Pedagogy and Innovation in Science Education: A Case Study of an Experiential Learning Science Undergraduate Course

Abstract

Experiential learning approaches are desirable in higher education for improving students’ learning experience. However, the effectiveness of implementing such an approach in an undergraduate science course is challenging. How do students develop scientific knowledge and skills through planning and implementing innovative activities for the targeted groups, and how do the implemented activities empirically contribute to theoretical frameworks? This paper discusses the design and implementation of an undergraduate experiential learning course for students from diverse science backgrounds. According to Kolb’s experiential learning approach, this course creates two major experiences for students: conceptual acquisition, and experience of design and implementation of innovative teaching and learning activities. This research investigates a science course aiming to develop student teachers’ ability to design and implement innovative activities in classes. A qualitative research design was adopted to analyse the implementation of experiential learning processes. Owing to the specialty and diversity of the participants involved, an intrinsic case study was conducted to holistically examine the course with a focus on the construction of scientific knowledge and pedagogical issues. Units of analysis involved a series of activities embedded into the course. Specific domains of pedagogical innovation such as Techno-Pedagogy were premeditated. One of the major findings reveals the development of a didactic protocol framing the implementation flow of the experiential learning process associated with emerging innovative teaching components. In short, it shows that the experiential learning approach demonstrates the crucial role of facilitating constructive learning for undergraduate students from various disciplines to develop innovative pedagogical and learning skills.