Session 3 - Strand 4

Abstract:

This session explores the role of authenticity in preparing paramedic students for the realities of clinical practice, structured around three key questions that underpin effective teaching and assessment. Central to this is the recognition that authenticity is not a single concept, but a continuum encompassing authentic teaching, authentic learning, and authentic assessment. First, it examines the importance of maintaining a clear industry link. Authentic teaching requires educators to design learning that reflects an ever-evolving professional environment. Drawing on constructivist and active learning principles, the session will explore how students build an understanding through engagement with realistic, practice-oriented context rather than passive content delivery. Second, it addresses authentic assessment, questioning whether current methods genuinely evaluate the outcomes they are intended to measure. It will argue that authentic assessment cannot exist in isolation and must emerge from authentic learning. Where learning is decontextualised, assessment risks measuring recall rather than capability, or even not measuring anything meaningfully at all. Third, it considers graduate outcomes and progress, prompting reflection on whether students are being prepared with the knowledge, skills, and professional attitudes required upon entering the workforce. This includes technical competence but also the ability to think, decide, and perform under pressure. Using examples from paramedic education, the session will showcase what this looks like in practice, alongside a clear pedagogy of why teaching is designed in this way. Participants will be encouraged to reflect on their own teaching and identify practical ways to embed authenticity across teaching, learning, and assessment.