception in the Selection of Air Bed and Breakfast in Nakuru County

This study was conducted to investigate the influence of guest perception in the selection of Airbnb in Nakuru County, Kenya. This study was anchored on expectancy disconfirmation theory. The study employed a cross-sectional descriptive research design and adopted purposive random sampling to gather data from a sample size and use of 104 respondents, from the questionnaires that were found valid. These respondents were the people who frequently patronize Airbnb. According to the study results, there is a linear relationship between guest perception and choice of Airbnb and it was examined using the regression analysis. The model indicated that guest perception could explain about 38.4 % of the variance in the choice of Airbnb. The correlation results showed that there is the existence of a statistically linear positive relationship between guest perception and choice of Airbnb (r=0.239, p=<0.05). This implies that a significant majority of the respondents were influenced by guest perception to select Airbnb, authentic experience, service quality, and guest satisfaction had a bigger influence on the development of guest perception. Guest perception relevancy in hospitality management evolves from the recognition that, customer sentiments are vital when it comes to expenditures on services rendered. Quality has been used as the critical key determinant that influences hospitality industry performance, but basic elements remained the same or as they were during the traditional times.

Understanding Transformative Learning and Transformative Tourism

This study focuses on two major areas of transformative learning and transformative tourism. The study aims to understand how transformative learning theory developed by Jack Mezirow was first introduced to the academia and then adopted in the field of tourism. Transformative travel and tourism is an emerging paradigm in the travel industry, characterized by travel experiences that lead to profound personal growth, self-discovery, and societal benefits. This paper explores the intersections of transformative learning theory and transformational tourism experiences through a qualitative research approach. By synthesizing secondary data from diverse contexts and empirical studies, the study examines how transformative learning processes manifest in the context of travel and tourism. The theoretical framework draws on Mezirow’s transformative learning theory, emphasizing critical reflection and perspective learning. This study is based on a general review through thematic analysis of narratives. The research identifies mechanisms that facilitate transformative experiences during travel. The literatures highlight on novelty seeking, escapism, freedom, self-efficacy, the transformation of consciousness, self-development and personal growth, and subjective wellbeing which is an outcome of transformative travel. This study explores the concepts of transformation, transformative learning, transformational tourism, tourism motivation, tourism destination image, marketing, authenticity, satisfaction, and transformative experiences.

From Tutor to Future Educator: Investigating the Role of Peer-Peer Tutoring in Shaping Careers in Medical Education

AbstractIn the effort to promote academic excellence and provide teaching experiences and training for medical students, the University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine (UCISOM) built a novel peer tutoring program (2020), Collaborative Learning Communities with Medical Students as Teachers (CLC-MSAT). While the role of peer-assisted learning in student success on academic courses is well established, we wanted to assess the impact of our UCISOM peer-assisted learning program on tutors’ career interest in medical education. Through a mixed-methods analysis of our peer tutors’ experiences, we found 100% were overall satisfied with their positions; > 85% learned new skills; > 88% felt they were strong teachers; > 88% felt they now had a stronger grasp of the medical curriculum and most importantly, 100% of students maintained their interest and aspirations to serve in a future medical educator role after participating as a tutor. Additionally, we found a statistically significant relationship between tutors’ intentions of exploring a career in academic medicine after serving in the CLC program. Our findings suggest that our tutoring program has had a positive impact in providing authentic teaching experiences and training to medical students early in their careers at UCISOM, which may help prepare the next generation of qualified academic clinicians.

Unleashing the Power of Engage Virtual Reality Learning App: A Syntactic Complexity Boost in Intermediate EFL Students' Oral Performance

Abstract In light of the growing enthusiasm in harnessing virtual reality (VR) for educational purposes, this study explores the effectiveness of integrating the Engage Virtual Reality Learning App to enhance the syntactic complexity of oral performances among intermediate EFL students. A cohort of thirty intermediate EFL students was enlisted, divided into an experimental group of 15 and a control group of 15. Initially, the groups underwent a homogeneity assessment utilizing the Preliminary English Test (PET). During the intervention phase, the experimental group utilized the Engage Virtual Reality Learning App for speaking practice, while the comparison group received conventional instruction devoid of VR-based components. The analysis employed descriptive statistics for mean scores and standard deviations, supplemented by a one-way ANCOVA analysis to examine group performance and evaluate the impact of the treatment. The results unveiled a significant enhancement in the oral proficiency of the experimental group in terms of syntactic complexity, underscoring the affirmative influence of integrating the Engage Virtual Reality Learning App. These findings underscore the potential of VR-based instruction to augment authentic language experiences, foster sociocultural learning, stimulate cognitive engagement, yield affective benefits, and contribute to overall language acquisition among intermediate EFL learners.