Experiential learning

This phenomenological study sought to understand the lived experiences of graduate students engaged in STEM-related Academic Service-Learning (AS-L). For the purposes of this study, Academic Service-Learning is a form of experiential learning whereby students complete a service project as a component of a specific course. This study looked at these student AS-L project experiences at the graduate level as a component of STEM-based courses. While the impact of Academic Service-Learning on the undergraduate experience is well documented, there is no research to date on the graduate experience, much less on graduate students in STEM fields. By understanding the lived experiences of graduate students in STEM-based Academic Service-Learning, this study attempts to fill that gap.
The research questions that guided my study were: (1) What types of project-based experiences are graduate students performing in their Academic-Service-Learning designated courses? (2) What are the lived experiences of graduate students who are conducting AS-L projects in the community as a component of a STEM-based AS-L course as perceived by students, faculty, and community partners. (3) What are the lived experiences of the community partners who are hosting the students for their AS-L projects.

The purpose of this study was to understand the lived experiences of skydiving instructors who have shaped the instructional practices of experienced and active accelerated freefall instructors (AFFIs) in Central and Southern Florida. By contributing to the training curriculum, this research attempted to close the experiential gap between novice and senior instructors in a more efficient manner. Due to the complex nature of teaching skydiving and an absence of an opportunity for a skydiving instructor in training to work in freefall with non-certified skydivers, understanding the lived experiences of active AFFIs is of critical importance. This study aimed to answer the following research questions: (a) How do active accelerated freefall training instructors personalize the lessons learned in the AFFI instructor training course, forming their own best practices and instructional style? and (b) What roles do lived skydiving experiences, both significant and critical, play in the development of an active AFFI’s current instructional style and best practices? Sites selected included five dropzones located in Central and Southern Florida, with three of those sites yielding a total of 10 participants. Data were collected regarding basic demographic information as well as about the lived experiences of the active AFFIs through both structured and semi-structured interviews and document analysis. Interviews were conducted either in-person or over the phone based on the preference of the participants. Data analysis took place in three phases: separation of qualitative and quantitative data, open coding, and axial coding following Merriam’s (2009) process of coding. Findings revealed an understanding that accelerated freefall (AFF) instruction has become rooted within the culture and experiences of the skydiving community through the stance “license to learn.” This stance has led to the emergence of an educational model outlining the roles culture and experience play not only in the development of the active AFFIs, but also how those lessons are passed on to the next generation of AFFIs. Findings in this research will play a significant role in the development of future curricular adjustments, highlighting the importance of this stance while also providing a solid foundation for future inquiry.

This study was designed to examine self-directed learning readiness of volunteer
community leaders and to determine if and how they used self-directed learning in their
community leadership roles. The sample included volunteer community leaders in South
Florida serving as board members in community leadership organizations and Rotarians
serving in leadership roles in the Rotary District 6990. The results support the conclusion that community leaders are self-directed
learners. They make extensive use of learning projects in their community leadership
roles, use a variety of learning methods, and have a need for ongoing learning.
The study suggests that designers of training for community leaders might find it
valuable to reevaluate and update traditional training programs, utilize or support the
identified key methods of learning and recognize that training needs to be applicable,
cutting edge, and go beyond local boundaries.

The following document offers a qualitative case study in the field of adult and
community education from an educational leadership perspective using baseball as an
adult learning tool. Relevant existing theories (adult education, lifelong learning, adult
learners, and certain leadership practices) for successful facilitation of historical baseball
research were examined. The study focused on a purposeful sample population upon
which a pilot study was conducted, revealing the experiences of adult self-directed
learners who produce the seminal work in their field as an avocation. The findings of this
study included, but are not limited to, the passionate approach the study group members
have for their subject matter, their love of learning, and the self-directedness of nonformally
trained research historians using baseball as an adult learning tool. The findings
also revealed the group members belief in the academic worthiness of baseball history,
and their willingness to share their work with others to advance the field.

The percentage of older adults in the American population is expected to
increase from about 12% now to 22% by the year 2030 (Eisen, 2005). Educators can
play an important role in managing the effec.,ts of this demographic shift by designing
learning opportunities that increase older adults' motivation to participate and their
ability to learn. Because older adults themselves can otTer important insights on what
helps and hinders their learning, the purpose of this study was to explore the
perceptions of adults over age 64 residing in a large metropolitan area in the
southeastern United States on effective and ineffective learning experiences.
Utilizing a qualitative design, the researcher interviewed 36 older adults
involved in learning experiences at three distinct sites. Data were also collected
through observations and document analysis. Five research questions were answered with the following four findings: 1) effective learning experiences are involving, 2)
the instructor is a key component in the classroom, 3) familiar or relevant topics are
interesting, and 4) the computer and the Internet are both loved and hated. The
participants in this study value learning experiences that involve them in the
classroom and keep them involved in the world. They enjoy asking questions,
discussing ideas, and learning with friends and family members in environments free
from the pressures of mandatory assignments and tests. They seek instructors who
are knowledgeable about the subject, clear and understandable in their presentation,
respectful of their experience, and effective at grabbing their attention through
enthusiasm, humor, and relevant stories. When they discover effective instructors,
they tend to take classes with them over and over again. However. when instructors'
abilities are unknown, they look for learning experiences that will either expand their
knowledge abcut something familiar or teach them something that will have some
relevance in their lives. Finally, these seniors enjoy the convenience of accessing a
wealth of information using computers and the Internet. Yet, they also experience
considerable frustration in learning computer tasks and dealing with computer
problems. Reommendations are provided for designing, marketing, and delivering
quality learning experiences for senior adults.

This mixed methods, multisite case study examined the relational ecology of two urban middle schools that had adopted school-wide restorative practices (SWRPs) and the changes that occurred as a result of the reform initiative. The study was conducted in two Title I middle schools in the Oakland Unified School District in California. A positive relational ecology existed in these two urban middle schools, and this ecology was built on the interacting and interrelated themes of relational trust, being heard, a relational-based, student-centered culture, and a commitment to the principles of social justice. The positive relational ecology created a strong foundation upon which change could occur at the organizational, individual, and pedagogical levels. Various structures within the schools, including circles, instructional leadership teams, student councils, and peer mediation, created space for teachers and students to be heard and empowered, which subsequently facilitated change and growth for many administrators, teachers, and students. High turnover, lack of initial and ongoing training, and the development of quasi- or non-restorative processes jeopardized program fidelity. Findings revealed that in these restorative schools, relational ecology and change were inseparable, and that they moved and influenced each other. A positive relational ecology created an environment that enabled leaders and staff to feel safe as they embarked upon the journey of change. Changes in the ways that members of the school communities related to each other on a daily basis provided additional motivation to continue the change effort, and these changes then strengthened the relational ecologies. Findings of this study are significant and have implications for schools and school districts, policy makers, and teacher and leader education programs. Future research should include longitudinal, mixed methods studies that assess the school culture before and after implementing SWRPs, as well as experimental or quasi-experimental designs that compare restorative and non-restorative schools. Such studies may provide more empirical evidence that links healthy relational ecologies to student achievement, less teacher turnover, decreased conflict, and healthier communities, thereby strengthening the case for rejecting punitive and discriminatory zero tolerance school discipline policies and adopting restorative justice in education instead.

Narrative inquiry was the qualitative method utilized to collect stories related to
former migrant African American females who transformed their lives from migrant
workers and found alternative career paths. Sustained poverty among migratory workers created a disenfranchised culture of uneducated citizens. A large part of this labor force was women. It was expected that this culture of poverty would perpetuate itself through generations. The universal stereotypes associated with impoverished migrants were so ingrained that overwhelmingly the majority of migrants accepted a life of poverty as prophesy. However, some former migrant African American women defied odds and rose above the cumulative effects of poverty. The major findings of this study revealed factors that significantly contributed to their success in a variety of professional careers: consistent family support, adaptive coping skills, catalyst for change, transformative learning, and meaningful relationships with non-family members, and commitment to community service. Sub-findings emerged that revealed that these additional factors also contributed to their success: value placed on education, strong belief in God, and leadership skills.

My research measured completion and retention of procedural learning tasks, and
declarative and procedural components of engagement in indoor and outdoor settings.
Instructor-assisted Self-Directed Learning and Non-instructor-assisted Self-Directed
Learning were implemented in the context of an Experiential Learning approach.
Experimental covariates included student-specific variables such as background and
experience, and environment-specific variables such as temperature, and humidity. AIC
model averaging was used to identify the best-fitting mixed GLM models.
Neither location, nor pedagogic method, proved to be a significant predictor of the
probability that a student would complete the most complex of the procedural learning
tasks, and the percent of students completing this task was not significantly higher in
outdoor groups than in indoor groups. Neither location nor pedagogic method was a
significant predictor of retention of procedural knowledge or engagement with learning
materials. The level of voluntary collaboration was higher in outdoor groups than in indoor groups.

The existing body of knowledge within the field of experiential education is reviewed in relation to its potential for use in secondary school study tours. Existing techniques and procedures within the field are applied to a specific itinerary for an archaeological study tour of Maya sites in the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico. Anthropological and archaeological goals for the tour are suggested and a blend of experiential and pedagogical teaching and assessment strategies are presented for use by travel studies coordinators who would attempt such a tour. A logistical lesson plan is presented for consideration in offering the study tour for academic credit.

This study examines the activities of 17 students and four teachers who participated in a 15 day study tour to South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana. It describes how the school staff, who planned and conducted this tour, accomplished their supervising, teaching and facilitating tasks. The study seeks to determine how the students learned during this academic program and how travel to a foreign country affected their learning. The researcher accomplished the study as a participant observer, observing and interviewing students and staff while they were involved with the tour. Other data was collected by reviewing documents and analyzing responses to a questionnaire. Findings concerning the staff's participation are descriptive in nature. The researcher followed an analytic progression to describe actions of the school's board, administration and travel staff during the southern Africa program and describes what the staff's activities caused students to do. The investigation of student activities uses an interpretive approach to the analysis of collected data. It describes their activity and attributes intent to their behavior. Through the descriptions of the staff's activities and the analysis of the students' activities the researcher was able to answer the questions originally posed for the investigation; How do educators facilitate learning during foreign travel studies programs for a secondary school and how do students learn during these tours? The study found that the Lake Worth Christian School's staff developed and implemented the southern Africa program using procedures that were predetermined by school policy and procedures developed specifically for this particular trip and the students who were selected for it. The study found that the school staff utilized both classroom and experiential instruction methodology to prepare students for their encounters and to facilitate their learning in the field. With regard to students' learning activities the study found they accepted and understood the concept of experiential education. Students demonstrated an overwhelming enthusiasm for learning through direct involvement with their subject matter. The study confirmed a dominant social nature of the students' activities and suggested that the convivial atmosphere both attracted the students and enhanced their learning process. The study confirmed that, during the southern Africa program, learning behavior was affected by contrasts and similarities of student characteristics. Students demonstrated wide varieties of interest and significant differences in age and experience. The study also confirmed differences in student and staff approaches to subject matter they encountered within the various historical, cultural and natural sites. It found students approached information gathering differently in these disparate sites.