University of Colorado and AISES sponsor an Upward Bound program for Native American students that combines Western and Native-based approaches to math and science education during a summer residential program. Native American teachers expose students to modern laboratory equipment, computer technology, outdoor field experiments, outdoor…

Uses the example of a trail near Lancashire in Northern England to explore the educational values of rural trails. Maintains that studying trails can enhance the appreciation and teaching of conceptual matters as well as develop students' skills for informed observation and interpretation of field evidence. Includes an area map. (MJP)

A conceptual framework for developing pharmacy curricula to provide students with introductory practice experiences (IPEs) is outlined, including the rationale, educational objectives and outcomes, and desired characteristics of these experiences. Pharmacy literature concerning early practice experiences is also reviewed. Models and desired…

With the aim of adding clarity to college practice in experiential education and service learning, a taxonomy of experiential education is proposed. For each of three categories (internship, cooperative education, service learning), goals and objectives of the major stakeholders (academy, student, host organization) are specified. Four levels of…

Discusses the educational applications of experimental psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's theory of peak experience, or optimal flow. Optimal flow refers to the receptive state people achieve when they are engaged in interesting and challenging activity. Includes an insightful critique of multimedia instruction from this perspective. (MJP)

The Rural Entrepreneurship through Action Learning (REAL) program is a network of teachers from 150 high schools, colleges, and universities in 23 states and 2 foreign countries. The program uses experiential learning to link rural schools with rural development by drawing on schools' resources to revitalize the community, while using the…

A White Australian professor of a class on Indigenous women's dance has her Aboriginal sister-in-law conduct workshops on Indigenous dance. The classroom dynamics resulting from the complex power relationships (teacher as White woman, Aboriginal family member, and students) disturbs Western paradigms. The responsibility of "safely…

Identifies an integral problem in most undergraduate psychology classes covering testing and ethical principles. The American Psychological Association's ethical code, rules, and test standards seem obtuse and irrelevant to many students. Recommends teaching the Test Takers' Bill of Rights. Includes a copy of this document. (MJP)

Argues that children's perceptions of the natural world are linked with imagination development and experiential learning. Describes children's learning as sensory-oriented. Advocates fostering a love of nature, arguing that access to natural places and natural play activities both encourage a connection with the earth and contribute to children's…

Provides a thorough overview of the origins, objectives, and implementation of nature study in elementary education in England. Tracks the activities and efforts of the School Nature Study Union (established 1903). Although influential in London, the Union never established a national presence and ended operations in 1994. (MJP)

Custom mapping, an experiential learning strategy used in adventure education, provides a general metaphoric activity and then requires the group to customize it into their own "meta-map." This approach encourages collaboration, gives the group a high degree of autonomy in developing creative solutions, and has the potential to generate…

Black, and white students who participated in a race relations class that required a seven-day residential visit in a home of another race and a visit to a predominantly black college were interviewed 20 years later about the course's significance. The former students recalled that the course was profound, meaningful, and life-changing. (TD)

Through an Essex High School/University of Vermont partnership, students can complete all 33 credits of the teacher licensing program within high school walls. Each three-credit course includes theory-focused class meetings and action-focused practica that inspire students to develop and conduct action-research projects. As a roving education…

Presents seven articles on outdoor play environments: "Are We Losing Ground?" (Greenman); "Designing and Creating Natural Play Environments for Young Children" (Keeler); "Adventure Playgrounds and Outdoor Safety Issues" (McGinnis); "Trust, the Earth and Children: Birth to Three" (Young); "Outdoor Magic…

During the late 1940s and much of the 1950s, attitudes towards outdoor education in Scotland were rooted in militaristic concerns with character building through adventure training and civic activities. During the late 1950s and the 1960s, the purposes of the field were seen as recreation, leisure education, personal and social development, and…