Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Experiential education'

Experiential learning theory, student driven learning methods, and brain research related to learning and memory support the use of experientially based learning activities in a traditional classroom. It is the author’s opinion, however, that teachers rarely make use of such activities, termed Learning Games in this paper, as a means to help students learn, retain, and recall material presented in the classroom. Reasons include a lack of training and a perceived limit of time for the inclusion of experientially based teaching techniques. Others argue that experiential learning resembles unguided learning and places undue demands on student working memory that can hinder effective learning. This paper presents support for the use of Learning Games, activities developed by the author based on research and the value of ‘fun’, ‘play’, and ‘games’, to enhance the learning process. Significance of the study is to increase the acceptance of experiential learning in a traditional classroom, to dispel preconceived notions, and to expand on a teacher’s diversity of teaching techniques to offer more opportunities for student learning. A mixed methods research design is used to evaluate student preference to experiential learning pedagogy to that of traditional classroom instruction. The results showed no significant difference in student preference between experiential and traditional pedagogy. Possible reasons include factors related to the school’s culture and traditions, student demographics, teacher inexperience, and classroom environment. Heuristic inquiry reveals the researcher’s teaching philosophy and methods incongruent to the research setting.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate employer perceptions regarding the value of internships and to determine the role of company size in internship recruitment and/or placement. This study provides a much-needed employer viewpoint of the role of experiential education in undergraduate and graduate education, as well as offering researchers valuable insight into the needs and hiring practices of employers. Three research questions guided this study: Is there a relationship between company size and internship value in recruitment and/or placement, is there a relationship between company size and the value of internships in recruitment and/or placement opportunities for full-time hiring, and Is there a relationship between company size and perceived value if the prior experience is unpaid? Employer members of the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) were invited to participate; n = 264 with a return rate of 8.51 percent. A correlation research design was used to determine if a relationship existed between large and small companies and their value of experiential education as it relates to hiring. Spearman rho was used to provide the statistical analysis. Empirical results indicated there was a slight correlation among large and small companies in regard to the value they placed on internships as a prerequisite in their field, when considering applicants for fulltime hires, and when evaluating whether the experiential learning experience was paid or unpaid. Additionally, employers indicated that experiential learning opportunities such as internships or co-ops are increasing in value in recruitment and /or placement for their industries. For example, nearly 70 percent of employers indicated internships or co-ops should be a part of graduation requirements for students thus, suggesting the increased value companies are placing on internships. Internships and co-ops have become a standard for industries. Employers suggested the value of experiential learning in the recruitment and placement of applicants is a highly desired component of an applicant's credentials.

The aim of this research was to investigate the transformational experience of teachers who had training and experience with traditional education and then moved to an experiential teaching method as found in the One Earth School, Bali, Indonesia. The researcher conducted interviews with eight teachers and made observations of the teachers’ practices in the One Earth School. This study sought to answer the main research question: What was the transformative experience of teachers who moved from traditional to experiential forms of education? This primary research question was expanded to include sub-research questions that explored: How did an experiential educational method influence teacher practice, what were the barriers in transitioning to an education in experiential learning, how did the teachers address those barriers? The primary researcher used a multiple case study method. Six key themes emerged from this analysis, which were a sense of purpose, transformation of educational beliefs, experiences of transformative learning, sense of community, sense of intimacy, and self-transformation. The findings of this study provided data to support the theories and practices of transformative experiences for teachers who converted to this method. The experiences of teaching in the OES provided teachers impactful learning experiences that facilitated their transformation. The findings will provide a model for articulating and disseminating the transformative practices of educators as co-learners.

Required experiential learning within the context of higher education is on the rise. This dissertation endeavors to expand current understandings of resistance to required experiential learning including root causes, implications, and opportunities to address and alleviate resistance. The debate regarding the merits of required service, service-learning, study abroad, and other experiential learning opportunities is examined. In addition, access to such opportunities, causes and effects of resistance that develops for some participants, and ways of addressing this phenomenon are identified. To this end, an exploration of existing literature related to required experiential learning and reluctant participation is offered. In addition to a case study of Susquehanna University’s Global Opportunities program, data for this study was gathered through research methods including focus groups and semi-structured, open-ended interview. Findings reveal a variety of causes of resistance, why resistance manifests for some students prior to required study away, and strategies that practitioners in the field of experiential education employ to address such resistance.

Environmental education programs aim to develop participant awareness, sensitivity, and understanding of their affective relationship to the natural environment through conceptual knowledge and personal experiences. Previous findings have suggested that participation in environmental education programs leads to short-term positive increases in environmental knowledge, pro-environmental attitudes, and intentions to act in environmentally responsible behaviors; however, few studies have included long-term, follow-up assessment. This research provided an analysis of the effectiveness of the O'Neill Sea Odyssey (OSO) education program in fostering a long-term awareness of personal responsibility about ocean pollution among student participants.

A survey administered to 261 students from the greater San Francisco Bay Area in California was used to explore 7^th through 10 ^th grade students' conceptions about the connection between ocean pollution and stewardship behaviors. The study revealed that 75% of 86 former OSO participants retained a high level of awareness of the connection between non-point source pollution and personal behaviors two to five years after the program, regardless of differences in sex, language, grade level, and community setting. These results indicate that OSO participants retained a long-term conceptual awareness about environmental stewardship behaviors taught during the OSO program.

The Jewish community has increasingly relied upon Experiential Education as a pedagogical approach to instilling Jewish identity and communal affiliation over the past twenty years. The Experiential Education format of travel programs has specifically been emphasized and promoted for Jewish Emerging Adults for this purpose, and outcome studies of these trip programs have demonstrated success in instilling identification and affiliation with both the Jewish community and the state of Israel among their participants. However, little is actually empirically known about the processes that impact the participant during the trip experience – the so-called "black box" – or how significant a participant's predisposition towards Israel and Judaism are in how they process their trip experiences. Even less is empirically known about the identity development of Jewish Emerging Adults in large part due to a pre-disposition to study Jews developmentally only as affiliates of a religion rather than members of a distinctly multi-layered group.

This grounded theory study examines participants in two different trip experiences, Taglit Birthright Israel and an Alternative Spring Break, through post-trip interviews. The emergent theory suggests three conclusions: The predisposition of a participant towards their own Jewish identity can influence how they process their experiences on the trip; the actual trip experience can be best understood as repeatedly processing multiple and ongoing experiences within the trip itself; the processing of those experiences can be descriptively modeled as a theory that allows an glimpse in to the "black box." Such a theoretical model can be used to better train trip staff on how the trip experience impacts the Jewish identity of those participants and also to plan trip itineraries to optimize the trip's experiential impact on participant Jewish and Zionist identity and communal affiliation.

During end-of-life care, nurses face ethical dilemmas on a daily basis with minimal operative scholastic preparation and professional expertise. The diverse source of ethical quandaries includes patient care issues related to legalities, inappropriate medical interventions, social roles, and professional and personal values. Ethical discourse in end-of-life care occurs within institutions where policies, professional relationships, and economic factors constrain ethical reflection. Thus, it is imperative that ethics education take into account the professional and social context of nursing, in addition to traditional teachings focused on many principles and theories, codes of conduct, and legal ramifications. The purpose of this research was to explore how experienced nurses' successfully resolved day-to-day ethical dilemmas during end-of-life care. This study utilized narrative analysis to analyze data generated from one-on-one interviews with six hospice nurses. The semi-structured interviews were conducted in two phases. Using core story creation, several different ethical dilemmas were identified divulging struggles with key stakeholders. Thematic analysis was then used to create three main themes: Ethics within Practice, Ethical Knowledge, and Ethical Solutions discussed within the framework of situational context, deliberations, and ethical actions. The results gained from this research provide information on how to improve nursing ethics education through the use of narratives of experienced nurses. The nurses used in this research told their stories depicting a keen awareness of ethical conflicts situated by contextual factors including social, political, and personal issues. Their deliberations were informed through formal, experiential, and intuitive knowledge creating a sense of phronesis as they negotiated the right course of actions. The nurses solved ethical predicaments by either following rules or choosing acts of resistance. It is my contention that the results of this study will empower practicing nurses and nurse educators to appreciate and incorporate context and different forms of knowledge to inform ethical discourse. We can utilize the experienced nurses' wisdom to improve nursing ethics education which ultimately translates to providing better deaths for patients.