Here are some of the comments I received after following-up with the students: “That course was the highlight of my entire degree.” “This was the single most valuable experience in my life…I still think every day about the experience and those people.” “There will never be a more important course to take at the college than this.” For me, as the teacher of EDEN, it has been the most demanding task in my career. I feared the uncertainty inherent in this type of experiential course includ- ing the responsibility of taking students to a developing country, exposing them to new experiences that I struggled to deal with on my own while also trying to help the students as they each found their own way to cope, and managing the dy- namics of a group in such an emotionally challenging and physically demanding environment. But would I do it again? Yes, in May 2015, I will embark with another group of students on a life-changing learning expe- rience to Ethiopia. The reward for me is following our mission and vision at OC and creating an outstanding educational experience that transforms lives and communities. With significant portions of the world’s populations living in extreme poverty, it is important for students in the developed world to understand how the choices they make can contribute to providing a better global environment. But the issues are complex and by offering a field school to a developing country enables students to examine these issues first-hand and internalize and test the concepts. BUAD 339–Economic Development in Emerging Nations (EDEN) has taken groups of students to experience and share the challenges facing the people living in Ethiopia. The course enables the students to gain intimate knowledge of the everyday lives of some of Ethiopia’s most vulnerable citizens. On our last trip, in 2013, we built bio-sand water filters in the mud homes of individuals. We met the families, discussed the challenges (including caring for children while battling dis- eases such as AIDS and dysentery) and the trials for day-to-day survival. The course was developed using the experiential learning cycle as defined by Kolb (1984) and included the following: 1. Concrete experiences encountered by the students while in Ethiopia 2. Opportunities for reflection through journals and the sharing of information at debriefing sessions 3. Abstraction of the experience demon- strated in a final project submission eval- uating the experience using economic development and business concepts 4. Testing through ongoing education and career choices Speaking with the students who participated in the field school a year later, it is evident that the learning gained from the course has influenced their lives and careers. Some of these choices include enrolling in OC’s non-profit man- agement class and social entrepreneur- ship class, volunteering in the community teaching financial literacy, organizing food drives, working with people with disabili- ties, continuing to volunteer and support Canadian Humanitarian (our partner during the field school), and choosing careers working for social enterprises and international NGOs. Generally, the students describe the experience as life altering and the most important experience in their education. Experiential Education and Service Learning www.okanagan.bc.ca/ilt Economic Development in Emerging Nations (EDEN) 1 Experiential Learning and Math Fairs 2 SL & Residential Construction 3 Fieldwork & Human Geography 4 Directed Studies, Research Assist- ants, Field Trips 5 Sowing Community Seeds 6 Women’s Shelter and a Political Science Class 6 Where’s the Library in Service Learning? 7 Experiential Education: Personal Comments 8 Multicultural Café 9 Case-Based Learning in Health Professions 10 Family Health & Healing 11 How SL has Enhanced My Teaching Practice 12 Experiencing the “Real World” in the Classroom 13 New for Moodle: Plagiarism Tutorial & Quiz 14 ILT Lunch & Learns 14 ILT Contacts & Links 14 VOLUME 6 ISSUE 1 WINTER 2015 IN THIS ISSUE How EDEN has Transformed Lives and Communities By Sheilagh Seaton, Business, Penticton Reference: Kolb, D.A. (1984). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall.
14
Embed
ILT Newsletter Winter 2015 Experiential Education and Service Learning
“‘Experiential [learning] is a philosophy and methodology in which educators purposefully engage with students in direct experience and focused reflection in order to increase knowledge, develop skills, and clarify values.’ (Association for Experiential Education, n.d.). Experiential learning is also referred to as learning through action, learning by doing, learning through experience, and learning through discovery and exploration, all which are clearly defined by these well-known max-ims: ● I hear and I forget, I see and I remember, I do and I understand. ~ Confucius, 450 BC ●Tell me and I forget, Teach me and I remember, Involve me and I will learn. Benjamin Franklin, 1750 ●There is an intimate and necessary relation between the process of actual experience and education. John Dewey, 1938” (Northern Illinois University, n.d.)
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Transcript
Here are some of the comments I
received after following-up with the
students:
“That course was the highlight of my
entire degree.”
“This was the single most valuable
experience in my life…I still think every
day about the experience and those
people.”
“There will never be a more important
course to take at the college than this.”
For me, as the teacher of EDEN, it has
been the most demanding task in my
career. I feared the uncertainty inherent
in this type of experiential course includ-
ing the responsibility of taking students
to a developing country, exposing them to
new experiences that I struggled to deal
with on my own while also trying to help
the students as they each found their
own way to cope, and managing the dy-
namics of a group in such an emotionally
challenging and physically demanding
environment.
But would I do it again? Yes, in May
2015, I will embark with another group of
students on a life-changing learning expe-
rience to Ethiopia. The reward for me is
following our mission and vision at OC
and creating an outstanding educational
experience that transforms lives and
communities.
With significant portions of the
world’s populations living in extreme
poverty, it is important for students in
the developed world to understand how
the choices they make can contribute to
providing a better global environment.
But the issues are complex and by
offering a field school to a developing
country enables students to examine
these issues first-hand and internalize
and test the concepts.
BUAD 339–Economic Development in
Emerging Nations (EDEN) has taken
groups of students to experience and
share the challenges facing the people
living in Ethiopia. The course enables
the students to gain intimate knowledge
of the everyday lives of some of
Ethiopia’s most vulnerable citizens. On
our last trip, in 2013, we built bio-sand
water filters in the mud homes of
individuals. We met the families,
discussed the challenges (including
caring for children while battling dis-
eases such as AIDS and dysentery) and
the trials for day-to-day survival.
The course was developed using the
experiential learning cycle as defined by
Kolb (1984) and included the following:
1. Concrete experiences encountered by
the students while in Ethiopia
2. Opportunities for reflection through
journals and the sharing of information at
debriefing sessions
3. Abstraction of the experience demon-
strated in a final project submission eval-
uating the experience using economic
development and business concepts
4. Testing through ongoing education and
career choices
Speaking with the students who
participated in the field school a year
later, it is evident that the learning gained
from the course has influenced their lives
and careers. Some of these choices
include enrolling in OC’s non-profit man-
agement class and social entrepreneur-
ship class, volunteering in the community
teaching financial literacy, organizing food
drives, working with people with disabili-
ties, continuing to volunteer and support
Canadian Humanitarian (our partner
during the field school), and choosing
careers working for social enterprises
and international NGOs. Generally, the
students describe the experience as life
altering and the most important
experience in their education.
Experiential Education and Service Learning
www.okanagan.bc.ca/ilt
Economic Development in Emerging Nations (EDEN)
1
Experiential Learning and Math Fairs
2
SL & Residential Construction
3
Fieldwork & Human Geography
4
Directed Studies, Research Assist-ants, Field Trips
5
Sowing Community Seeds
6
Women’s Shelter and a Political Science Class
6
Where’s the Library in Service Learning?
7
Experiential Education: Personal Comments
8
Multicultural Café 9
Case-Based Learning in Health Professions
10
Family Health & Healing
11
How SL has Enhanced My Teaching Practice
12
Experiencing the “Real World” in the Classroom
13
New for Moodle: Plagiarism Tutorial & Quiz
14
ILT Lunch & Learns 14
ILT Contacts & Links
14
V O L U M E 6 I S S U E 1 W I N T E R 2 0 1 5
IN THIS ISSUE How EDEN has Transformed Lives and Communities By Sheilagh Seaton, Business, Penticton
I N S T I T U T E F O R L E A R N I N G A N D T E A C H I N G Winter 2015 page 2
www.okanagan.bc.ca/ilt
One of the cornerstones of adult learning
is the idea that adults learn most effectively
through experience. Acquiring knowledge or
knowing something is only the first step
(Bannerman, 2009). Pfeiffer & Ballew
(1988) describe a process and cycle model
to demonstrate and explain experiential
learning. The cycle begins with orientation,
or helping learners understand what is to be
learned in the session. The next stage in-
volves clarifying assumptions and answering
prominent questions. The learning experi-
ence then proceeds and concludes with op-
portunities for reflection, generalization, and
application.
Experiential learning is also built upon a
foundation of interdisciplinary and construc-
tivist learning (Wurdinger, 2005). However,
simple participation in a prescribed set of
learning experiences does not make some-
thing experiential. Chapman, McPhee, and
Proudman (1995) argue that true experien-
tial learning encompasses blending content
and process, excluding excessive judgment,
engaging in purposeful endeavours, encour-
aging an expansive perspective, utilizing
reflection, creating emotional investment,
constantly examining values, showing mean-
ingful relationships, and promoting learning
outside perceived comfort zones. Experiential
learning can also be defined by the qualities
imparted to students. Qualities such as will-
ingness to reorder topics, reason for them-
selves, provide warranted positions, manage
self, and bring forth personal voice are highly
relevant (Moon, 2004).
Experiential learning may be accomplished
in many ways such as through lecture, small
group discussion, role play, and activities
(Bannerman, 2009). Experiential activities
tend to be interactive and dynamic in nature
with rich opportunities possible for both in-
structor and student. Brookfield (1995) sug-
gests that asking experiential questions helps
instructors decode written material, for exam-
ple, demystifying academic tests. Choosing
powerful activities that increase learner in-
volvement advances more meaningful learn-
ing. This type of learning refers to the notion
that learned knowledge is completely under-
taken by the student and that this
information can be related to other stored
facts. This is in direct contrast to rote-
learning. Transfer, or the ability to apply
the information to a new situation, is
identified as an indicator of meaningful
learning (Mayer, 2002).
I offer that math fairs provide great
experiential learning. A math fair is a non-
competitive problem-solving event that
gives teachers an opportunity to have their
students solve problems with a particular
goal in mind. The goals of a fair are to
motivate and inspire all students through
student-centered work. The project devel-
oper experiences learning as well as the
participating audience. I argue that once a
student comes up with an answer to a
problem the student seldom forgets their
particular solution. The experiences at the
fair encourage all students to strive for
success. Hopefully, with repeated suc-
cess, students prefer to come with their
own solutions instead of waiting for the
instructor’s answers. My primary goal for a
math fair is to develop curiosity. I would
like students to value uncertainty and
puzzlement, as I do. As well, peer evalua-
tion is important: students should be given
the opportunity to reflectively evaluate the
work of one another.
Experiential Learning with Math Fairs
By Donna-Leigh Goodman, AACP Chemistry, Vernon
[Experiential] learning refers to
the notion that learned knowledge
is completely undertaken by the
student and that this information
can be related to other stored
facts. This is in direct contrast to
rote-learning. Transfer, or the
ability to apply the information to a
new situation, is identified as an
indicator of meaningful learning
(Mayer, 2002).
References:
Bannerman, N.R. (2009). Facilitating powerful learning experiences: Experiential learning, the experiential learning cycle, and “how tos” for facilitators.
Retrieved January 20, 2015 from http://www.ryanbannerman.com
Brookfield, S.D. (1995). Becoming a critically reflective teacher. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Chapman, S., McPhee, P., & Proudman, B. (1995). What is experiential education?. In K. Warren (Ed.), The theory of experiential education (pp. 235-248).
Dubuque: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company.
Mayer, R. (2002). Rote versus meaningful learning. Theory Into Practice, 41(4), 226-232.
Moon, J.A. (2004). A handbook of reflective and experiential learning: Theory and practice. New York: Routledge/Falmer.
Pfeiffer, J. & Ballew, A. (1988). Design skills in human resource development. San Diego: University Associates Inc.
Wurdinger, S.D. (2005). Using experiential learning in the classroom. Lanham: Scarecrow Education.
I N S T I T U T E F O R L E A R N I N G A N D T E A C H I N G Winter 2015 page 3
www.okanagan.bc.ca/ilt
Could you explain how the Residential
Construction Program (RCP) has been able
to combine program instruction with
meaningful community service?
We like to do community projects as part of
our program. We do that because we like to
have our students have real world experienc-
es and what better way to do that than do
something for the community.
What are some of the non-profit community
projects the RCP has been involved in?
What are some of the strengths of students
learning in a community workplace?
Working side by side with the other sub-
trades on a building project gives them the
added advantage of seeing what it is that the
other trades do in their contribution to the
project, and how they have to work alongside
as part of a team. For example, if they were-
n’t working alongside a plumber and watch-
ing what he does, a carpenter may not under-
stand fully why he has to frame a floor a cer-
tain way. Physically seeing the other work
that’s going on gives some context to their
own work.
Do you see the potential for more
opportunities in the future for trades
students to engage in service learning?
Absolutely! There’s always a community
group that needs help. One of our next pro-
jects is for the Lake Country Food Bank, and
Habitat for Humanity is always looking for a
community group in need. We do a screening
process and make a choice based on a set of
selection criteria.
What could Okanagan College do to create
opportunities for more service learning?
There’s always potential to grow in new areas.
For example, this year for the first time we are
partnering with the
Nicola Valley Insti-
tute of Technology
and the aim there
is to offer residen-
tial construction in
an area of the prov-
ince that hasn’t had
access to that, in
this case the aboriginal community in that
area that have not had easy access to this
kind of training.
What are the main advantages of service
learning?
Students, that are involved in building projects
that benefit the community in some way, can
go back years later, drive by the project that
they have contributed to and feel good about
the work that they have done and the commu-
nities they have helped.
Realizing that as a trades person you can con-
tribute back to your community in some way.
Habitat for Humanity, is a group that is
always looking for volunteers and you don’t
have to be student to help them with the
really good work they do.
How can you strike a balance between the
need for theoretical learning and the need
for experiential learning in your programs?
In construction, so much of
what we do is hands on, but we
also have a theoretical compo-
nent. We may do math in the
morning but in the afternoon
were going to apply that math
to actually build something
that’s related. So there is a
natural connection and I feel
like for most of what we do in carpentry
you can’t have one without the other. The
student that does have the theoretical
background understands the math behind
the certain framing components, such as,
complex roof design or perhaps an intri-
cate staircase, and if they don’t have the
math behind them then it makes their
practical work impossible. If you spend the
time initially understanding the theory
behind your work it goes that much more
efficiently and you’re that much more valu-
able to your employer and to the industry.
The Role of Service Learning and The Residential Construction Program An interview with Alf Leimert, Chair, Construction Trades Department, Kelowna, February 4, 2015
Herther, N. K. (2008). Service learning and engagement in the academic library: Operating out of the box. College & Research Libraries News, 69, 386-389.
Retrieved from http://crln.acrl.org/content/69/7/386.full.pdf
Janke, R., Pesut, B., & Erbacker, L. (2012). Promoting information literacy through collaborative service learning in an undergraduate research course.
Riddle, J. S. (2003). Where's the library in service learning?: Models for engaged library instruction. Journal of Academic Librarianship, 29, 71-81.
Watts, M. (2006). Becoming educated: Service learning as mirror. In C. Gibson (Ed.), Student engagement and information literacy (pp. 33-54). Chicago, IL:
Association of College and Research Libraries, American Library Association.
I N S T I T U T E F O R L E A R N I N G A N D T E A C H I N G Winter 2015 page 10
www.okanagan.bc.ca/ilt
Case-based
learning (CBL)
has been a
predominant
pedagogical
method of
teaching in
the health
care professions, and there are many claims
for the effectiveness of this teaching strate-
gy. Some educational institutions, such as
McMaster University and others, have em-
braced CBL as a primary method of delivering
education. I recently began to wonder, “What
evidence is there to support these beliefs?”
Fortunately, an excellent peer-reviewed sys-
tematic review was published recently, aimed
at trying to help answer this question
(Thistlethwaite et al., 2012).
The authors of this article independently
reviewed and graded 176 publications from
1965 to 2010 for their scientific rigor and
quality. The authors were unable to do a
meta-analysis due to varying methodologies.
From the 104 articles that qualified, the au-
thors then examined and discussed the defi-
nition of CBL, methods of practice, learning
outcomes, and the effectiveness of CBL.
Further, the authors also described best-
practice guidelines for incorporating CBL in
the classroom. The results of the study indi-
cated that students enjoy CBL, and felt it en-
hanced their learning. Case-based learning
appeared to foster effective learning in small
groups the most, but whether this is due to
the method of delivery or the positive effects
of group work was unclear. Overall, the data
examined was inconclusive as to the effective-
ness of case-based learning compared with
other learning strategies.
As an instructor in the Therapist Assistant
program, I frequently incorporate case-based
learning. In a recent lab I
used clinical simulations to
help students learn and
contrast the role of the
physical therapist and the
physical therapist assistant
in private practice. At the
end of class, I asked stu-
dents for written feedback on their learning
experience. Some notable student comments
included the following: “makes it more real-
istic and much more applicable to the real
world” “makes sense by putting in context,
i.e., the big picture” “easier to remember”
“helped further my understanding” and
“makes me feel well prepared for real life
situations.” The overall impression from the
students is there is good face validity for case-
based learning in the classroom and the stu-
dents saw CBL as relevant to the real world
and their future work. The students ap-
peared visibly more engaged by active
discussion and questions. These com-
ments and observations appeared con-
sistent with the results of the study in
terms of increasing motivation for learning
and student engagement.
The results of the systematic review
were inconclusive in terms of the learning
outcomes of CBL; however, many of the
measures used in these studies may be
related only to
recall and reten-
tion, rather than
development of
critical thinking
and problem
solving skills,
which is where I
think case-based learning really excels.
Another important variable in CBL is the
student’s individual learning style, with
some students responding better to this
method of learning than others. The au-
thors of this article recognize in their sum-
mary that rather than comparing outcomes
for didactic style of teaching to CBL, it may
be more important to better understand
the underlying mechanism by which stu-
dents learn through case-based learning.
Reflections on the Effectiveness of Case-based Learning in the Health Professions An Article Review By Darrell Skinner, Instructor, Therapist Assistant Program, Kelowna
Case-based learning (CBL) has been
a predominant pedagogical method of
teaching in the health care professions,
and there are many claims for the
effectiveness of this teaching strategy.
Some educational institutions, such as
McMaster University and others, have
embraced CBL as a primary method of
delivering education.
Thistlethwaite, J.E., Davies, D., Ekeocha, S., Kidd, J.M., MacDougall, C., Matthews, P., Perkis, J., Clay, D. (2012). The effectiveness of
case-based learning in health professional education. A BEME systematic review: BEME Guide No 23. Medical Teacher. Retrieved
from http://informahealthcare.com/doi/pdf/10.3109/0142159X.2012.680939
Service Learning : A Definition
"Service-learning has been used to characterize a wide array of experiential education endeavours, from volunteer and community service
projects to field studies and internship programs.” (Furco, 1996).
Association for Experiential Education. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.aee.org/
Furco, A. (1996). Service-learning: A balanced approach to experiential education. In Taylor, B. and Corporation for National Service (Eds.),
Expanding Boundaries: Serving and Learning (2-6). Washington, DC: Corporation for National Service.
Northern Illinois University, Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center. (n.d.). Experiential learning. Retrieved from
I N S T I T U T E F O R L E A R N I N G A N D T E A C H I N G Winter 2015 page 12
www.okanagan.bc.ca/ilt
“Service learning is a form of experiential
education in which students engage in activi-
ties that address human and community
needs together with structured opportunities
intentionally designed to promote student
learning and development” (Jacoby, 1996,
p.5). I first incorporated service learning
widely into my teaching practice in the sum-
mer of 2007 when I piloted a brand new
course in the Okanagan School of Business
called Social Entrepreneurship. It was also a
teaching approach I felt addressed common
critiques of business and management edu-
cation such as isolationism, functionalism, a-
theoretical and transactionally focused, and
a preoccupation with shareholder wealth
(see Godfrey, Illes & Berry, 2005; Papa-
marcos, 2005; and Steiner & Watson, 2006).
Godfrey, Illes & Berry’s (2005) framework
for effective service learning was adopted for
the social entrepreneurship course:
●Reality(real issues in a community setting)
●Responsibility (student management of a
30-hour community project with a nonprofit,
charity, or social enterprise partner)
●Reflection (opportunities for continuous
and meaningful contemplation)
●Reciprocity(reciprocal learning relationship)
Since 1997, over 190 projects with ap-
proximately 100 community partners have
been completed in the Social Entrepreneur-
ship course (with assistance from Professors
Laura Thurnheer and Dr. Sheilagh Seaton).
The benefits of service learning are multiple
and include the following:
● Addresses real-life issues and challenges
● Provides opportunities for students to grow
professionally and personally
● Engages multiple learning styles
● Broadens students’ perspectives of work-
place and community
● Encourages students to become socially
responsible and engage in moral actions
● Enhances student career opportunities
● Allows for meaningful contributions to or-
ganizations often challenged with limited re-
sources
Here is one comment from a past student :
I have incorporated service learning into
other courses I teach, and it is deeply embed-
ded in the extensive community outreach
which the Enactus students conduct and
which so profoundly has addressed critical
needs in our own region. The richness of
student experience, significant outcomes, and
deep relationships that have developed
through this pedagogical approach have
been the highlight of my academic career.
But I must finish with a caveat. I believe
there are critical success factors for effec-
tive service learning execution. Three key
aspects include positive and developed
community connections, significant and
consistent administrative support, and a
willingness and capability to “manage the
triangle” of client, student and professor
inter-
actions. I truly believe students in the
social entrepreneurship course have
learned to embrace a new “lens” which
has brought curiosity, motivation, aware-
ness, and relevance and has contributed
to a more informed and community-
centred student. And this would not be
possible without the integration of service
learning.
How Service Learning Has Enhanced My Teaching Practice By Kyleen Myrah, Business, Kelowna
Service learning is a form of
experiential education in which
students engage in activities that
address human and community
needs together with structured
opportunities intentionally
designed to promote student
learning and development.
(Jacoby, 1996).
References:
Godfrey, P.C., Illes, L.M., & Berry, G.R. (2005). Creating breadth in business education through service-learning. Academy of Management Learning &
Education, 4(3), 309-323.
Jacoby, B. (1996). Service-learning in today's higher education. In B. Jacoby (Ed.), Service-learning in higher education,3(25). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Papamarcos, S.D.(2005). Giving traction to management theory: Today’s service-learning. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 4(3), 323-335.
Steiner, S. & Watson, M.A. (2006, December). The service learning component in business education. Academy of Management Learning & Education,
5(4), 422-434.
NB. Myrah’s article in this issue of Enhancing Learning and Teaching was adapted in part from: Myrah, K. (2009). Using a service learning approach to teach
students about social entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurial Practice Review, 1(1), Autumn, 4-23.
Social Entrepreneurship students Kelly Stone
and Arianne Summach (winter 2014) partner
with Inn From the Cold to raises awareness of
the experience and personal face of homeless-
ness. To view the video please go to:
http://vimeo.com/88684460
“The opportunity to learn about Social Entrepre-
neurship in BUAD 309, was very inspiring and
motivating. The course allowed me to bridge the
divide between business and the nonprofit/public
arena. The need for business skills in the nonprofit
sector is so great; this course highlighted that for
me and ultimately moved me to pursue a career in
the nonprofit sector. In addition to impacting my
career, this course also encouraged me to get
more involved in the community as a volunteer. I
am now very involved in Junior Chamber Interna-
tional which is building momentum to ignite volun-
teerism and giving in the next generation of young
I N S T I T U T E F O R L E A R N I N G A N D T E A C H I N G Winter 2015 page 13
www.okanagan.bc.ca/ilt
I contend that we teachers can structure
“real world” experiences to advance student
learning within the seemingly narrow con-
fines of our classrooms. Whereas experien-
tial education (a.k.a. trial and error, learning
by doing, experienced-based learning, and
service-based learning) tends to concentrate
on actual experience ranging from field trips
to internships, I believe that encouraging
discussion and critical reflection on news
events, personages, and issues constitutes a
valuable “real-world-like” alternative.
How can teachers become experience
providers inside the four walls? In my regu-
lar “In the News” segments at the top of
most classes, I emphasize the core compo-
nents of experiential learning; namely, stu-
dents’ contact with the environment, partici-
pation and varied forms of interaction be-
tween student, and teacher/other students/
environment. Selecting news stories analo-
gous to the real-life situations students might
face is complementary to other experiential
learning techniques (e.g., role plays and sim-
ulations, generating scenarios, reporting on
case studies, reflections journals, and invit-
ing guest speakers).
The Teacher’s Role
David Kolb’s (1984) Learning Cycle model
of experiential learning, reveals the repeata-
ble steps to learning defined as the process
of developing knowledge through the
“transformation of experience” (p. 38), mean-
ing the translation of new conceptual under-
standings into “actionable” knowledge applied
to new experiences. (Kolb’s Learning Cycle)
Central to successful experiential learning, of
course, is the teacher’s role in structuring,
monitoring, and evaluating whether the
“experience” we’re stimulating in class meets
our pre-established learning outcomes. My
general learning outcomes include increasing
knowledge, developing skills, clarifying values,
and applying disciplinary knowledge to real-life
problems. More specifically, I use the “In the
News” discussions to attain the following
learning outcomes.
1 - Instilling a Sense of Civic Duty and
Democracy in Action:
Critically reflecting upon others’ “real-life”
actions or problems can develop good, active
citizens who are aware of local, national, and
global issues. Student dialogue helps stu-
dents to develop their own voice, to build re-
spect for other opinions, and to practice
“democracy in the classroom” (Brookfield and
Preskill, 2005).
2 - Critical Thinking: Students should be
encouraged to critically reflect on real-world
situations both in terms of the outcome
(e.g., finding solutions) and the processes
of attaining an outcome (e.g., collaboration,
sharing ideas, building consensus, ques-
tioning assumptions, and understanding
contexts). That students might come to
realize the reality of complexity, uncertain-
ty, ambiguity (i.e., differential interpreta-
tions or representations of events) consti-
tutes a core learning outcome.
3 - Exposing Privilege and Power Relations:
Students can be taught that they can use
their acquired post-secondary skills,
knowledge, and attitudes to help others
who may have less privilege than them-
selves, while becoming aware of the power
relations inherent to helping others.
4 - Affective Learning and Instilling a Sense
of Responsibility: Discussion of news
events should be made personal or rele-
vant to the students and activate both cog-
nitive-based problem solving skills and
affective learning people skills. Ask ques-
tions like “How does this situation (e.g.,
police harassment, income inequality, hu-
man rights abuse, or environmental disas-
ter) make you feel?” “What would you do
in this situation?” “Are you responsible for
the poverty/oppression/inequality that
exists today?” Experience is inextricably
linked to the notion of personal responsibil-
ity, which in turn might motivate some of
our students to become involved in their
communities.
Experiencing the “Real World” within the Classroom By Linda Elmose, Political Science , Vernon, Kelowna, Salmon Arm
References Brookfield, S.D. & Preskill, S. (2005). Discussion as a way of teaching: Tools and techniques for democratic classrooms. San Francisc, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Kolb, D.A.(1984). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc.
Cartoon Image: “Frank and Earnest” by Bob Thaves & Tom Thaves. Oct.10, 2013. Image No. 103405.