Abstract
Teaching and learning strategies are changing as the new-age view of effective education is to prepare students for assimilation into professional practice. Within the School of Communication at Charles Sturt University in Australia the distance between the classroom and the professional community is closing. At Kajulu Communications, the on-campus student advertising agency of Charles Sturt University, students must apply best industry practice and skills to a range of authentic situations. Over the last 3 years the author has been engaged in action research, investigating the strengths and weaknesses of the Kajulu model. Based on this research, this paper examines the pedagogical practices that naturally connect learning to authentic activity, context and culture, specifically the 360 degree or 'orbital' view of assessment tasks within Kajulu; peer, lecturer and client/industry assessment, and draws on an actual case study to support the notion of authentic assessment within an industry-professional teaching and learning environment.