LCRG Research Brief | Experiential Learning: What the Research Shows by Laurel School

CENTER FOR RESEARCH ON GIRLS

education A SERIES OF RESEARCH AND INFORMATIONAL PUBLICATIONS BY LCRG

“Putting the world’s best research to work for girls.”

by Dr. Tori Cordiano, Dr. Lisa Damour and Dr. Kelly Winkelhake

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING: WHAT THE RESEARCH SHOWS Experiential learning has been broadly defined as “any learning that supports students in applying their knowledge and conceptual understanding to real-world problems.”i The principles of experiential learning dovetail with pedagogical practices known to work especially well for girls. Specifically, research demonstrates that girls are drawn to programming that is collaborativeii and grounded in real-world concerns.iii PLACE-BASED LEARNING Place-based learning, or place-based education, is the pedagogical approach focused on strengthening the relationship between students and their local communities. It has been described as “the process of using the local community and environment as a starting point to teach concepts in language arts, mathematics, social studies, science and other subjects.” iv Place-based learning also emphasizes the mutual benefits of local, hands-on learning experiences for both students and communities and is rooted in the “geology, ecology, sociology, politics, and other dynamics of [a particular] place.” v Much of place-based education focuses on outdoor learning experiences that encourage students to “become part of the community, rather than a passive observer of it.”vi Place-based education is thought to increase students’ intrinsic motivation by helping them see the relevance of what they are learning.vii Indeed, a review of 40 environment-based school programs showed improvements in standardized test scores across subjects, as well as increased enthusiasm for problem-solving.viii Early returns on immersive outdoor education for younger students have relied on case studies and qualitative research. To date, findings suggest that child-led learning in a nature classroom strengthens:

• • • •

Social and physical skills Literacy skills STEM skills Motivation, concentration and confidence ix, x

education: EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING: WHAT THE RESEARCH SHOWS

ACTIVE LEARNING Active learning can be defined generally as “any instructional method that engages students in the learning process.”xi General characteristics of active learning include students being involved in higher-order thinking and actively taking part in the learning process rather than only listening. Active learning is a strategy that allows the learner to have more control over her learning xii and can lead to “improved learning gains”xiii as a result of her active engagement.

THE PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING CYCLE Problem Scenario

Formulate and Analyze Problem

Identify Facts

While educators have long used active learning practices within their classrooms, recent research has provided details on the benefits of such approaches. Research finds that active learning improves students’ attitudes, thinking and writing xivand can help students develop a deep understanding of the concepts being studied.xv

Generate Hypotheses

Self-Directed Learning

ID Knowledge Deficiencies

Active learning has been a common strategy and an area of study within the nursing education field for several decades. Nurses and doctors taught through active learning methods outpaced traditional students on measures of content mastery and speed of course completion.xvi, xvii

Apply New Knowledge

PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING Problem-based learning describes a pedagogical approach first pioneered three decades ago in medical education. Medical students are taught, in part, using clinical cases that require inquiry, critical thinking, application of knowledge and problem-solving skills.xviiiAccordingly, problem-based learning has been defined as “finding solutions to authentic problems through in-depth investigation.” xix Teachers act as coaches who prompt students to ask questions rather than providing information and answers. Problem-based learning is now used widely at every educational level. Research has found that, compared to traditional learning methods, project-based learning results in the same level of factual knowledge,xx greater problem-solving skills and better ability to transfer knowledge to new situations.xxi Though the approach has been found to be successful at many educational levels, some adaptations may be in order for younger students. For example, a study of sixth-grade students compared problem-based learning to traditional learning on a unit that involved designing artificial lungs.xxii Students in the problem-based learning group outpaced the students in the traditional learning group on both short-answer tests and a drawing task, yet they also were found to have some gaps in their understanding. The researchers concluded that younger students, especially those in classrooms comprising a broad range of abilities, might benefit from a mix of direct instruction and problem-based approaches.

Abstraction From Hmelo-Silver, C.E. (2004).

SERVICE LEARNING Through service-learning, students provide meaningful service to others while engaging in a learning process that connects their service experience to an academic curriculum.xxiii Many schools have long required students to earn service hours as part of their graduation standards, but service-learning integrates this requirement with classroom content. Studies show positive outcomes for students engaged in service-learning, most commonly in the areas of: “attitudes toward self, attitudes toward school and learning, civic engagement, social skills, and academic achievement,”xxiv with even greater outcomes associated with the practice of frequent student reflection. A recent study involving over 6,000 middle-school students from 20 different schools describes the impact of service-learning after students participated in 17 different STEM service-learning projects. Results from this study show gains in academic achievement, academic engagement, civic responsibility and resiliency. Further, “one Alabama and one Georgia school each reported 20% increases in one year on criterion-referenced tests in science and reading.” xxv

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING: WHAT THE RESEARCH SHOWS [endnotes]

https://facultyinnovate.utexas.edu/teaching/strategies/overview/experiential-learning Retrieved on January 6, 2017. Cohoon, J. M. (2008). Just get over it or just get on with it. Retaining women in undergraduate computing. In J.M. Cohoon, & W. Aspray (Eds.), Women and Information Technology (205-238). Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.

iii

Lightbody, P., Siann, G., Tait, L., & Walsh, D. (1997). A fulfilling career? Factors which influence women’s choice of profession. Educational Studies, 23, 25-37.

Sobel, D. (2004). Place-based education: Connecting classrooms and communities. Great Barrington, MA: The Orion Society, p.7.

Woodhouse, J.L. & Knapp, C.E. (2000-12-00). Place-based curriculum and instruction: Outdoor and environmental education approaches. ERIC Digest, p.4.

Sobel, D. (2004), p. iii.

vii

Powers, A.L. (2004). An evaluation of four place-based education programs. The Journal of Environmental Education, 35, 17-32.

viii

Lieberman, G.A. & Hoody, L.L. (1998). Closing the achievement gap: Using the environment as an integrating context for learning. San Diego: State Education and Environment Roundtable.

Veselack, E.M., Cain-Chang, L., & Miller, D.L. (2011). Young Children develop foundational skills through child-initiated experiences in a Nature Explorer classroom: A single case study. La Canada, California. Growing with Nature, p.87.

O’Brien, L., & Murray, R. (2006). A marvellous opportunity for children to learn: a participatory evaluation of Forest School in England and Wales. Forest Research, Farnham, England.

Prince, M. (2004). Does active learning work? A review of the research. Journal of Engineering Education, 93(3), 223-231.

xii

Bransford, J. D., Brown, A. L., & Cocking, R. R. (Eds.), (1999). How people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

xiii

Redish, E., Saul, J., & Steinberg, R. (1997). On the Effectiveness of Active-Engagement Microcomputer-Based Laboratories. American Journal of Physics, 65(1), p.45.

xiv

Bonwell, C.C., & Eison, J.A. (1991). Active Learning: Creating Excitement in the Classroom, ASHEERIC Higher Education Report, 1, George Washington University, Washington, DC.

Wiggins, G., & McTighe, J. (1998). Understanding by Design, Merrill Education/ASCD College Textbook Series, ASCD, Alexandria, Virginia.

xvi

Boctor, L. (2013). Active-learning strategies: the use of a game to reinforce learning in nursing education. A case study. Nurse education in practice, 13(2), 96-100.

xvii

Schmidt, H. G., Cohen-Schotanus, J., & Arends, L. R. (2009). Impact of problem-based, active learning on graduation rates for 10 generations of Dutch medical students. Medical Education, 43(3), p.211.

xviii

Barrows, H. S. (1996). Problem-based learning in medicine and beyond: A brief overview. In L. Wilkerson & W. Gijselaers (Eds.), Bringing problem-based learning to higher education: Theory and practice. New Directions For Teaching and Learning Series, (68), (3-11). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

xix

Wurdinger, S.D., & Carlson, J.A. (2010). Teaching for Experiential Learning. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, p. 10.

Dochy, F., Segers, M., Van den Bossche, P., & Gijbels, D. (2003). Effects of problem-based learning: A meta-analysis. Learning and Instruction, 13, 533–568.

xxi

Hmelo-Silver, C.E. (2004). Problem-based learning: What and how do students learn? Educational Psychology Review, 16, 235-266.

xxii

Hmelo, C. E., Holton, D., & Kolodner, J. L. (2000). Designing to learn about complex systems. The Journal of the Learning Sciences, 9, 247–298.

xxiii

Wyss, V. L., & Tai, R. H. (2012). Service learning in high school biology and college major choice. College Student Journal, 46(2), 459-464.

xxiv

Celio, C. I., Durlak, J., & Dymnicki, A. (2011). A Meta-analysis of the Impact of Service-Learning on Students. Journal of Experiential Education, 34(2), p. 165.

xxv

Newman, J. L., Dantzler, J., & Coleman, A. N. (2015). Science in Action: How Middle School Students Are Changing Their World Through STEM Service-Learning Projects. Theory Into Practice, 54(1), p. 52.

xxvi

Sobel, D., Bailie, P., Finch, K., Kenny, E., & Stires, A. (2015). Nature preschools and forest kindergartens: The handbook for outdoor learning. St. Paul, MN: Redleaf Press.

xxvii

http://promiseofplace.org Retrieved on January 22, 2017.

xxviii

http://www.ourcurriculummatters.com/index.php Retrieved on January 22, 2017.

xxix

https://nylc.org/standards/ Retrieved on January 16, 2017.

xxx

Wiggins, G., & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by design. Alexandria, VA: Assn. for Supervision & Curriculum Development.

xxxi

Little, T., & Ellison, K. (2015). Loving learning: How progressive education can save America’s schools. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company.

CENTER FOR RESEARCH ON GIRLS Putting the world’s best research to work for girls.

LaurelSchool.org/LCRG

education: EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING: WHAT THE RESEARCH SHOWS

OUTDOOR PRE-PRIMARY EDUCATION

CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE

Laurel School launched the Outdoor Pre-Primary program in the fall of 2015, offering young girls and boys a unique opportunity for experiential learning in their earliest school days. Laurel’s rural Butler Campus, with its 140 acres of woodland and waterways, provides the perfect setting for placebased learning. A recent research collaboration between LCRG and Case Western Reserve University seeks to compare the immersive, Outdoor PrePrimary with Laurel’s traditional Pre-Primary program. Over the course of the 2015-2016 academic year, researchers collected data from teachers, parents and students in the areas of kindergarten readiness, social skills, general behavior/social-emotional skills, attitudes toward school and nature and pretend play. Results from the study indicate that children in both programs were equally prepared for kindergarten and showed similar development of play and social skills over the course of the school year.

Laurel School offers the Capstone Experience, a multidisciplinary approach to experiential learning that unfolds throughout the Upper School years. Capstone Candidates select and pursue a specific Research Focus in one of four areas: civic engagement, entrepreneurship, global studies or STEAM. With guidance from mentors and the support of their peers, students engage in regular intellectual discussion, relevant internships and focused travel toward the end goal of completing and presenting on their Research Focus. LCRG is studying how Capstone may affect students’ sense of purpose throughout their Upper School years, with the goal of better understanding this important aspect of resilience during adolescence.

RESOURCES FOR PARENTS AND EDUCATORS NATURE PRESCHOOLS AND FOREST KINDERGARTENS: THE HANDBOOK FOR OUTDOOR LEARNING xxvi Geared toward educators and school administrators, this handbook provides guidance regarding curriculum, structure and best practices for nature education.

PROMISE OF PLACE xxvii and OUR CURRICULUM MATTERS xxviii These websites both provide helpful information for educators and parents interested in learning more about place-based education, including curriculum design and links to other resources. links: www.promiseofplace.org and www.ourcurriculummatters.com

NATIONAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP COUNCIL K-12 SERVICE-LEARNING STANDARDS FOR QUALITY PRACTICE xxix In 2008, the National Youth Leadership Council (NYLC) released evidence-based standards and accompanying indicators for the use of K-12 educators to ensure high-quality service-learning practice with their own classrooms. links: htts://nylc.org/standards/

UNDERSTANDING BY DESIGN xxx This book serves as a guide for educators in designing curriculum, assessment and instruction.

LOVING LEARNING: HOW PROGRESSIVE EDUCATION CAN SAVE AMERICA’S SCHOOLS xxxi This book explores the ways in which experiential learning can take shape at any grade level.

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