Effective Practice and Experiential Education

The central challenge to educators in the liberal arts as in all areas of study is transfer of learning i.e. how can we design learning environments and instruction to that students will be able to use what they learn in appropriate new contexts? Alfred North Whitehead described this as the problem of ‘inert knowledge’ nearly a century ago and Dewey noted that instruction which helps students reproduce what is studied on exams might not produce the depth of understanding that allows for recognizing the relevance of what is known to a particular situation and the ability to apply it. Knowledge that is not conditionalized (i.e. in which the learner does not know when where and why it is to be used) is inert

Comparing the Impact of Two Internship Experiences on Student Learning

Cooperative education programs generally enjoy faculty support where there are clear links between vocational training, career development and job experience. Liberal arts faculty tend to be dubious about the value of internship programs that displace significant amounts of coursework, questioning whether the educational opportunity costs are offset by what is learned in the field. Even where faculty realize that the goals of liberal education and experiential education coincide, e.g., in putting theory into practice, acquiring a deeper understanding of how organizations operate, and developing higher order cognitive skills (Couto and Zuberer, 1988), they are reluctant to support full-time internships as the best way to achieve these goals (Gore and Nelson,1984). Thus in most universities, internship programs are marginal to the academic program (Migliore, 1990)

Reflection: Linking Service and Learning-Linking Students and Communities

While research on service-learning has been mixed, there is evidence to suggest that service-learning programs which thoroughly integrate service and academic learning through continuous reflection promote development of the knowledge, skills, and cognitive capacities necessary for students to deal effectively with the complex social issues that challenge citizens. While there is not much research in the service-learning literature that specifically addresses techniques of reflection, evidence from studies of problem-based learning, situated cognition, and cognitive development suggests approaches to reflection that will enhance the power of service-learning in attaining these important goals which facilitate full community participation. This review presents concrete suggestions about this type of program

The impact of a college community service laboratory on students\u27 personal, social, and cognitive outcomes

This exploratory study attempts to· answer the question: can a required service-learning experience of limited intensity and duration have an impact on the development of college students as participating citizens of their community? Students who provided community service as part of a one credit community service laboratory showed a significant increase in their belief that people can make a difference, that they should be involved in community service and particularly in leadership and political influence, and in their commitment to perform volunteer service the following semester. They also became less likely to blame social service clients for their misfortunes and more likely to stress a need for equal opportunity. They indicated that their experience had led them to more positive perceptions of the people they worked with

What Do We Know About the Impact of Field Based Programs on Students?

The literature on field based education programs for undergraduates is voluminous, but surprisingly unhelpful in answering the most important question of all, What difference does it make in the lives of students? In this presentation we have focused on this largely unanswered question, first (1) examining the goals commonly held for such field experiential approaches as cooperative education, academic internships, field components of classes, and service learning then (2) discussing evidence for impact on students and finally (3) identifying critical gaps in our knowledge of how these programs affect students

The Importance of Program Quality in Service-Learning

One of the tensions between practitioners and researchers in service-learning is that they seem to ask different questions. As we immerse ourselves in the practice and the research literature, we are reminded of the task of digging a tunnel under a mountain with crews starting at each end and finally breaking through at what they hope will be the same point in the middle. In this chapter we try to link the practice and the research literature so that the questions of why and how, which appear most frequently in the practice literature, can be linked with the what or the question of outcomes raised most often by researchers. Because there is no single literature on program characteristics that lead to quality experiences for students in service-learning, we review several related bodies of literature in this chapter. • the practice literature on principles of good practice in service-learning. The related experiential education literature that is derived from learning theory. • the related experiential education literature that is derived from learning theory. • the research literature on student growth and development outcomes

The Theoretical Roots of Service-Learning in John Dewey: Toward a Theory of Service-Learning

As interest in service-learning research multiplies. there is a concomitant need fora theoretical base for service-learning. In this article the authors review aspects of John De1wy \u27s educational and social philosophy that they identify as relevant to the development of a theory of service-learning, including learning from experience, reflective activity, citizenship, community, and democracy. The article concludes with a set of key questions for research and theory development

At A Glance: What We Know about The Effects of Service-Learning on Students, Faculty, Institutions and Communities, 1993-1999

At A Glance summarizes the findings of service learning research in higher education over the past few years and includes a bibliography. It is designed to provide a quick overview of where we are in the field today and a map to the literature. Particular issues of interest may be explored in greater depth through the annotated bibliography and complete review of research for this period from 1993-99. This survey of service-learning research within higher education reflects a dramatic increase over recent years that examine the effects of service-learning on students, faculty, institutions, and communities. The scope of this literature review includes national, regional and single studies that focus on personal, learning, social, institutional, community or career developmental outcomes, as well as how program characteristics affect these outcomes. The initial literature search focused on research indexes such as ERIC and Psych Lit. Four descriptors guided these literature searches: service learning, community service and experiential learning, and field- based education. Special attention was paid to The Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning because this peer review journal has become a significant outlet for service-learning research in higher education. Summary reports from service-learning organizations were included such as RAND, Learn and Serve America, the Bonner Scholars Program, the American Association of Community Colleges, and the National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges

At A Glance: What We Know about The Effects of Service-Learning on College Students, Faculty, Institutions and Communities, 1993- 2000: Third Edition

At A Glance summarizes the findings of service-learning research in higher education over the past few years and includes an annotated bibliography. It is designed to provide a quick overview of where we are in the field today and a map to the literature

At A Glance: What We Know about The Effects of Service-Learning on College Students, Faculty, Institutions and Communities, 1993- 2000: Third Edition

At A Glance summarizes the findings of service-learning research in higher education over the past few years and includes an annotated bibliography. It is designed to provide a quick overview of where we are in the field today and a map to the literature