A study examined an adventure education program's impact on college students' learning and overall university experience. Focus groups conducted with 14 college freshmen in a learning community program indicated that the adventure education program enhanced connections between students, faculty, and the university; promoted experiential learning…

A study examined student learning in the workplace. Surveys of 1,451 students from 13 Australian secondary schools and 9 case studies found that communication skills and finding out what workplaces are really like constituted the bulk of workplace learning. Students reported learning experientially, and learning more in paid work and vocational…

Presents 10 ideas for service learning projects designed for elementary schools. Includes having students do local history projects complete with interviews and artifacts, learn about community volunteering, interact with the elderly, care for the environment, recycle materials, and hold canned food drives. (MJP)

This study examined how prior knowledge and experience influenced first-career and second-career beginning science teachers' curriculum and classroom instruction. Observations and interviews indicated that teachers compromised their beliefs about good content and became similar by the end of the year. The classroom curricula of both groups emerged…

Explores techniques for creating cohesive active learning communities in which information can be linked to real-world experiences. Discusses four types of interactions that take place in distance learning environments: learner-content, learner-instructor, learner-learner, and learner-interface. Offers strategies for overcoming common barriers to…

Recent procedural and management problems have clouded the benefits of British outdoor education centers. In surveys concerning two residential outdoor education centers, responses of teachers from 73 participating schools highlight the educational significance of outdoor education in such areas as personal and social development, environmental…

Describes the course content, student response, and instructional effectiveness of an undergraduate psychology and law course built around a series of active learning projects. Students chose either to attend a jury trial or to interview three people involved in the legal system. These formed the basis for papers and presentations. (MJP)

Interviews and observations focused on experiences of 15 young Asian women at a 5-day summer adventure program in southern England. Participants seemed bored with presentations about future career options, activities lost their challenge through repetition, and debriefing was weak. However, the women connected with the transferable skills of trust…

Describes the use of experiential learning in a university psychology course. Topics discussed include modeling teachers' attitudes and behavior; the importance of clear communication; an emphasis on process; collaborative learning; formative evaluation, including feedback on performance of both teachers and students; and summative evaluation. (21…

Secondary vocational education may often fail to develop students' thinking skills, because of teacher-student "negotiation" on academic standards and class content. Proposes engaging a diverse group of students in academically integrated coursework emphasizing experiential learning, basic skill training, entrepreneurial activity, decision making,…

Discussed is the integration of microcomputers into the science laboratory curriculum. The approach provides an exposure to important aspects of computer technology while preserving concrete experiences provided by hands-on laboratories. (CW)

Discusses the role of management games in management education. Topics discussed include role playing; computer simulation; computer games; elements of management game effectiveness; Bloom's taxonomy of learning objectives; models of the learning process; group interaction; experiential learning; and research studies on the effectiveness of…

Describes interdisciplinary activities with real-world applications ranging from science to mathematics to technology. Cites the study and construction of model bridges as a way for students to learn about engineering concepts and some of their relationships. States that the exercise enhanced teacher cooperation between the different fields. (RT)

Described and assessed was the teacher's role in three elementary school science programs which included hands-on learning experiences for the students. Results indicated that this role varied with the manner in which hands-on materials were used in the program. (CW)

Described are the organization, development, and piloting of this K-6 science curriculum program. Results of the pilot study are presented including the improvement in student and teacher attitudes. (CW)