Experiential learning and pedagogical content knowledge in a graduate food studies program

Abstract

ABSTRACT Scholarship in experiential learning suggests that concrete or hands-on experiences are part of a multidimensional model of learning, where “learning by doing” intersects with other forms of learning. Educators in food and agriculture have a long tradition of valuing experiential learning alongside classroom academics – but how they approach, balance, and integrate these elements is not necessarily straightforward. Here, as teachers ourselves, we use a self-reflective experiential approach to focus on how teacher knowledge and decision-making inform experiential learning in a graduate food studies program. We examine the modes of experiential learning used in this program, their integration with more traditional academic components, the opportunities and pitfalls they present for teaching about the food system, the core values they reflect, and the goals of instructors using these particular modes of learning. We note that decision-making around experiential learning varies by individual, course, program, and institutional goals. Instructors and programs can use these contours to examine their own use of experiential learning and core values around teaching in food and agriculture.