An elementary education technology unit that involved converting decimal numbers into binary ones used an experiential method based on mass production. The children thus learned about place value, symbolic logic, practical math, and mass production, and at the same time such skills as following directions and listening attentively were reinforced.…

In promoting and operating experiential education programs, educators must ask: Who is accountable to whom? How can accountability be measured? and How can accountability information be used? The perspectives of internal and external stakeholders must inform program assessment. (SK)

Describes a classroom experience in which the curriculum, committed to helping students use language to criticize and change their social world, gained validity and vitality because of the allegedly racist social climate on campus. Argues against those, such as Susan Miller, who essentialize expressivist pedagogies that are grounded in…

Cites research to support the idea that field trips are more successful for students if they receive a process skills orientation as opposed to a cognitive orientation to the field trip experience. Provides details on planning and preparation for a trip to the zoo. (DDR)

A learning activity designed for an Association of Experiential Educators workshop asked participants to lead their group through a maze symbolizing the obstacles and frustration encountered when implementing experiential education programs. Includes goals, set-up, sample presentation, and suggestions for debriefing participants. (LP)

Apparel merchandising students participated in a cooperative research project in which they observed customer service techniques by posing as customers in retail stores. The project taught research processes, collaboration, and principles of customer service. (SK)

Most experiential educators acknowledge the centrality of the learner in experiences they facilitate, indicating a constructivist epistemological vision. Yet participant experiences are lost in research using an outcome-focused, objectivist epistemology. Employing a constructivist epistemology in research embraces a broader range of approaches,…

Describes in detail several activities designed for students studying dynamics. Incorporates life-related mathematical modeling and practical work. Uses computer technology as a tool. (Contains 15 references.) (ASK)

Describes a science experiment involving plant seeds where students observe the germination and plant growth. (YDS)

Explains how to apply Kolb's experiential learning cycle in finance education. Matches learning styles to learning activities in a matrix. Describes a test of the system with finance students at Massey University in New Zealand. (SK)

A therapist at a private group home for adjudicated youth taught three boys aged 14-16 with behavioral disorders to build wooden canoes. His day-by-day account describes their progress, pitfalls, and learning, and the sense of accomplishment the boys got from participating in an experience that carried them beyond their own perceived limitations.…

Describes the facilitation of group ice-breakers and orientation activities that emphasize the individual's influence on group rhythms and the group's freedom to create its own "climate controls." Comments on the creation of the "Being"--a metaphor for the group as a living organism. (SAS)

Addresses three issues of Calculator-based Ranger (CBR) activities on graphing abilities: (a) the effect of CBR activities on graphing abilities; (b) the extent to which prior knowledge about graphing skills affects graphing ability; and (c) the influence of instructional styles on students' graphing abilities. Indicates that CBR activities are…

Describes the three stages of a field trip and reviews stage 1, weekend field trips, which focuses on an organism's morphology, behavior, and ecology. Presents activities on salamanders, small mammals, fish, birds, and bats. Explains the difficulties of weekend trips. (YDS)

Uses three instruments derived from experiential learning theory--the Learning Style Inventory, the Adaptive Style Inventory, and the Learning Skills Profile--to test hypotheses about the differences between balanced and specialized learning styles in a sample of 198 part-time and full-time MBA students. (Contains 81 references.) (Author/YDS)