Experiential Learning Activities Research Articles

Developing Virtual Field Trips for Agriculture

Field trips play an important role in teaching and learning, from stimulating students’ motivations to allowing students to connect in-class concepts and the real world. Including field trips within an agricultural curriculum is essential as concepts are highly interdisciplinary, and knowledge application to a range of production systems and environments is critical. Despite their importance, many factors, such as high enrolments, present challenges to its successful integration. Virtual field trips (VFT) allow universities to leverage the affordances of technology to mitigate some of the associated challenges while maintaining quality course delivery. In this pilot study, an experiential learning activity was designed around a VFT application, and the student experience and outcome were investigated. The student experience measures indicated satisfaction with multimedia elements, although it is noted that improvements to the user interface would enhance the experience. Students had positive reflections on the learning experience, including an increased interest in the field of study but did not see VFTs as replacing actual field trips. Paired t-tests showed students’ attainment of learning outcomes. This pilot implementation provides an activity design for other courses with similar challenges and highlights the value of VFTs to the curriculum for undergraduate agricultural courses.

“Will Active Learning Experience Make You Better?” The Effect of Active Learning on Generation Z’s Self-Efficacy, Self-Esteem, and Food Choice Wiseness at School

Reaching the age of adolescence, children need sufficient nutrients to grow rightly. Nevertheless, dietary habit in children has been extensively found to be ill-considered as many of them have not been able to distinguish nutritional ingredients in food. Mastering nutrition and growing a habit of healthy eating is imperative regarding their better future. This research aimed to examine whether a particular learning method (active vs. passive) would lead to wiser food choices, better self-efficacy, and higher self-esteem. The study case took the secondary students in LabSchool, Jakarta in 2018. Experimental research with a factorial design is employed in the research design. The experiment involved 227 samples of Generation Z. One group was assigned to a hands-on cooking class model (active learning) while the other half as the control group was assigned to a cooking demonstration (passive learning) class model. The result of this research implied that students who are exposed to hands-on cooking classes (active learning) show a healthier shift in their wiseness towards preferring healthy food. The limitation of the study was time and resources. It is suggested in that the future the researcher may extend the experiment’s duration and give more variations of samples to comprehend larger knowledge.

Examining the Impact of Experiential Learning Activities on Student Performance in an Introductory Animal Science Course

The use of experiential learning in agricultural courses within postsecondary institutions has become increasingly important as educators seek to provide students with a meaningful education that increases knowledge acquisition and achievement. Hands-on, experiential learning activities within agricultural sciences, and more directly animal sciences, have previously been used to provide students with experiences that increase performance in courses and overall development throughout a student’s education. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the influence that experiential learning laboratory lessons had on students enrolled in an introduction to animal science lecture course at [University]. Researchers utilized a quasi-experimental study, in which students were placed into one of three groups, depending on the experiential learning lessons that were taught throughout the semester. This was done to determine if students who participated in specific hands-on, experiential learning lessons retained more content knowledge than those who did not receive these lessons, on summative assessments given throughout the semester. Researchers utilized the first quiz scores to examine prior knowledge between groups, and determined that there was no difference. While researchers were unable to determine significance between groups and student content acquisition due to unequal group sizes, researchers determined that students who received experiential learning lessons performed better on average, than those who did not. Researchers identified recommendations for future studies, which include replicating the study with modifications, and repeating the study with two introductory courses simultaneously, in which one course entirely utilizes experiential learning lessons and the other course utilizes traditional review sessions. Additionally, researchers recommended practitioners integrate blending experiential learning opportunities and traditional lecture and review when teaching introductory courses.

Integrating Environmental Education to Form Environmental Care Characters in Schools

Purpose: This study aimed to integrate environmental education into school curricula to enhance environmental literacy, awareness, and sustainable behaviors among students and teachers. Research Design and Methodology: The study employed a multi-phase methodology, including needs assessment, curriculum development, teacher training, student engagement activities, mentoring, and monitoring. The project was implemented through comprehensive workshops for teachers, hands-on experiential learning activities for students, and continuous mentoring and assessment. Findings and Discussion: Results from pre- and post-intervention assessments indicated significant improvements in environmental knowledge and awareness among participants. Students displayed a deeper understanding of environmental issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, and exhibited positive shifts in attitudes and behaviors towards environmental conservation. Teachers reported increased confidence and competence in integrating environmental topics into their teaching practices, facilitated by professional development sessions covering contemporary environmental issues and pedagogical strategies. Implications: The study found that experiential learning activities, such as nature walks and school gardens, were particularly effective in fostering student engagement and retention of environmental knowledge. Additionally, the involvement of local environmental organizations and community members played a crucial role in reinforcing positive behavioral changes through social learning and community involvement. However, challenges such as limited resources and variability in teacher preparedness were identified, suggesting the need for ongoing support and resource allocation.

The Role of Experiential Learning in Teachers’ Professional Development for Enhanced Classroom Practices

The main objective of this article was to explore how experiential learning theory can be adopted into teachers' professional development, as an effective approach to engaging teachers in classroom-enhanced activities. The inclusion or design of various experiential learning activities will promote pedagogical content knowledge and teaching skills that can enhance classroom practices. The theoretical framework of experiential learning enables effective classroom instructional delivery for all learning experiences in different contexts. The study purposefully selected 10 teachers, teaching Economics, from 10 high schools in Lagos, Nigeria. These teachers were observed in different classroom settings/teaching of selected topics from Economics, before and after a 3-day experiential learning-based professional development workshop. The teachers were further engaged in a focus group interview after the final observation. Findings revealed that experiential learning theory is critical to teacher professional development, as it enables teachers to learn better when engaged in experientially designed professional development, which can impact their classroom teaching thereafter. The study, therefore, encourages teacher educators or government bodies responsible for content design for teachers' professional development to integrate or structure the contents of teachers' professional development with experiential learning initiatives, to improve teachers' classroom pedagogies and teaching competencies for quality education.

Virtual Reality in Education to Enable Active Learning and Hands-on Experience

Virtual Reality in Education to Enable Active Learning and Hands-on Experience

An Experiential Learning Program to Promote Healthy Eating and Physical Activity at an Australian Children’s Museum: Formative Research with Caregivers and Staff

ABSTRACT Background Healthy eating (HE) and physical activity (PA) are essential for children’s health and well-being. Innovative approaches, informed by formative research, are crucial to promoting these behaviors. Experiential learning, involving active, hands-on approaches, may be an effective way to encourage healthy behaviors in children. Children’s museums could contribute to health education by providing a variety of educational opportunities. Purpose To inform the design of an experiential learning Healthy Living program for children at an Australian children’s museum. Methods A qualitative study involving focus group discussions with 23 caregivers and in-depth interviews with 6 staff were conducted to explore perceptions of caregivers and staff working in an Australian children’s museum (Discovery Space) relating to potentially effective experiential learning strategies for promoting children’s healthy behaviors. Data were transcribed verbatim and thematically analyzed in NVivo 12. Results Key considerations for promoting HE and PA children through experiential learning activities include involving caregivers, engaging children through processes such as providing choice and stimulating curiosity, and selecting appropriate activity types such as simple, engaging, fun, hands-on, sensory play, and music-based activities. Translation to Health Education Practice Experiential learning activities that address these key considerations can promote HE and PA in children and should be studied in future studies. Competencies and sub-competencies in two areas of responsibility, (I) Assessment of Needs and Capacity and (V) Advocacy, were addressed.

Legislative Advocacy on Capitol Hill: Experiential Learning for Nursing and Midwifery Students.

Policies, regulations, and laws influence all aspects of health care, including the education of health care professionals, independent practice, and patient access to care. Health equity and social justice are mediated through policy. While health policy knowledge and skills are recognized as essential competencies within nursing and midwifery curricula, most students graduate with limited or no experience engaging in advocacy efforts to advance legislation that would improve health systems and the delivery of care. An experiential learning activity is described that gives students authentic experience in federal legislative advocacy. Students report powerful, positive learning from interacting with their legislators. Support of a legislative advocacy experiential learning activity requires ongoing faculty initiative and can promote advancement of health policy bills into law. Opportunities to participate in legislative advocacy need to be expanded within nursing and midwifery education to cultivate leaders who can effect policy change.

Developing accounting students’ professional competencies and satisfaction through learning experiences: Validation of a self-administered questionnaire

The aim of this study is to validate a questionnaire that facilitates a comprehensive assessment of the development of professional competencies, including interdisciplinary aspects such as soft skills, attitudes and values, and students' satisfaction. An empirical research process combining documentary, qualitative and quantitative methods is developed. The results, based on the responses of 365 university students participating in an active learning experience in the field of accounting, confirm the classification of the 30 items into three factors: satisfaction, attitudes and values, and soft skills. The analyses also indicate a high level of internal consistency for both the questionnaire as a whole and each individual construct. This study addresses a gap in the literature by developing and validating an instrument that enables a holistic evaluation of the effectiveness of active learning methodologies in fostering professional competencies and enhancing students' satisfaction. Furthermore, the instrument's cross-disciplinary nature makes it adaptable for use in various fields beyond accounting.

Implementasi Artificial Intelligence (AI) di Bidang Pendidikan Kejuruan Pada Era Revolusi Industri 4.0

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a concept closely related to technological advancements in the era of Industry 4.0 and Society 5.0. AI can be described as a computer program that involves integrated machine learning, hardware, and software components. This concept of AI is inspired by the neocognitron patterns in the human brain and utilizes knowledge from hardware and software to fulfill its functions. With the progress of Industry 4.0, AI has been widely employed in various fields, including vocational education. The aim of this research is to elucidate the role of AI in vocational education during the Industry 4.0 era, utilizing qualitative research methods. In the context of vocational education, AI is used to personalize learning for each learner. AI systems assist in creating customized learning profiles, such as practical exercises, for individual learners. This enables the adaptation of learning materials to align with the abilities, learning styles, and experiences of each learner. The implementation of AI technology in vocational education is considered to be helpful and facilitates the tasks of educators, particularly in administrative aspects such as assessment and determining final grades based on applicable weights and evaluations. Additionally, AI technology can also create more active and interactive learning experiences, thereby facilitating the teaching and learning process for both educators and learners to achieve their goals.

Expanding your toolkit: teaching social work practice in the healthcare setting

ABSTRACT For social work education to remain current and responsive to the demands of the field, collaboration is required between those actively teaching, and those actively practicing. Examples, however, of co-construction of curriculums are minimal, with classroom subjects largely being taught as stand-alone components of the overall social work program, perhaps with occasional practitioners providing guest lectures about the practice context in which they work. Informed by transformational learning theory, relationship-based practice, and experiential education, practice-based learning requires social work students to engage with classroom content and skill development while at the same time building their job readiness through exposure to the modern workplace and current practitioners. To achieve this, a case example is given whereby academics and practitioners collaborated on developing advanced practice skills subject in the healthcare context, with a focus on developing empathy, authenticity and honoring the story as a core curriculum gap when teaching grief and loss skills. This case study demonstrates how experiential games, role plays and podcasts have been integrated into the teaching content and provides guidance as to the incorporation of experiential learning activities into formative and summative assessment tasks.

Investigation of primary teachers' perspectives on experiential learning for Vietnamese students

The change of education in the world can benefit from applying experiential learning activities in primary education. Experiential learning prioritizes active engagement and reflection in the learning process and has been shown to improve student engagement, motivation, and critical thinking skills. This approach to learning is effective in helping students better understand and retain information, while also developing practical skills that will be useful in their future academic and professional pursuits. The main purpose of this paper is to evaluate the primary teachers’ perspectives on experiential activities in primary education. A survey questionnaire about experiential activity in education was distributed and explained to primary teachers. The survey was completed by 543 primary teachers working in 6 localities in the Northern region in Vietnam. The main finding was that primary teachers have a positive perspective on the benefits of experiential learning activities for their students. Experiential learning activities enhance student engagement, promote deeper learning and critical thinking skills, and create a positive attitude towards learning. By using experiential activity in primary education, teachers can help their students become more engaged, independent, and effective learners. By embracing experiential learning, we can ensure that students are well-equipped to thrive in the ever-changing world of the 21st century.

The Effectiveness of Evidence-Based Teaching Practices in Biomedical Sciences on Students’ Learning Experience: A Systematic Literature Review

The traditional didactic approach to teaching in biomedical sciences falls short of providing students with the 21st century competencies necessary to meet the socioeconomic demands placed upon them. Tertiary biomedical science educators have sought empirical evidence to identify the best practices to meet these demands, each of which have an element of actively involving students in their learning, as opposed to passive and didactic instructional approaches. This review synthesises the literature on evidence-based teaching practices (EBTPs) implemented in biomedical science disciplines and investigates the impact of EBTPs on students’ learning experiences through a systematic review. Seventy-eight studies were analysed, providing a comprehensive review of teaching practices that supported active learning in biomedical science disciplines. The findings revealed that EBTPs had significant impact on students’ academic performance and learning experiences to enhance higher-order thinking skills and self-directed learning, despite the variation in educational setting. A range of instructional strategies and technologies that supported active learning experiences were identified in this review, and the findings provide an evidence base to inform pedagogical decisions regarding the implementation of EBTPs and may serve as an impetus for instructors to implement active learning strategies based on this empirical evidence.

Investigating the impact of experiential learning on employability skill development and employment outcomes: a UK case study of MBA students from the Indian Subcontinent

ABSTRACT Global economic events have had a profound effect upon both businesses and the available workforce. Industries need a more skilful and advanced labour market and individuals who complete tertiary-level education are afforded better protection against economic uncertainties. Consequently, demand for higher education worldwide is growing, due to a rising number of globally mobile students. However, return on investment is important and curriculums offering employability enhancement and work opportunities are motivating factors when international students make their study decisions. This paper details one UK university’s approach to enhancing international student employability skills and employment outcomes, using a 3-day experiential learning residential on an MBA programme. Employing a survey design, the research investigates the benefits of this residential to 182 international MBA students (all from the Indian subcontinent region). The findings report that the international students developed key employability skills via the residential which significantly increased their propensity to obtain subsequent employment. The results of this paper provide much needed insight into improving both the employability skills and employment outcomes of international students, especially students from the Indian subcontinent, via immersive experiential learning activities.

Improving global competence in classroom-based experiential learning activities

The purpose of this research was to develop learning activities to improve global competence for a classroom-based course in the field of clothing and textiles and explore how those activities affected the global competence of college students. To achieve this goal, the researchers proposed the following objectives: (a) develop learning activities on global competence and (b) explore the influences of newly proposed learning activities on the global competence of college students. The authors analyzed students’ reflective essays to identify themes through constant comparative analysis. The authors found participants learned about the Japanese culture through diverse aspects of global competence—affective, cognitive, and behavioral dimensions—throughout the semester via these learning activities. The authors also found informal writing could work as a starting point, where students were slowly exposed to a different culture, and reflective essays worked as a final summarizing phase where students could think further about their learning process related to global competence. This research is significant in terms of providing an empirical example of how to increase global competence in classroom-based courses. Additionally, scholars and teaching practitioners can gain insights from this study on how to improve global competence for the future workforce in a global economy.

Boosting Self-motivation in English Language Learning: The Role of Learning Methods and Self-efficacy

English language learning is a critical part of global education and has been the focus of significant research. However, there has been a limited examination of the impact of different English language learning methods on student self-motivation and the mediating role of student self-efficacy. This study aims to empirically explore the effects of English language learning methods and experimental learning on student self-motivation, with a focus on the mediating role of student self-efficacy. Using a sample of 369 students from diverse academic settings, it tested the hypothesized relationships through structural equation modeling. The study included various English language learning methods and experimental learning and measured student self-motivation and self-efficacy. The study's findings revealed that both English language learning methods and experiential learning had an impact on students' self-motivation. Students who were exposed to a variety of learning methods and engaged in experiential learning activities, in particular, reported higher levels of self-motivation than those who were not. Student self-efficacy mediated the relationship between learning methods, experiential learning, and self-motivation. The study also found that certain English language learning methods, such as communicative language teaching and task-based language teaching, were more effective than others at encouraging self-motivation. Experiential learning activities, such as language exchange programs and cultural immersion experiences, were also found to be particularly effective in increasing students' self-motivation. The study have important implications for language educators because they suggest that providing students with a variety of learning methods and experiential learning opportunities can boost self-motivation and, as a result, improve language learning outcomes.

Exploring the Computational Effects of Advanced Deep Neural Networks on Logical and Activity Learning for Enhanced Thinking Skills

The Logical and Activity Learning for Enhanced Thinking Skills (LAL) method is an educational approach that fosters the development of critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities in students using practical, experiential learning activities. Although LAL has demonstrated favorable effects on children’s cognitive growth, it presents various obstacles, including the requirement for tailored instruction and the complexity of tracking advancement. The present study presents a model known as the Deep Neural Networks-based Logical and Activity Learning Model (DNN-LALM) as a potential solution to tackle the challenges above. The DNN-LALM employs sophisticated machine learning methodologies to offer tailored instruction and assessment tracking, and enhanced proficiency in cognitive and task-oriented activities. The model under consideration has been assessed using a dataset comprising cognitive assessments of children. The findings indicate noteworthy enhancements in accuracy, precision, and recall. The model above attained a 93% accuracy rate in detecting logical patterns and an 87% precision rate in forecasting activity outcomes. The findings of this study indicate that the implementation of DNN-LALM can augment the efficacy of LAL in fostering cognitive growth, thereby facilitating improved monitoring of children’s advancement by educators and parents. The model under consideration can transform the approach toward LAL in educational environments, facilitating more individualized and efficacious learning opportunities for children.

Teaching International Law in the Time of COVID-19: A View from the Experience and Beyond

In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the opportunity has arisen to reconsider educational concepts in general and the teaching of international law in particular. International Law professors have been required to participate in mandatory online learning and teaching during the pandemic. The students of today are self-organized learners and active observers who are able to cope with new situations. In the future, is it possible to combine online and in-person teaching? This article aims to describe our experience teaching international law using technologies in a theoretical setting. With current circumstances in mind, it is necessary to consider ways to seamlessly integrate physical and digital methods and tools. The result is a more active, flexible, and meaningful learning experience. To this end, we borrow Pope Francis’ words: ‘Peggio di questa crisi c’è solo il dramma di sprecarla’—the only thing worse than this is the misfortune of wasting it, in the sense of failing to learn from it.

Entrepreneurship Education and Entrepreneurial Intention: Case Study of Business Students in Tianjin, China

Entrepreneurial intentions refer to an individual's conscious and planned decision to participate in entrepreneurial activities, reflecting their desire to start a new venture or pursue opportunities. Entrepreneurial behaviors encompass the actions and activities undertaken by individuals to initiate, develop, and manage a business venture, involving aspects such as opportunity recognition, resource acquisition, innovation, risk-taking, and networking. Entrepreneurship education instills confidence and reduces the perceived barriers to entrepreneurship, motivating students to take the necessary steps to turn their entrepreneurial aspirations into tangible ventures. The research utilized the descriptive research design. The target population was 250 business students in Tianjin, China. The study did sampling of 230 respondents that were selected from the target population of 250 business students in Tianjin, China. The collection of data was conducted through stratified random sampling and questionnaires were used to gather data. The study concluded that entrepreneurship education positively affects students' intentions to become entrepreneurs and shapes their entrepreneurial behaviors. The incorporation of practical and experiential learning activities, such as business plan competitions and internships, proves to be particularly effective in enhancing entrepreneurial intentions and providing hands-on experiences for aspiring entrepreneurs. The curriculum that encompasses a wide range of entrepreneurial topics, including opportunity recognition, risk management, and innovation, plays an important role in shaping students' entrepreneurial mindset and knowledge.  It was recommended that educational institutions should continue to prioritize entrepreneurship education and allocate resources to develop comprehensive and practical entrepreneurship programs. Institutions should employ rigorous assessment methods to measure the outcomes and effect of entrepreneurship education on students' intentions and behaviors. Policymakers should recognize the importance of entrepreneurship education and provide support to educational institutions in implementing and enhancing entrepreneurship programs. Keywords: Entrepreneurship Education, Entrepreneurial Intentions and Behaviors, Business Students, China

Using Game-based Learning in Order to Enhance Decision Making Under Uncertainty

How do people make their decisions? Searching for the answer in the relevant literature, we can find that decisions are based either on rationality or intuition. Rational thinking is mainly observed in situations characterized by certainty (in terms of data or the consequences of decisions), while heuristic intuitive methods are mainly observed in situations of uncertainty. Training for the enhancement of decision making skills usually employs problem-based activities which mainly focus either only on rationality or only on intuition. However, problems in real life cannot always be solved with the contribution of only one way of thinking. In a decision making process often rationality works up to an extent and then intuition will lead to the final decision. For this reason, we designed and developed a game-based learning activity that enhances both rational and intuitive decision making skills. More specifically, we created a decision scenario in a virtual environment in which participants were provided with uncertainty-based information in their decision making process. As they tried to follow a rational decision making process, most of them realized that based on the given information they were confused and they had to decide intuitively at the end. This experiential learning activity was a tickler for the participants to decide under uncertainty and trust their intuition.