The Economics of Experience-Based Higher Education

This article examines the relative costs and benefits associated with experience-based higher education in comparison to traditional lecture-based courses. The spreading of fixed costs that has been heavily relied upon in recent years to slow the accelerating cost of a college education is more difficult to accomplish with experience-based courses. In addition, certain intellectual capital costs must be invested in the transition to a curriculum balanced by adequate opportunities for experiential learning. The benefits of the latter, however, are also high, perhaps disproportionately so. After reviewing the evidence regarding the benefits that accrue to students, colleges, and communities, it is concluded that economic analysis supports the inclusion of experiential education in most baccalaureate programs. Further empirical work is needed to educate decision-makers and the public about the tradeoffs involved. Copyright International Atlantic Economic Society 2007applied learning, business education, economics of higher education, experiential education, A20, A22, I21, I23,

Teaching reflection for service-learning

In this chapter, we discuss an approach for teaching pre-service teachers how to critically reflect on their experiences in a Service-learning program in an advanced subject about inclusive education. The approach was informed by critical social theory, with the expectation that students would engage in transformational learning. By explicitly teaching the students to engage in critical reflective thinking (Fishbowl discussions) and examine the depth of their critical reflection against a heuristic (the 4Rs reflection framework), the final-year Bachelor of Education students were able to gain a deeper understanding of the subject and experience transformational learning. We provide contextual information about the Service-learning program and discuss critical social theory for transformational learning, as well as how the teaching team taught critical reflection. Based on the evidence gathered from the students, we consider lessons learned by the teaching team and provide recommendations for teaching reflection in Service-learning programs

When outbound mobility programs and service learning align in pre-service teacher education

Jones, BT ORCiD: 0000-0002-4312-6995© 2017, Education Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea. This project sought to investigate the learning that comes about from the intersection of outbound mobility experience programs (OMEs) with service learning in pre-service teacher education settings. The aim of the program of international service learning in the case study was to encourage pre-service teachers to rethink potentially ethnocentric assumptions. The guiding research question was, ‘What outcomes ensue from the combination of OMEs and service learning for pre-service teachers?’ The focus of the paper was on OMEs that took place in China and Malaysia. Findings included that the combined program aided development of global mindedness, learning by being there, teacher experience in a new context and the development of a professional identity in the participating students