Digital Commons Network^™

Land-Based Learning: A Learning Paradigm For Building Community And Sustainable Farms, Aaron J. Mckim, Matt R. Raven, Abbey Palmer, Ashley Mcfarland, Ashley Mcfarland, James Isleib

The Journal of Extension

Mitigating complex problems is increasingly essential to sustaining life on Earth. Empowering current and future generations to address these problems requires rethinking traditional education approaches. This article serves as a primer for land-based learning—defined as a pedagogical approach in which learners collaborate with community members to implement place-based interventions within agricultural systems to increase the sustainability of their community. As an introduction to land-based learning, the article (a) describes critical checkpoints within land-based learning, (b) illuminates the role of Extension educators in facilitating land-based learning, and (c) introduces a case study of land-based learning in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

The Problem With Teaching Science, Technology, Engineering, And Math As Inquiry Versus By Inquiry, Paul Hill, Andrea Schmutz

The Journal of Extension

4-H professionals implementing problem-based learning and other minimally guided instruction techniques in science, technology, engineering, and math education often do so with learners working in small groups, a strategy that allows learners to construct knowledge through social interactions. However, educators who implement these techniques without an understanding of human cognitive architecture risk confusing the teaching of a discipline as inquiry with the teaching of the discipline by inquiry. The assumption that knowledge is learned best through experience does not account for the difference between experts who are practicing a profession and students who are learning to practice a profession.

Experience Bees: Community Outreach Tool For Bee Conservation Efforts, Marisol Mata, Danesha Seth Carley, April Hamblin, Jean-Jacques Dubois

The Journal of Extension

Despite the importance of bees, there is a gap in the public's understanding of them. To help address this gap, we developed the outreach tool Experience Bees, a series of simple learning and hands-on activities to teach community members about bees and their importance in our landscapes. Program evaluation showed that participants learned about bees and were more willing to consider bees when planting their own gardens, demonstrating that a suite of simple activities can have a positive impact on people's knowledge of bees and their importance. We encourage readers to use our tool and replicate our methods or to …

Transformative Learning Through University And Prison Partnerships: Reflections From ‘Learning Together’ Pedagogical Practice, Natalie Gray Ms, Jennifer R. Ward Dr., Jenny Fogarty Ms

Journal of Prison Education and Reentry (2014-2023)

This paper critically discusses two London-based ‘Learning Together’ prison university partnerships - Middlesex University with Her Majesty’s Prison (HMP) Wandsworth and London South Bank University (LSBU) with HMP Pentonville. The paper documents how students experienced the shared classroom learning approach designed on principles of ‘transformative pedagogy’, and how students interpret their personal development and the knowledge and skills gained as a result. We share the steps taken to bring the Learning Together pedagogical philosophy to life and use evidence from module evaluation findings and critical reflections to demonstrate the transformations that happen. We interpret our findings through the lens of …

“That’S So Much More Important Than The Grades”: Learning Client Centered Care Through Experiential Learning At Aphasia Camp, Esther S. Kim, J. Renzo Garcia

Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders

Interventions aimed at increasing life participation for people with aphasia (PWA), such as camp-based programs, are being increasingly implemented throughout North America. Such camps present a unique experiential learning opportunity for students in speech-language pathology (SLP) programs. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of participation in aphasia camp on SLP students’ acquisition of the skills and attitudes required for client-centered care for PWA. Ten SLP students who volunteered at a weekend-long aphasia camp participated in focus groups examining their learning outcomes following their camp experience. Conventional content analysis was used to analyze the focus group transcripts. …

Perspectives On Place-Based Local Leadership Programs: Fostering Leadership And Community Attachment In Youths, John Trevor M. Corboy, Laura A. Warner, Matt Benge

The Journal of Extension

Leadership development, service learning, place-based education, and economic revitalization are topics relevant to Extension. We performed an evaluation to determine whether a place-based leadership program in Clermont County, Ohio, helps students develop leadership skills and encourages their return to the community. Program evaluation data collected via a web-based survey indicated that 80% of youths planned to return to the area to live and work, an action that would contribute to revitalization of the community. Extension professionals can use findings from our evaluation as a basis for improving existing programs, structuring new youth leadership initiatives, and communicating the value of place-based …

Using Hybrid Learning To Improve Educational Programs For Small-Acreage Farmers, Colette Dephelps, Soren Newman, Lauren Golden, Iris Mayes

The Journal of Extension

A whole-farm planning course in Idaho has evolved from an in-person course offered by a single instructor in one location to an online course to a hybrid learning course that combines online learning with in-person and webinar components offered simultaneously at multiple sites across the state. Evaluation data suggest that all three approaches have been effective at increasing knowledge and skills. The hybrid learning model allows for using technology to leverage faculty and farmer expertise and increase participant numbers while maintaining in-person interaction and experiential learning. Findings support the concept of the hybrid learning model as a tool for Extension …

Developing Civically Engaged Citizens In An Introductory Criminal Justice Course, Tamara J. Lynn

eJournal of Public Affairs

Criminal justice programs are often considered a training ground for students’ future careers; however, that training often lacks a focus on civic engagement. This article highlights an experiential learning project in an introductory criminal justice course that was designed to develop the skills of civically engaged professionals. The project, combining research with service-learning, was implemented in an undergraduate criminology course to demonstrate the ways in which research and theory are necessary for implementing social and political change. Student participants achieved the desired learning outcomes and gained a deeper understanding of their role as change agents. The success of this project …

Rethinking The Meaning Of Study Abroad Programs: The Learning Experiences Of Two Female Gambian Students In Taiwan, Virginie Marc

Journal of Global Education and Research

This paper is an ethnographic effort which examines the effects of oppression and social inequality on the learning experiences of foreign students in Taiwan, focusing on two female Gambian students. The theoretical frameworks utilized to interpret the learning experiences of these foreign students in Taiwan include Freire’s critical pedagogy, critical travel pedagogy, global citizenship, and experiential learning. Unstructured interviews and observations were selected for data collection, and the findings suggest these international students used their learning experiences as a tool to transform their lives and their perspectives on the future of Gambian society. The findings also show these study abroad …

Designing Socially-Mediated Reflection In Online Discussions, Martha M. Snyder

FDLA Journal

Reflection helps students understand the value of their learning experience. Reflection can be an individual activity, for example through journals, one-on-one discussions, and papers and it also can be socially-mediated, where students reflect together in social spaces either face-to-face or in online learning environments. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the value of reflection and the literature that supports it and share how socially-mediated reflection was designed and assessed in a Web-enhanced experiential learning course on water and sustainability. First, a review of the literature related to instructional design and learning theories that support reflection, reflection as a …

Exploring Pre-Practicum Site-Based Experiential Learning In School Counselor Preparation, Stacey A. Havlik, Kaitlyn Schneider, Jessica D. Mckechnie

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

In this study, participation in a pre-practicum site-based experiential learning assignment was examined. First semester pre-service school counselors who were enrolled in an introductory school counseling course, engaged in observation, counseling, and academic support with students and clients at community and school sites. Qualitative data was collected across three cohort groups and examined through phenomenological inquiry. Participants shared common themes, including that they: (a) Recognized inequities while they expanded their worldview; (b) Preferred a structured experience; (c) Valued relationships; and (d) Drew connections to the classroom and the field.

To The Head Of The Class? Quantifying The Relationship Between Participation In Undergraduate Mock Trial Programs And Student Performance In Law School, Teresa Nesbitt Cosby

St. John's Law Review

(Excerpt)

This Article seeks to answer the question of whether students who engage in undergraduate mock trial competitions gain a competitive advantage in law school. The Article will examine the pedagogy of experiential learning methods by analyzing how student performance in undergraduate school compares to how these same students perform in law school, and, importantly, whether these students are gainfully employed in a law-related career after law school. This is accomplished by conducting four interviews with Furman alumni who participated in the undergraduate mock trial program during their tenures, and a survey targeting law school students and recent graduates who …

The Alma College Archaeological Project: Toward A Community-Based Pedagogy, Kristin Landau

Journal of Archaeology and Education

The turn toward community-based research in archaeology is “transforming” the discipline. No longer can we show up with screens and trowels wielding government permits and expect to start digging. Community-based archaeological projects may never even get to the excavation phase if local collaborators are uninterested or have other priorities. Now that collaboration with local populations has become standard archaeological practice, it is imperative to begin incorporating community engagement into traditional field schools. Today’s archaeology requires grassroots organizing, cultural awareness, and sensitive listening skills, in addition to digging square holes and drawing tree roots to scale. In this paper, I incorporate …

Progressive Practices In Public Schools

Occasional Paper Series

No abstract provided.

News - University Of Georgia School Of Law, Rachel S. Evans

Georgia Library Quarterly

No abstract provided.

Engaging College Students In Experiential Learning Opportunities Within Extension, Tonya Johnson, Tina Dodge Vera, Veronica Irvin, Karen Elliott

The Journal of Extension

Providing experiential learning opportunities within Extension for college students generates benefits for multiple parties. As two campus-based faculty and two Extension county-based faculty who have collaborated to increase public health student engagement through endeavors within Extension, we have gained perspective on this topic. We describe a continuum of relevant experiential learning options, from classroom experiences through full internships. We also provide input on associated best practices. Extension faculty across the nation are encouraged to use and adapt these tools to ensure success in offering experiential learning opportunities to college students.

Reflective Practice For Learning From Experience: Navigating The Back Roads At Work, Jan Jaffe

The Foundation Review

What are the roadblocks that limit reflective practice in the field of philanthropy? Between the desire to move the needle on social change and the pressure to be productive, philanthropy as a field is understandably driven to focus on doing and resistant to taking time to reflect on practice. This article is designed to help foundations encourage leadership and staff to put their expertise into play as a learning strategy.

This article defines reflective practice and traces roots and research that can inform its use. It also reports on interviews with philanthropy practitioners about how they use various reflective practice …

Students’ Perspectives Of Experiential Learning In An Addictions Course, Tammi F. Dice, Kristy Carlisle, Rebekah Byrd

Teaching and Supervision in Counseling

Substance use disorder practitioners may identify as individuals in recovery, while others may have never experienced the challenge of abstinence. Without this lived experience, it may be difficult to accurately empathize with clients in recovery. Experiential learning is a way for students to live through an exercise in abstinence. The value of utilizing experiential learning for skill development and application of theory is established. However, there is no empirical research examining the use of experiential learning with undergraduate substance use disorder practitioner trainees not in recovery from addiction as a means to increase their ability to empathize with clients’ experiences. …

Teaching Stem For The Public Good, Rita Basuray

Greater Faculties: A Review of Teaching and Learning

No abstract provided.

Multisensory And Active Learning Approaches To Teaching Medieval Art, Marice Rose, Tera Lee Hedrick

Art History Pedagogy & Practice

In this article, two professors share methods and examples of active learning in order to teach Western European and Byzantine medieval art through a multisensory lens. The course content and pedagogy are situated in the “sensory turn,” a conceptual and methodological approach that began in anthropology and has transformed medieval art historical scholarship in recent years. The discipline of art history has traditionally focused on the visual impact of objects and monuments, but the sensory turn has prompted art historians and architectural historians to investigate how art objects and monuments engage all five senses, transforming the “period eye” into the …

Experiential Teacher Education – Preparing Preservice Teachers To Teach English Grammar Through An Experiential Learning Project, Jackie F. K. Lee

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The paper explores and describes the kinds of learning attained by a group of Hong Kong preservice teachers who worked collaboratively to develop online grammar teaching resources for school teachers worldwide. Based on the quantitative and qualitative data collected during the ongoing collaboration, lesson tryouts, and post-project evaluation, the project results reflect the value of experiential learning in preservice teacher education. The themes that detail the student teachers’ experiences include textbook evaluation, professional knowledge, core competencies of teachers, and understanding of English language teaching outside the Hong Kong context.

Elevating Student Understanding: Irish Occupational Therapy Students’ Experience Of A Service Learning Project, Karen Mccarthy, Marian Mccarthy

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Service learning is a pedagogy that embraces learning in action and addresses community needs. Since the adoption of the Occupational Therapy Competencies in 2008 and the launch of national occupational therapist registration in Ireland in 2015, there has been limited research on the effectiveness of service learning pedagogies in Irish higher education for meeting core competencies. The majority of research focusing on evaluating service learning have been North American studies which brings to question the relevance of these service learning outcomes beyond North America and specifically Ireland. This qualitative study examined 11 occupational therapy students’ journal reflections, portfolio entries, and …

The Experiential-Learning Track: Career Exploration, Student Interest, & Applied Classroom-Learning In Small Rural Junior-Senior High Schools, Michael Turnlund

Northwest Journal of Teacher Education

Budgetary constraints can limit academic programs and elective offerings in small rural high schools. It is difficult to staff schools with teachers who hold the required credentials to offer elective courses that match student interests and future career or post-secondary education goals. This article details a strategy used by one small school in Idaho to address the problem. The Experiential-Learning Track Program allows for “hands-on” opportunities tied to learning objectives, and targets career and post-secondary education goals of individual students. Outcomes of the project included an increase in student population numbers and more connections with the local community.

Short-Term Study Abroad For Pre-Service Teachers: Personal And Professional Growth In Brighton, England, Erin Mikulec

International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

This study examines the personal and professional development of 34 pre-service teachers who participated in a study abroad program for education majors in Brighton, England. The participants completed a variety of assignments and learning activities before, during, and after the program, including 20 hours of observation in area schools. The results indicate that in terms of personal development, the pre-service teachers experienced increased levels of self-confidence, autonomy, tolerance for ambiguity, flexibility and adaptability, and interpersonal skills. Professionally, the participants identified the role of culture in education and pedagogy, described being better equipped to work with diverse learners in the United …

The Use Of An Experiential Educational Activity To Promote Interprofessional Education In Physical And Occupational Therapist Students, Amy L. Brzuz, Beth Gustafson

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

In many healthcare settings, interprofessional collaborative practice is expected of healthcare professionals to facilitate optimal patient outcomes. To prepare healthcare professionals to provide this collaborative practice, institutions of higher education are infusing interprofessional education activities into their healthcare curricula. While interprofessional education activities have been demonstrated to be beneficial for students, the creation and implementation of these types of activities by higher education faculty can be challenging. Factors such as logistics, curricular differences, and already busy course schedules can sway faculty from developing interprofessional experiences for their students. The purpose of this paper is to describe the development and implementation …

The Context Of Authority And Sociological Knowledge: An Experiential Learning Project, Julia F. Waity, Stephanie Crowe

Communications in Information Literacy

In this innovative project, a social sciences librarian partnered with a sociology professor to embed the “Authority is Constructed and Contextual” frame into an upper-division sociology of poverty course. Students in this course participated in an experiential learning project, collaborating with local children on a participatory photo mapping project to document the children’s neighborhood. By working directly with community members in this field experience, the students gained an understanding of the differences between scholarly authority and community authority and what can be learned about poverty from each type of source. Engagement with a local community provides students with a direct …

Ecopedagogy: Learning How To Participate In Ecological Consciousness, Peterson, Eric

CONSCIOUSNESS: Ideas and Research for the Twenty-First Century

This paper is the result of an inquiry into ecological consciousness through a participatory paradigm. The dialectical relationship between institutionalized education and consciousness is central to this inquiry’s focus. This exploration into ecological consciousness has lead to the following question: How can institutionalized education be designed, delivered, and experienced in a way that nurtures ecological intelligence, ecological consciousness, and more importantly, ecological activism? The ‘sense of self ‘is a central theme within the paper, and led to the conception of intraearthal and interearthal relationships as a way of communicating our need to identify as being in Earth. The author utilizes …

A Justice School: Teaching Forced Migration Through Experiential Learning, Lauren Gilbert

Intercultural Human Rights Law Review

This article demonstrates how experiential learning in law school can prepare students for the practice of law and, if done well, instill in them a life-long commitment to social justice. I use my efforts to integrate a public service component into my immigration courses to illustrate this. Despite institutional obstacles encountered along the way, the success of this effort ultimately turned on working collaboratively with student leaders with a shared commitment to equal justice, winning the support of well-placed individuals within our administration, and ensuring that the experience for students was rewarding. Our signature achievement has been the Karnes Pro …