ASSESSING EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION

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ASSESSING EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION

• SENCER Summer Institute 2003
• Santa Clara University
• Karen K.Oates
• Koates_at_gmu.edu

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What is Experiential Education?

• One working definition
• A form of active learning which specifically
  places the subject of learning in its broader
  context, integrating both theory and practice
  with reflection.

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What is Experiential Education?

• Another Definition
• Experimental Education is a learning process
  through which the learner constructs knowledge,
  attitudes, competencies, skills, and
  understanding through direct reflective
  experience.

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Experiential Education is a general term and may
include

• Internships, service learning, cooperative/collabo
  rative learning activities, community based
  learning, community bases research, study abroad,
  outdoor adventure education,participatory
  community projects and partnership activities.

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Experiential Learning

• helps put science in Social Context
• Helps connect Science to the other disciplines
• Allows one to learn for the sake of helping
  others
• Provides a variety of ways to connecting
  knowledge to understanding and application

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Some Common Experiential Learning Objectives

• To learn background information and fundamental
  techniques
• TO USE THE scientific method approach IN solving
  the equation at hand
• To use genuine trial and error with correction
• To make choices based on data and information
• To get results based on synthesis of data into
  knowledge by using scientific reasoning skills

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Teaching science should reflect science values
(NRC report)

• Hold curiosity, creativity, imagination, and
  beauty in high esteem
• Should counter learning anxieties
• Exploit the riches of your communities
• (for non-majors and majors alike)

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Premise Why Experiential Education in the
sciences?

• Science education must be consistent with nature
  of science. (National Research Council
  Guidelines)
• So what better way can we achieve this?

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Potential Learning Outcomes(for science)

• Understanding of the scientific way of knowing
• Developing the language of science
• Understanding of how practice theory are
  connected
• Investigating different experimental approaches
• Studying primary literature
• Adding to the body of scientific knowledge
• Participating in the scientific endeavor
• Connecting the world of faculty research to
  teaching

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Focus on Assessing Experiential Education

• With SENCER APPROACH (science and civic
  engagement).
• Major Questions
• Does Experimental Education have a positive
  impact on understanding of concepts SENCER
  facts imbedded in courses?
• Do the learning gains justify time resource
  investments?
• What intended and unintended outcomes How were
  they assessed?

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SYNERGISTIC PARTERNSHIPS

• Web designers for non-profits/govt
• Summer reading programs
• K-12 mentoring
• Linking h.s. courses w/university courses/faculty
• Science engineering camp mentors
• Internships
• Service learning
• Workforce effectiveness - courses on business
  site
• Health courses community health
• Individual course service learning projects

Public Schools, non-profits Government
Business Partners
University
Karen Kashmanian Oates koates_at_gmu.edu,
oates_at_aacu.nw.dc.us
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Participatory Action Research as Community Based
Research
Goals

• To bridge the gap between classroom based
  instruction and field based service.
• To strengthen theory knowledge through direct
  experience.
• To serve a need in the community.
• To provide students integration of disciplines
  and competencies.
• Career exploration and networking through school
  to work linkages.

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Linking Experiential Learning to best practices
in Undergraduate Education

• Encourages Student-Faculty contact
• Encourages Student Cooperation Among Students
• Encourages Active Learning
• Gives Prompt Feedback
• Emphasizes Time on Task
• Communicates high expectations
• Respects Diverse Talents Ways of learning
  (chickering et. al)

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Beginning the SENCER Approach for Assessment

• Lets ask ourselves
• What is aim of the assessment?
• Who wants or needs it-all stakeholders?
• Resources need, including who?
• How can insure the results will be used?

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Assessment Matrix

• What do we want to know?
• What will we look for?
• What will we measure?
• Ho will we gather evidence needed to demonstrate
  what we want to know?
• Core Concepts
• Key Indications
• Methods
• Sources

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Instruments

• Surveys
• Interviews
• Focus Groups
• Document Review (Portfolio)
• Observation
• Journals
• Critical Incident Reports

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3 Major Sites

• Association for Experimental Education
  www.aee.org
• National Society for Experimental Education
  www.nsee.org
• Council for undergraduate Research www.cur.org