Based on a longer report with the same title, this digest summarizes research on the use of experiential learning in higher education, focusing on classroom-community linkages. While the literature suggests that experiential learning is a necessary and vital component of formal instruction in colleges and universities, controversy exists among…

These four papers were presented at a symposium on action learning moderated by Lex Dilworth at the 1996 conference of the Academy of Human Resource Development. "Developing an Infrastructure for Individual and Organizational Change: Transfer of Learning from an Action Reflection Learning (ARL) Program" (ARL Inquiry) reports findings…

This paper discusses the use of quantitative methodologies to evaluate extended-stay outdoor education school programs (ESOESPs) in Australia. A recurring theme in the literature of outdoor education is the paucity of empirical data to support its continuation and development. Proponents argue that the outdoor education experience leads somehow to…

This learning packet, one in a group of eight, was developed by the Duke Power State Park in North Carolina for Grades 4-6 to learn to identify macroinvertebrates found in Lake Norman. Loose-leaf pages are presented in nine sections that contain: (1) introductions to the North Carolina State Park System, the Duke Power State Park, the park's…

This book contains a guided exploration of a special place in nature. Although geared towards young adults (ages 12-17), the book may also be appropriate for older children (ages 9-11), and adults. During a series of five visits, short multi-ethnic stories with matching activities help the reader to discover the area's uniqueness and beauty by…

The preservice teacher education program at Monash University (Australia) focuses on the nature of learning. A central antecedent to this is to have student teachers reconsider their concept of quality learning. The purpose of this paper is twofold--first, to highlight how student teachers' understanding of quality learning develops, and how this…

In educating children with disabilities, training for independence should begin early, and the "technology" may be very simple. This paper lists activities designed to increase gross, fine motor, cognitive, and eye-hand coordination skills needed for independent living. It encourages caregivers to engage young children in active learning…

Ten activities that feature a hands-on, student inquiry-based investigatory approach to rocks and minerals are presented. "Guided discovery" and/or inquiry instructional strategies are emphasized. They focus on a student-centered active classroom. Each activity includes the heading, science content, the scientific process skills, objective or…

This dissertation explores how landscape acts as teacher in shaping perceptions of place. At the core of the study is the Thelon Game Sanctuary, located in the central Northwest Territories of Canada. This contentious piece of land has been used historically and is claimed currently by both Dene and Inuit groups. The land also has an intriguing…

Cooperation is one of the central motivating forces in the economic and social organization of China. This unit utilizes a game called "Broken Squares" to initiate a discussion of the concepts of cooperation and competition as possible models for problem solving. In the game, students are confronted with a group task and provided with…

This paper briefly describes development of an Australian wilderness program for at-risk and problem students and outlines the "wilderness enhanced" model on which it is based. In the late 1980s, the New South Wales Department of School Education developed a wilderness intervention for adolescents with a history of school behavior…

Decades of research indicates that when parents take an active part in their children's education, it has a positive impact on their children's academic achievement, attitudes toward learning and school, confidence as a learner, and their social behavior. Parents can also help children develop the lifelong learning skills and attitudes they will…

This paper describes two institutions, in England and Massachusetts, that aim to connect students and adults to the land through the study of particular places. Gilbert White, an 18th-century curate in Selborne, England, was a keen observer and one of the earliest naturalists. His book, "The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne,"…

This brief describes action learning (AL), discusses some of its advantages and challenges, highlights its educational applications, and recommends practices for future implementation. Action learning may be characterized as voluntary learning that is centered around the need to find solutions to real problems, that is equally concerned with…

This paper discusses the REAL (Rural Entrepreneurship through Action Learning) model as a necessary component of rural school-to-work (STW) programs. In rural areas where opportunities for traditional STW approaches (such as apprenticeships) are limited, entrepreneurial education teaches students to be job creators, not just job applicants. This…