Capturing and Assessing the Experience of Experiential Learning: Understanding Teaching and Learning in a Behaviourally Challenging Context

Abstract

Our project examines the application of an integrated curriculum through experiential learning in Lomandra School in NSW. A small and tight-knit special school1, Lomandra School caters to students from Stages 3 to 6 who experience emotional, social and behavioural difficulties (ESBD). Lomandra School has the highest enrolment rate among special schools in western and south-western Sydney. A team teaching approach applies to every class, each having up to ten students. All teaching teams, with a teacher and a School Learning Support Officer (SLSO), teach and facilitate learning across all curricular areas. Lomandra School has been implementing the Outside Classroom Program since 2007. The study found that this alternative approach to special education innovatively designs and implements an integrated curriculum through experiential learning. The Outside Classroom Program embodies the interaction of the three emphases in the School Plan, namely students, teaching and learning, and community. This study is a research partnership between the School of Education of Western Sydney University and Lomandra School. It is also a major initiative of Lomandra School’s response to the requirement of the NSW DEC for evidence-based teaching and learning. This study uses a multiple case design which encompasses interviews with teachers, focus groups with students and lesson observations. It aims to generate a theory that explains the design, implementation, challenges and impact of an integrated curriculum through experiential learning in the context of special schools2. Specifically, this project addresses the following research questions: 1) What challenges need to be addressed when designing and implementing this approach? How can they be addressed? 2) What attitudes, values, skills and knowledge are critical to the design and implementation of an integrated curriculum through experiential learning? 3) How do educators (both teachers and SLSOs) and students at Lomandra perceive the impact of this approach on students learning and behaviours? In response to these questions, this study will disseminate its findings by ways of scholarly publications (include this report), and an online case-based reasoning (CBR) library with a searchable engine. The CBR library uses a design that fosters causal reasoning and aims to help teachers and SLSOs from similar school settings to understand, design and implement the approach under investigation. Continuing efforts will be made to grow the CBR library for sustainability purposes