EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION IN LANGUAGE ARTS
Experiential Education in the Secondary Language Arts Classroom
Joshua W. Scharnberg
Master of Science in Education
Action Research Project
May 2012
Southwest Minnesota State University
Education Department
Marshall, Minnesota 56258
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Chapter 1
Introduction
The Red Wheelbarrow
By William Carlos Williams
so much depends
upon
a red wheel
barrow
glazed with rain
water
beside the white
chickens.
Before school a group of students entered an English classroom and began
quizzing the teacher about the questions they had to answer about the poem, “The Red
Wheelbarrow.” They were confused about what it meant to juxtapose the nouns or
describe what senses were being drawn upon. The teacher began to probe whether the
students had seen such a thing or felt the worn grips of a wheelbarrow or touched cold
rain water. Each student replied they had not. Without direct experience a seemingly
simple poem became impossible to fully grasp.
All too often, learning in the traditional, public classroom becomes the rote
process of a teacher feeding information to students to produce a favorable outcome on
standardized tests. In such cases, teachers forget that they are indeed teaching human
beings—beings with a whole range of emotions, intellect, feelings and creativity capable
of accomplishing great feats. Education, as Sir Ken Robinson (2009) described, all too
often ignores the “passion and talents” of people. More specifically, in language arts, the
curriculum focuses only on a particular type of verbal reasoning (Robinson, 2009).
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Instead of focusing on conditioned, linguistic skills, which concentrate solely on the
student’s head, educators ought to take a step back, reevaluate the children in the
classroom and invent ways to teach the student’s whole being.
Statement of the Problem
This study reviews the dynamics and possibilities of experiential education.
Experiential education is typically used in fields such as, outdoor education, business
management, and leadership courses. This study, however, will examine how experiential
education may be used in the secondary language arts classroom at a public high school
in West Central Minnesota.
Research Question
Out of the problem statement, a number of questions arise. This research focuses
on the following three questions:
1. What are students’ perceptions of experiential education in the secondary
language arts classroom?
2. What are the effects of experiential education on student achievement in
the secondary language arts classroom?
3. What impact does deep reflection have on student learning?
Significance of the Study
The impact of this study lies within the power of learning through experience.
Experience, after all, tends be the most effective means to learn. A child experiencing a
front break on a bicycle, for instance, will quickly learn to tether the break after a few
times over the handlebars. Teenagers learn what works in relationships through their
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experiences in dating. Through any number of examples, the result is the same: try
something new, decide what worked and what didn’t and apply the new knowledge to
new situations.
The intent and significance of this study, then, is to give secondary language arts
teachers a model for designing experiential learning opportunities in the classroom.
Furthermore, teachers interested in breaking out of the realm of teaching in the traditional
classroom and teaching curriculum in way that will have a meaningful impact on more
students will find research supported ideas and suggestions for adapting their current
curriculum.
Definition of Terms
To more fully understand the research, important terms that may be somewhat
ambiguous are defined as follows:
Experiential education: Experiential education refers to the overall philosophy
of teaching "knowledge, skill and value from direct experience" (Association for
Experiential Education, 2003).
Experiential learning: Experiential learning, then, describes the same process of
experiential education but on a level relating directly to the learner and/or the actual
process of learning within the larger context of experiential education.
Traditional education: This term is defined by characteristics of traditional
education. The typical traditional classroom has straight rows of desks, is teacher
centered, text book orientated, and it incorporates a sit and learn method of learning (A
Comparison, 2010)
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Secondary language arts: For this study, two ninth grade English courses were
used. English 9-1 at the researched school was a first term survey class that explored the
elements of, short stories, poetry, drama, and writing.
Deep reflection: The process of summarizing what was learned during class,
determining future applications of the ideas presented in class, and coming up with ways
to apply the ideas to life through the use of a semi-structured, daily journal.
Student learning: Any learning—in the broadest sense of the word—a student
may encounter during the course. The learning need not specifically be related to
language arts. In fact, application of the knowledge across curriculum and life will be a
sign of accomplishment.
Limitations, Delimitations, Assumptions of the Study
1. This study was bound to two English 9-1 courses with about 25 students
each. Since the sample is small, further research will be necessary to make
generalizations about a larger population.
2. Typically students enjoy the classes of the teacher, which made it difficult
to ascertain whether student achievement was based off enjoyment or the structure of
experiential education.
3. Results are limited to a mostly Caucasian sample; thus, further research
will be necessary to make generalizations about an ethnic population.
Organization of the Study
This study has been organized into five chapters. Chapter one lays forth
the foundations for the study, the statement of the problem along with two focus
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questions, definitions, limitations, delimitations and assumptions about the study. Chapter
two briefly examines traditional education and then more thoroughly reviews the
literature and research that supports experiential education. Chapter three discusses the
design of the experiments, the instrumentation used, and how the data was analyzed.
Chapter four offers the findings of the study. Finally, chapter five summarizes the study,
draws conclusions, discusses the significance of the conclusions, and makes
recommendations for implementation and further study.
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CHAPTER 2
Review of Selected Literature and Research
To give teachers the best chance at reaching the whole being of their students, a
classroom environment ought to be created that provides authentic learning experiences
and touches the most learning styles possible. Experiential education has the potential to
provide such an opportunity for the language arts teacher. This review will
comprehensively define elements and problems with traditional education and compare
those to the characteristics of experiential education. Furthermore, an applicable model
will be provided and a discussion of the benefits and implications of experiential
education. Lastly, this review will examine the shortcomings with experiential
education—not in the theory or model of the system but in the breadth and reach of
research into the realm of Language Arts.
Examination of Traditional Education
In 1999, Sir Ken Robinson, who at the time was a professor at the University of
Warwick in England, directed a large team of professors, researchers and teachers in a
landmark study called The Robinson Study, which reformed education in the United
Kingdom on a national level. In a presentation with the Royal Society of Arts (2010),
Robinson explained that public schools are still using the outdated message that tells
children if they work hard and get a degree they will succeed. In the process of telling
this same story, educators are alienating children by grouping them homogenously and
lowering standards instead of raising them (Royal Society, 2010). Driven by economic
imperatives, our current system of public education remains rooted in the ideals and
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interests of the Industrial Revolution (Royal Society, 2010). As Robinson pointed out in a
speech delivered to the Royal Society of Arts, schools are driven by bells, we have
created separate facilities for everything, classes are divided by subject and students are
grouped according to age (Royal Society, 2010). This conformity has led to an era of
education driven by standardized testing and permanently marks students as scholarly or
non-scholarly based on Intelligence Quotient (IQ).
Furthermore, the pressure of standardized testing has forced teachers to condition
students in a way that will help them pass state reading and writing exams (Robinson,
2009). When teaching writing, for example, teachers program the form of the fiveparagraph essay into students, which serves to pass a state writing exam, but has no
useful application beyond the classroom (Lindemann, 2001). This example demonstrates
how “our systems of education put a high premium on knowing the single right answer to
a question” (Robinson, 2009, p. 14). Overall, politicians believe that if teachers can get
“back to the basics” of reading, writing and arithmetic, our education system will be able
to compete with other high ranking countries (Robinson, 2009, p. 15). Robinson
concludes that, in the process, lawmakers are forcing teachers to kill the creativity of
students. As support for Robinson’s argument, in a review on experiential education, Jay
Roberts (2008) argued that education (even experiential education) becomes threatened
by “market logics of efficiency, standardization, and control” (p. 19).
The “market logics of efficiency” is alarming. Testing has become a multi-million
dollar industry and schools pay handsomely for it—not just financially but in the
onslaught of creativity. Robinson (2009), argued that standardized tests are IQ tests that
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base a person’s “mental worth” on a certain type of reasoning; they “only measure a
certain kind of intelligence” (p. 41). In terms of language arts, IQ exams which test a
child’s ability to construct an essay or answer particular questions about a particular piece
of literature serve to place that child in a certain track of English. That track of English
will determine the “scholastic fate” (Robinson, 2009) of the child. It follows, then, the
scholastic fate will determine every other outcome of the child’s life from salary to
housing to family, and so forth.
To further the argument, traditional education struggles to provide “real”
experiences. As an example, Erika Lindemann (2001) argued that the five-paragraph
theme is rarely used and “survives primarily in some English classrooms” (p.133).
Instead of teaching students how to write for a variety of purposes in a variety of different
ways (examples: letter writing, analytic writing), the traditional English classroom has
taught students to “cling” to a “particular form” (Lindemann, 2001, p. 133). While
learning to write essays and take exams is good on many levels, it fails to give children
the valuable experiences needed to be successful beyond the high school English
classroom. Worse yet, it ignores the full potential of students—whether they are geared
for verbal studies or not—to use their imaginations and creativity.
Examination of Experiential Education
When researching experiential education, it quickly becomes evident that most
definitions will include the idea of learning through direct experiences—a hands-on
approach to education. More than that, experiential education teachers attempt to attach
learning to the whole being of the student with learning taking place “in intellectual,
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physical, emotional, aesthetic and spiritual ways” (Higgins, 2009, p. 45). To be clear, the
terms experiential learning (EL) refers to the learning process which happens within the
larger context of experiential education (EE).
The EE approach to teaching, according to Peter Higgins (2009), a professor of
education at the University of Edinburgh, has its roots in the progressive education
movement of the 19th century and was influenced by prominent figures in education such
as Kurt Hahn, Dr. Cecil Reddie, Sir Patrick Geddes and John Dewey. Sir Patrick Gedde’s
approach to education holds the key to many modern day programs of experiential
teaching, the “three H’s—Heart, Hand, Head…rather than the three R’s—Reading,
wRiting and aRithmatic” (as cited in Higgins, 2009, p. 46). It is important to note that the
three R’s that Geddes attempted to rebut are the same three R’s that standardized tests
and traditional classrooms focus on over 150 years after his time. If educators truly want
to make a difference, they must realize the three H’s and begin teaching content in light
of the whole child and not just the head.
Multiple Intelligences
A natural and scientifically supported place to begin is by recognizing that people
are created with multiple intelligences (Gardner, 2005). Howard Gardner (2005), a
professor of human psychological development at Harvard, recognized that scientists
cannot truly determine intelligence based on an IQ; rather, every human is programmed
with at least nine intelligences. Without going into great detail, Gardner’s intelligences
include: linguistic intelligence, logical mathematical intelligence (it is upon these two that
standardized tests focus), musical intelligence, spatial intelligence, interpersonal and
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intrapersonal intelligence, naturalist intelligence and intelligence of the big
questions/existential intelligence. About these nine, Gardner (2005) concedes there are
probably many more intelligences.
The main point to support the idea of EE, however, is found in three conclusions
about the intelligences. First, all people have eight to nine intelligences (Gardner, 2005).
Second, each person exhibits unique—even identical twins—capacities in each
intelligence (2005). Third, having an intelligence does not make a person intelligent; the
intelligence must be put to good use. If educators know people have these capacities and
operate at different levels, why continue teaching to the same mathematic and linguistic
intelligences? Experiential education is not an end, but it is a means by which educators
may attempt to impact children based on the intelligence(s) that best suits students as
individuals.
Characteristics of Experiential Education
To understand how experiential education may impact the learning of a child it is
important to understand its key characteristics. Evidenced by the amount of material and
the number of times other authors cite them, David and Alice Kolb, since the 1970’s,
seem to be major influences in contemporary EL theory. In a landmark study published
by David Kolb (1984), he culminated six characteristics based off three major traditions
of EL: the Lewinian Model of Action Research and Laboratory Training, Dewey’s Model
of Learning and Piaget’s Model of Learning and Cognitive Development.
First, Kolb (1984) placed the priority of learning in the process and not the
outcomes. EL assumes that ideas are not static and that they are always changing based
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on experience (Kolb, 1984). A poem such as the Red Wheelbarrow, for instance will
never be interpreted the same, twice. Each student who approaches the poem will create a
“new knowledge” (Kolb, 1984, p. 26) of the poem based on her/his past knowledge. This
is the major distinction between EL and traditional learning. Traditional learning
emphasizes the outcome—whether or not, as Paulo Freire stated, the teacher has
deposited the right information in the students and the student has, “receive[d],
memorize[d] and repeat[ed]” (as cited in Kolb, 1984, p. 27). While, the traditional
approach to teaching is not pedagogically wrong, it does not appear to have the right
focus.
Along with focusing on process, the major traditions of EL claim that learning is
“continuously derived from and tested out in the experiences of the learner” (Kolb, 1984,
p. 10). This approach is based on the idea of trial and error and trying again. Furthermore,
John Dewey (1998) stated, “the principle of continuity of experience means that…he has
learned in the way of knowledge and skill in one situation becomes an instrument of
understanding and dealing effectively with the situations which follow” (pp. 27, 42). This
is an older reference, but it remains relevant since Dewey’s work is still a major influence
in contemporary EL. Dewey (1998) goes on to say that this process continues for the
entire life of the individual.
If traditional education sees ideas as “fixed and immutable” (Kolb, 1984, p. 28)
then EL sees ideas as pliable, ever changing and adapting to new situations. It is in the
new situations where the learner feels the stress of the unknown, grapples with the new
experience by adapting previously learned skills and finally finding some kind of resolve
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(Kolb, 1984). Therefore, another characteristic of EL, according to Kolb is that “learning
requires the resolution of conflicts” that people deal with in the world (p. 13). What’s
more is, if people are to resolve such conflicts, they must become aware of their abilities,
which will be further discussed in the section on Kolb’s Model for EL.
Another characteristic goes back to Sir Patrick Geddes idea of “Heart, Hand and
Head” in that EL takes a holistic approach to education. Because EL works hard to give
students real experiences that involve all their senses, it goes beyond traditional education
which tends to overload the visual and auditory senses. Thus the fourth characteristic
“involves the integrated functioning of the total person—thinking, feeling, perceiving and
behaving” (Kolb & Kolb, 2008). Overall, experiential education teaches the whole being of a
person, which bodes well with Gardner’s intelligences.
In the fifth characteristic, Kolb (1984) discussed the importance of the learner
interacting with a real environment. Kolb described how obvious this statement may seem,
but in terms of the traditional classroom, the fruition of such practices seems to be rejected:
So stated, this proposition (transactions between the person and the environment)
must seem obvious. Yet strangely enough, its implications seem to have been widely
ignored in research on learning and practice in education, replace instead by a personcentered psychological view of learning. The casual observer of the traditional
educational process would undoubtedly conclude that learning was primarily a
personal, internal process requiring only the limited environment of books, teacher,
and classroom. (p. 18)
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EE does not reject the use of books, teachers, and classrooms; rather, it pushes the educator
to dive deeper and find ways to put learners in real situations where the “choices and
decisions they make [will]…influence future choices” (Kolb & Kolb, 2008, p. 4).
Lastly, EL takes a constructivist approach (constructivist learning theory is the idea
that people construct knowledge or learn from their experiences) to education. The
constructivist approach varies from the traditional approach of transmitting information via a
teacher or a book into the student in that knowledge is gained by experiencing life (Kolb,
2008). As an example, a child will best learn about a Shakespearean play through acting out
parts on a stage with lights and sounds and other characters rather than reading a few,
occasional parts out of a text in the classroom.
A Model for Experiential Education
Keeping in mind the major characteristics of EE—that learning is a process, it is
continuous, it is pliable, it is holistic, it requires real experiences and that through those
experiences knowledge is gained—Kolb’s cycle of learning, illustrated in Figure 1, will bring
to light the cyclical process of learning. Before considering Kolb’s model, it is important to
note that Kolb’s model is one of nine accepted models for experiential education. Kolb’s
model was chosen because it appears to be the most widely accepted model; a simple,
inductive web search for experiential education models will confirm this finding.
To understand the workings of Kolb’s model, begin at the top of the circle with
concrete experience. “Concrete experiences” are any new experiences the learner may
encounter, followed by a “reflective observation” (Kolb & Kolb, 2008, p. 5). Those
observations are then “assimilated” into “abstract conceptualizations” or a theory to explain
the observations made about the experience (Kolb & Kolb, p. 5). The new theory(s) is then
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applied and “actively tested” in a new experience (Kolb & Kolb, p. 5). As an example, the
language arts teacher may give a student a monologue from Romeo and Juliet to perform on
stage—a concrete experience.
Afterwards, the student is asked to reflect or make observations about her/his
experience, perhaps noting how she/he felt or what she/he saw. Reflection upon the
experience is a key component to the experiential learning model. According to researchers,
Arthur L. Costa and Bena Kallick (2000), “maximizing meaning from experiences requires
reflection” (p. 60) Costa and Kallick (2000) suggest that reflection allows the learner to look
back on the meaning of an experience, apply meaning beyond the experience, decide on
future “modifications, plans and experimentation” and keep track of what has been learned
(p. 60) Having made such observations, the teacher may ask the student to conceptualize
her/his observations into theories on how to make the monologue more gripping when she/he
perform it again. After developing a number of theories, the teacher should ask the student to
use her new knowledge to create a group performance, effectively starting a new cycle with a
new concrete experience.
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Figure 1. Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle. Image from:
http://www.andersonsec.moe.edu.sg/web1/Generic.asp?id=4&subid=12
In the center of the circle, four learning styles are present—diverging,
assimilating, converging and accommodating. The diverging style of learning “has
concrete experience and reflective observation as dominant learning abilities” (Kolb &
Kolb, 2008, p. 10). Such learners tend to see many possibilities to a problem and will
work best generating ideas in group situations (Kolb & Kolb, 2008). Assimilating
learners are dominant in reflective observation and abstract conceptualization. Such
individuals prefer “concise, logical form…are less focused on people…and prefer
readings, lectures…models, and having time to think things through” (Kolb & Kolb,
2008, p. 10).
Converging learners are dominant in abstract conceptualization and active
experimentation. Converging learners are the problem solvers of the world and are more
interested in dealing with “technical issues…than with social issues” (Kolb & Kolb,
2008, p. 10). Such individuals “prefer to experiment with new ideas, simulations,
laboratory assignments, and practical problems” (Kolb & Kolb, 2008, p. 10).
Lastly, accommodating learners are dominant in active experimentation and
concrete experience. Accommodating learners are “hands-on” learners, “act on gut
feelings” and prefer interpersonal activities, goal setting and “field work” (Kolb & Kolb,
2008, p. 10).
From these learning styles, it is important for language arts teachers to understand
what sort of learners encompass each class they teach. Of course it is not possible to
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individualize each lesson plan, but it is possible to form activities where each student has
the opportunity to learn in her/his own style. Lastly, it may be helpful for future research
to get a bit more specific and understand how Gardner’s nine intelligences relate to
Kolb’s learning styles.
Effects of Experiential Education
To show the effectiveness of EL, a study most closely related to a language arts
course was chosen. In the study by Barry Boyd and Kim Dooley, both professors at
Texas A&M University and Cople Moore, a professor at Southern Arkansas University
(2010), 66 students in two sections of a five week professional leadership development
course were sampled in a qualitative study (p. 42). Reflective journals and comprehensive
reflective papers were used as the means of collecting data (p. 42). In a review of EE in a
liberal classroom, Janet Eyler (2009) noted, “The most critical factor for achieving
powerful learning outcomes from experiential-learning programs is the inclusion of
opportunities for feedback and reflections. Challenging, continuous, context-appropriate
reflection turns work experience into learning experience” (p. 30). Furthermore,
experiential learning strategies and all four learning styles were utilized by the instructor
to involve students with different learning preferences (p.42-48) Refer to figure 2 to see
what strategies were used to involve students.
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Concrete
Experience
•Games
•Films
•Activities
Reflective
Observation
Active
Experimentation
•Journal
•Rhetorical
Questions
•Discussion
•Case Studies
•Group Projects
Abstract
Conceptualization
•Lecture
•Assignments
Figure 2. Teaching Strategies that Supported the Experiential Learning Cycle (Boyd, et
al.)
To obtain data, each class ended with a semi-structured journal where students
reflected in three different ways. First, students were to “demonstrate clear understanding
of the…concepts [and]…a brief summary of the key points” (Boyd et al., 2010, p. 42).
Secondly, students were asked to answer the questions, “What major new insights came
out of the class for you? Specifically, what did the material mean to you” (Boyd et al.,
2010, p. 42)? Lastly, students were asked to answer the questions, “How can the
information learned in the classroom be applied to your daily life? How can you make
sense of the random leadership concepts and make the theories real to you” (Boyd et al.,
2010, p. 42)? At the end of the course, students wrote a comprehensive response to the
question, “How has the act of reflecting made the learning process more meaningful to
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you” (Boyd et al., 2010, p. 42-43)? From the journals and the comprehensive response,
the researchers found three dominant themes: retention, internalization and
transformation.
In examining the responses “remember” was a common word amongst
participants (Boyd et al., 2010, p. 45). For example, one participant stated, “I did not
forget the concepts as soon as I walked out the door…” and another stated, “[I was] able
to remember not just for tests, but for life” (Boyd et al., 2010, p. 45). The researchers
attributed the strong sense of remembrance to reflective writing, stating that it helped
students connect the ideas presented in class and in the text to real life (Boyd et al., 2010,
p. 45).
The next theme that emerged was the idea of internalization. Not only did
students retain information better, but one student wrote that she was able to “internalize
the [leadership concepts] and see [their] strengths and weaknesses as leaders.
[Internalization] allowed them to grow” (Boyd et al., 2010, p. 46). Other students made
comments about how they were able to “find themselves” or that they learned a great deal
about themselves (Boyd et al., 2010, p. 46). While the outcomes of traditional education
are important, the process of discovery as shown here is something that will help the
student be more effective as a leader in future situations.
The last emergent theme from the study was the idea of transformation. In the
data, many students used the term “changed” (Boyd et al., 2010, p. 47) to describe their
learning experiences, and through the strategies used in the course, their “perception of
leadership changed.” Moreover, students discovered their leadership strengths and
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weaknesses, which helped them to identify situations where they will be most effective as
leaders (Boyd et al., 2010, p. 47).
Overall, the study demonstrated that EL provided an enriching experience for the
majority of students in the class on three levels. First, Boyd et al. (2010) stated,
“Reflection allowed students to make the connection between theory and practice and
allowed the principles learned in the classroom to be applied to their daily lives. Student
learning [was] deepened and strengthened when the abstract [became] the concrete" (p.
48). Secondly, Boyd et al. recommend that EL should be used by educators to encompass
the learning styles of multiple learners (p. 49). Lastly, reflective journal writing appeared
to be the key that helped students make the connection between theory and application (p.
49). While this study was applied to a college leadership course, the concepts of
reflective journaling, retention, internalization, transformation and the strategies used in
Kolb’s model are all applicable to the language arts classroom and could have profound
results on student learning at all levels.
Implications of Experiential Learning
Having examined a brief history, characteristics, Kolb’s Model and the
effectiveness of EE, a number of implications may be drawn. First, EE has the potential
to provide real or authentic experiences, which promotes creativity, real learning and
citizenship. Secondly, the very nature of EE encourages interdisciplinary cooperation.
Third, Gardner’s eighth intelligence—the naturalist intelligence—is often ignored in
public schools, which ignores the learning style of a certain population of children.
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Lastly, EE has the potential to address the rising issue of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity
Disorder (ADHD), as will be discussed later in this review.
Authentic Learning Experiences
When educators use EE to provide learners real experiences, it has the potential to
not only impact the learners, but it also has the potential to impact entire schools,
communities or more. In one case study, Kiran Bir Sethi (2010) of the Riverside School
in Ahmedabad, India discovered that if you “blur the boundaries between school and life,
then children go through a journey of aware, where they can see the change, enable, be
changed, and empower, lead the change…Children became more competent and less
helpless” (para. 3). As an example, Sethi (2010) made her students aware of child labor
and harsh working conditions through instruction. She then enabled them by having them
sit on a hard, cold floor and roll incense sticks for as long as they could handle it. The
children were changed and decided to get creative and do something with their new
knowledge, so Sethi empowered them with the tools—mainly their voice through pens.
The children went around the city making other people aware. When challenged about
math, science and English grades, the Riverside school ranks in the top ten schools in
India (Sethi, 2010).
In another case study, Geber Tulley (2009), founder of the Tinkering School gives
children tools and materials and tells them to use their imaginations to tinker and create.
Tulley helps guide the students and gives instruction on safety and use of the tools, but
other than that, the students are on their own to imagine and invent. Part of the process is
trial and error, which means failure…much failure. Tulley (2009) makes a number of
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observations. First, when things don’t go well, “a really interesting behavior emerges:
decoration” (para. 5). Tulley described that decoration as a sort of “incubation” a time of
deep thought that helps to solve complex puzzles. Sad to say, such decorating in the
traditional classroom is often looked upon as a waste of time or not paying attention.
Secondly, Tulley (2009) noted that “nothing ever turns out as planned…ever”
(para. 4). After a while, however, students begin to become comfortable with that idea
and learn to embrace it as part of the process (Tulley, 2009). Students are forced to
become divergent thinkers to solve the problem. This concept is difficult to apply in the
traditional classroom, which tends to promote convergent thinking over divergent
thinking. (Matthews, 2010). For most children success is defined in grades. Students
cannot fail, for if they fail, their GPA will decrease, and if their GPA decreases, postsecondary plans are affected, and if their post-secondary plans are affected, the rest of the
student’s life will be affected. Lastly, students begin to realize, “Success is in the doing.
And failures are celebrated and analyzed. Problems become puzzles and obstacles
disappear” (Tulley, 2009). Truly this is the heart of EE and it ought to be the heart of
education in public schools.
Both case studies have the implied message that EE provides real experiences,
and in both instances, creativity is promoted. EE also has the potential to promote
citizenship, which will be defined as selfless, social or global responsibility. In the first
case, Sethi’s (2010) students were promoting awareness in the community by sharing
their knowledge about child labor and harsh working conditions. In the second case,
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23
Tulley’s (2009) students learned to cooperate, collaborate and corroborate to complete
complex, difficult tasks. Moreover, Peter Higgins (2009) stated:
If “taking responsibility” is adopted as a central theme in education, it provides
opportunities to apply this approach to other aspect so of life. For example,
raising the awareness of consequences of actions and taking responsibility for
them is vitally important in both local and global citizenship. Such an approach is
pertinent to the big issues of the modern world such as sustainability, citizenship,
and personal health. (p. 51)
Unfortunately, standardized testing and shallow budgets do not allow much space for
promoting such educational opportunities, nor is there much supporting research in the
realm of public education (Higgins, 2009).
Nature Involvement and Cracking ADHD
Public school administrators often encourage teachers to use Gardner’s multiple
intelligences; however, Gardner’s eighth intelligence, the naturalist intelligence, is rarely
if ever mentioned. This may partially be due to a lack of evidence. As Gardner (2003)
stated, he “would like a chance to rethink the nature of intelligence with respect to our
new biological knowledge, on one hand, and our most sophisticated understanding of the
terrain of knowledge and societal practice, on the other” (p. 14). Nevertheless, nature
provides a ubiquitous classroom opportunity that is first of all, close and second of all,
affordable. More importantly, it is a place to create hands-on, concrete experiences
beyond the classroom walls. A study of Henry David Thoreau’s description of the
EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION IN LANGUAGE ARTS
24
battling ants, for instance, may have a more forceful impact if students were to witness an
actual ant battle before, during or after reading Thoreau’s account.
Besides supporting EE and touching on all the intelligences, Richard Louv
(2008), in his book, Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature-Deficit
Disorder cited Linda A. Johnson of the Associated Press:
The United State increased [ADHD cases] 600 percent between 1990 and 1995.
Between 2000 and 2003 spending on ADHD for preschoolers increased 369
percent. Both boys and girls are diagnosed with ADHD, but approximately 90
percent of the young people placed on medication—often at the suggestion of
school officials—are boys. (p. 101)
Louv’s (2008) argument is that these trends ironically coincide with the “detachment of
education from the physical world” (p. 100). Louv went on to suggest that nature
experiences may be useful therapy for children diagnosed with ADHD.
Lastly, Louv (2008) argued that, because children and education are losing touch
with the physical world, children are also losing touch with their senses (p. 55).
Furthermore, in a review by Eric Bilyeau and Terri Fowler about using the five senses,
they suggested that teachers use visualization techniques to connect content with the
child. They first present an idea to a child and ask them to visualize it using all their
senses (p. 25). Then, using graphic organizers, children are to create categories for their
descriptions followed by an internalization process of asking reflective questions (p. 26).
This method closely resembles Kolb’s Model for EL, but Louv (2008) argued that a child
cannot connect senses with an object they have never experienced (p. 57ff). How can a
EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION IN LANGUAGE ARTS
25
student describe the texture and workings of a heart if they have never cut into a deer (5759)? Conventional wisdom demonstrates that, more and more, the finitude of sensory
association is being deprived making it more and more difficult to connect real
experiences with student learning. Therefore, this review suggests that applying Kolb’s
Model and rigorous, content appropriate instruction to outdoor activities supports sensory
learning, multiple learning styles, and children who suffer the symptoms of ADHD.
Shortcomings of Experiential Education
In researching this review of EE, it became apparent that research in this area of
education is abounding. More than that, EE is proven to be an effective means of
educating the whole being of the child. Nevertheless, Higgins (2009) supports that
“formal research” in the realm of public education is limited (p. 50). In particular,
through many searches in and around the terms, experiential learning, experiential
education, whole schooling, etcetera, research for the use of EE in the secondary,
language arts classroom appears to be limited, maybe even nonexistent. Based on the
effects of the study by Boyd et al. (2010), however, it is evident that research to support
the use of EE in the secondary language arts classroom is recommended.
Conclusion
Overwhelmingly, there are many approaches to education and each has its
positives and negatives. Much is to be said about learning math and linguistic skills, but
focusing education on those two aspects of intelligence is far too limited. EE, however,
provides an opportunity for the educator to reach students according to their style of
learning and promote multiple strategies for teaching. The six defining characteristics of
EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION IN LANGUAGE ARTS
26
EE push the educator to move beyond the concept of transferring knowledge to students
and move towards a process that educates the whole being of the student. Also, EE
allows for real experiences in our communities and in nature that not only educate
children but also builds a sense of citizenship and possibly reconnects education with
nature experiences. Overall, as David and Alice Kolb (2008) point out, EL “is not only
applicable in the classroom but in all arenas of life” (p. 3). More specifically, EE is
applicable to the secondary language arts classroom, and has the potential to provide
teachers with a model to give students an authentic learning experience.
EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION IN LANGUAGE ARTS
27
Chapter 3
Research Methodology
The purpose of this study was to examine ninth grade students enrolled in an
English 9-1course which practiced experiential education teaching methods. The intent of
the study was to gain knowledge about student perspectives in an experiential education
environment. More specifically, the study focused on the question, how will learning be
impacted by experiential education in the secondary language arts classroom?
This study employed the use of a quasi-experimental design to compare data from
two English 9-1 courses taught in the spring of 2011to the data of two English 9-1
courses taught in the fall of 2011. The spring course was the control group, taught in a
traditional, teacher centered approach. The fall course was the experimental group
receiving the treatment of experiential education. This chapter will explore the
population, instrumentation, collection procedures, and analysis methodology.
Population
The population of this study consisted of students enrolled in a nine-week, ninth
grade English course at a semi-urban high school in West Central Minnesota. The sample
consisted of two sections of English 9-1 for a total sample of 56 students. The population
of this study comprised of 30 females and 26 males. Of the 56 students enrolled, three
students were repeat students due to not passing the course in a previous attempt.
English 9-1 is a typical, ninth grade survey class, which studies short stories,
poetry, drama and various modes of writing. Students in English 9-1 range from those
who struggle with linguistic skills to those who excel. In the two sections of English 9-1
EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION IN LANGUAGE ARTS
28
___ students are legally bound to an Individualized Education Plan. Overall, however, the
students were in the middle track of English courses with remedial English below and
honors English above.
Instrumentation
Overall, the researcher was interested in learning if experiential education was
capable of positively changing students’ perceptions of English and if it had a
constructive effect on student achievement. To collect data to support the research
questions, the researcher chose to triangulate using surveys, scores of quizzes, tests and
assignments of previous courses taught traditionally compared with the experimental
group’s scores, and personal documents. This section will discuss why each instrument is
appropriate along with each instruments’ validity and reliability.
Surveys were thought to be an appropriate method of research to gain insight to
student perceptions of English courses. According to Glanz (2003), surveys are “used to
assess attitudes or views of respondents” (p. 62). With this in mind, the researcher
created a preclass and postclass survey using a Likert style questionnaire. To test for
validity several experts reviewed and approved the questions. Each questionnaire had ??
questions with responses ranging from, strongly disagree, disagree, agree and strongly
agree. Each response was given a quantity ranging from one for strongly disagree, to four
for strongly agree. Thus, each questionnaire had a minimum score of ?? and a maximum
score of ??
The first questionnaire (Appendix A) had ?? questions, which primarily focused
on the student’s overall perception of previous English courses. Perception may be
EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION IN LANGUAGE ARTS
29
defined here as their like or dislike of the courses, how well or how poorly they
performed, and what basic English skills they are good or not good at. In the second
questionnaire (Appendix B), having experienced a course steeped in experiential
education, ?? questions were again asked about their perception of English courses. The
questions on the second questionnaire asked about their understanding of the subject, like
or dislike of the methods used, and if there has been any change in their overall
perception of English courses.
Secondly, the research compared the average grades of achievement markers of
the English 9-1 courses taught in the spring of 2011 to the average achievement markers
of the two classes taught in the fall of 2011, receiving the treatment of experiential
education (Appendix ??). Achievement markers will be defined as quizzes, tests and
student assignments. It is important to note that the spring classes taught the same, units,
stories, poems, and drama as the fall treatment group. The spring teaching of the course,
however, was taught in the traditional, teacher centered approach. Moreover, at random,
?? students were chosen from each course to compare scores. The researcher took a
sample from low achieving students to high achieving students. The validity of this
design lies in the comparison of achievement markers to show overall classroom
achievement.
Lastly, the researcher wanted to gain a deeper sense of, achievement, successes
and failures, struggles, and moments of enlightenment on a more personal level; thus, the
third instrument used was a reflective journal. The reliability of such research relies on
the quality of student responses in their reflective journals. The researcher does feel,
EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION IN LANGUAGE ARTS
30
however, that with a population of ____ that a quality collection of personal documents
was collected. Given the nature of reflective journals, validity will be found in a more
personalized attempt to explore the why, what, and how of the research questions (Glanz,
2003). Though they are subjective, journals give a “reliable source of data concerning a
person’s attitudes, beliefs, and view of the world…They…reflect the participant’s
perspective” (Merriam, 1998, p. 116).
The reflective journals (Appendix C) were modeled after the study conducted by
Boyd, Dooley and Moore (2010) with slight modifications to fit the Ninth Grade English
curriculum. The reflective journals were semi-structured and consisted of three parts. In
part one, students were asked to demonstrate a clear understanding of what took place in
class. They were to answer the question: what did I learn today (Boyd, Dooley & Moore
2010)? Secondly, students were to write on the question: what new perspectives did you
gain today? As a follow up, students were asked to record any further questions they may
have and attempt to answer their own question before class the next day. Lastly, students
were asked: how can the information be used in daily life? How can you make sense of
the information and make it real to you (2010)?
Data Collection Procedures
As stated earlier, qualitative and quantitative data were collected through
questionnaires, achievement markers, and personal documentation (Glanz, 2003). On
July ___, 2011 the researcher sent a letter (Appendix D) to the school’s principal to
obtain official permission to conduct the research. Having received permission, letters
were sent to the parents (Appendix E) of students on August ___, 2011 to obtain consent
EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION IN LANGUAGE ARTS
31
and conduct the experiment. Also sent was a student consent form (Appendix F) for the
student to read and sign. All consent letters were due back to the classroom teacher on
September 7th. If parents or students declined to participate in the study, they were not
required to take the survey or submit their journals for analysis. As part of the
curriculum, however, students were still required to participate in the class and turn in
their journal for a grade.
For the duration of the course, the licensed secondary teacher used the
experiential education approach. Typically, each day began with a discussion of a new
topic or a follow up of the previous day’s topic followed by a hands-on application of the
topic. All students were encouraged to participate. Some applications involved individual
work, others small group work, still others required large group work. To keep with
Kolb’s (2008),model, students critically reflected about their classroom experiences and
decided how they might modify their approach in future applications. Lastly, students
were also put into small learning communities where they chose a team name and
operated together on many of the hands-on applications and on a large group project for
The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet.. Specific examples of lessons used may be found in
Appendix ??.
As homework, students were assigned points for keeping a daily, reflective
journal for each day of the term. Two key aspects of Kolb’s (2008), model are reflective
observation and abstract conceptualization. Thus, for this study, an emphasis was placed
on students reflecting on what happened in class that day and formulating ideas on future
EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION IN LANGUAGE ARTS
32
applications of their experiences. The journals were collected on the last day of the term
for data analysis.
Furthermore, having obtained permission from the school’s administration and
consent from parents and students, students participated in two individual, questionnaires
which asked students to reflect upon their perceptions of English courses. The first
questionnaire was distributed on the first day of the term, September 6th, and the second
questionnaire was distributed on November 4th, the last day of the term. The
questionnaires were then collected and compared for data analysis.
Lastly, throughout the term, quiz scores, test scores, assignment scores and
project scores were collected and recorded in the teacher’s grade book and then exported
to EXCEL to be compared with the previous English 9-1 quiz, test, assignment and
project scores.
Data Analysis
This section will specifically discuss the three research questions and by what
means the data were analyzed. The first research questions asked, “What are students’
perceptions of experiential education in the secondary language arts classroom?” At the
beginning of the course, a questionnaire was administered to assess the overall perception
students have toward English. At the end of the course, students participated in an
individual questionnaire which asked students to reflect upon their experience with
experiential education in the course. The results were collected and the researcher
reported means and standard deviations for each survey questions. A paired-samples t test
was ran between the responses of the first and second questionnaire for each question to
EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION IN LANGUAGE ARTS
33
determine if a significant difference occurred in students’ perceptions of a secondary
language arts class when taught through experiential education instead of traditional
education.
The second question asked, “What are the effects of experiential education on
student achievement in the secondary language arts classroom?” For this question, the
researcher reported the means and standard deviation sores on quizzes, tests and
assignments taken from the experimental teacher’s fall, English 9-1 courses taught using
the experiential education model. The researcher then reported the means and standard
deviation scores taken from quizzes, tests and assignments of the spring English 9-1
courses previously taught by the same instructor in the traditional style of education. The
independent-samples t test was used to compare the results and determine if the
differences reported were significant.
Lastly, the reflective journals were analyzed using narrative analysis to more
intimately determine how the ninth graders experienced the class (Merriam, 1998). The
journals were scoured for common themes and phrases (Glanz, 2003) that supported the
principles of experiential learning. More specifically, they were carefully analyzed to find
out what was learned, what perspectives were gained, and if students were able to find
life applications.
Summary
In short, chapter three has described the methodology used in this study. Within
the methodology, the sample population was described in detail. Moreover, the
EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION IN LANGUAGE ARTS
34
instruments, data collection procedures, and a data analysis were described. In chapter
four, the results of the experiment will be described in detail.
EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION IN LANGUAGE ARTS
35
Chapter 4
# ofStudents
Percentage
Gender
Male
26
46.42%
Female
30
53.57%
9th Grade
53
94.64%
10th Grade
3
5.36%
Grade
Of interest to the researcher were the students’ gender, grade (some students in the
population may be repeat students or transfer students) and previous interest in English
courses.
EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION IN LANGUAGE ARTS
36
References
A comparison of “traditional” vs. “progressive” education. (n.d.) Retrieved May 31, 2011
from http://cuip.uchicago.edu/~cac/stuff/philosed/tradvsprog.htm
Association for Experiential Education. (2003). Retrieved June 6, 2011 from
http://www.aee.org.
Boyd, B., Dooley, K., & Moore, (2010). The effects of experiential learning with an
emphasis on reflective writing on deep-level processing of leadership students.
Journal of Leadership Education, 9(1). 36-52. Retrieved from
http://www.fhsu.edu/JOLE/issues/JOLE_9_1.pdf#page=49
Dewey, J. (1998). Experience and education: 60th anniversary edition. West Lafayette,
IN: Kappa Delta Pi.
Eyler, J. (2009). The power of experiential education. Liberal Education, 95(4), 24-31.
Retrieved from https://www.aacu.org/liberaleducation/lefa09/documents/LEFall09_Eyler.pdf
Bilyeu, E., & Fowler, T. (2010). Empowering connections through visualization using the
five senses. California Reader, 43(2), 23-28.
Costa, A., & Kallick, B. (2000). Sustaining change: Getting into the habit of reflection.
Educational Leadership, 57(7), 60-62.
Gardner, H. (2003). Multiple intelligences after twenty years. Paper presented at the
American Educational Research Association, Chicago, Illinois, April 21, 2003.
Gardner, H. (2005). Multiple lenses on the mind. Retrieved from
http://www.pz.harvard.edu/pis/MultipleLensMay2005.pdf
EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION IN LANGUAGE ARTS
37
Glanz, J. (2003). Action research: An educational leader’s guide to school improvement.
Norwood, MA: Christopher-Gordon Publishers, Inc.
Higgins, P. (2009). Into the big wide world: Sustainable experiential education for the
21st century. Journal of Experiential Education, 32(1), 44-60.
Kolb, A., & Kolb, D. (2008). Experiential learning theory: A dynamic approach to
management learning, education and development. 1-59. Retrieved from
http://learningfromexperience.com/media/2010/08/ELT-Hbk-MLED-LFEwebsite-2-10-08.pdf
Kolb, D. (1984). Experiential Learning and Development: Experience as the Source of
Learning and Development. Retrieved from
http://www.learningfromexperience.com/images/uploads/process-of-experientiallearning.pdf
Lindemann, E. (2001). A rhetoric for writing teachers (4th ed.). New York, NY: Oxford
University Press.
Louv, R. (2008). Last child in the woods: Saving our children from nature-deficit
disorder. Chapel Hill, NC: Algonquin Books.
Matthews, M. (2010). Creativity spaces: Making room for ambiguity and failure. Journal
of Philosophy & History of Education, 60, 198-204.
Merriam, S. (1998). Qualitative research and case study application in education. San
Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Roberts, J. (2008). From experience to neo-experiential education: Variations on a theme.
Journal of Experiential Education, 31(1), 19-35.
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38
Robinson, K. (2009). The element: How finding your passion changes everything. New
York, NY: Penguin Group.
Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts (Producer, 2010). Changing paradigms.
Available from http://www.thersa.org/events/vision/archive/sir-ken-robinson
Sehti, K. (2010). I can. Retrieved from
http://www.ted.com/talks/kiran_bir_sethi_teaches_kids_to_take_charge.html
Tulley, G. (2009). Life lessons through tinkering. Retrieved from
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/gever_tulley_s_tinkering_school_in_action.ht
ml
EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION IN LANGUAGE ARTS
Appendix A
Preclass Questionnaire
39
EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION IN LANGUAGE ARTS
40
9th Grade English
Pre-Class Questionnaire
Directions: Carefully read each statement below and mark how much you agree or
disagree with the statement.
Strongly
Disagree
1. I do not enjoy writing.
2. I tend to get good grades in my English courses.
3. I enjoy reading.
4. I tend to never understand most of what I read.
5. I do not enjoy reading.
6. I ‘get’ grammar.
7. I tend to struggle to get good grades in my
English courses.
8. I read for pleasure outside my English courses.
9. I’d probably enjoy English better if it was taught
in a different way.
10. Typically, I do not enjoy English courses.
11. I enjoy writing.
12. I tend to understand most of what I read.
13. I enjoy writing outside of my English courses.
14. I’d probably never enjoy English, no matter how
it was taught.
15. Typically, I enjoy English courses.
16. I do not ‘get’ grammar.
17. I rarely read for pleasure outside my English
courses.
18. I do not enjoy writing.
Disagree
Agree
Strongly
Agree
EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION IN LANGUAGE ARTS
Appendix B
Postclass Questionnaire
41
EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION IN LANGUAGE ARTS
42
9th Grade English
Post-Class Questionnaire
Directions: Carefully read each statement below and mark how much you agree or
disagree with the statement.
Strongly
Disagree
1. I did not enjoy this English course.
2. I noticed a big difference in the way this
class was taught in comparison with
other English courses I’ve taken.
3. I enjoyed the reading assignments.
4. If all my English courses were taught
like this class, I would probably have
enjoyed English better.
5. I did not enjoy the reading assignments.
6. I enjoyed how grammar was taught.
7. I earned a grade that was below my
average English class grade.
8. I noticed no difference in the way this
class was taught in comparison with
other English courses I’ve taken.
9. I did not enjoy the writing assignments.
10. If all my English courses were taught
like this class, I would probably have
learned and retained English better.
11. I really enjoyed this English course.
12. I earned a grade that was my average
English class grade.
13. I did not enjoy how grammar was
taught.
14. I earned a grade that was better than
my usual English class grades.
15. I enjoyed the lessons in this class
Disagree
Agree
Strongly
Agree
EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION IN LANGUAGE ARTS
because of who taught them.
16. I enjoyed the writing assignments.
17. I would have enjoyed the lessons in this
class no matter who taught them.
Open-Ended Survey Questions. Please answer honestly.
1. What three lessons did you most enjoy? Explain why.
2. What three lessons did you least enjoy? Explain why.
3. What suggestions do you have for the next time your teacher teaches this course?
43
EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION IN LANGUAGE ARTS
Appendix C
Reflective Journal Assignment
44
EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION IN LANGUAGE ARTS
45
Daily Reflective Journal
WHAT:
A great, life-long habit to develop is your ability to reflect upon an
experience, determine what happened, and figure out how you will
respond the next time such an experience occurs. People who reflect like
this tend to be understanding, knowledgeable, and wise.
HOW:
In an attempt to ‘get’ you reflecting, each day, as homework, you are to
journal about your experience in class. I ask that you be open, honest, and
detailed in your responses. You are free to write what you wish in your
journals; however, I do ask that you at least answer the following three
questions whenever you write in your journal.
1. What did you learn about today? Please demonstrate a clear understanding
of what we did in class today.
2. What new perspective(s) did you gain?
3. How can the information be used in daily life? OR, how can you make sense
of the information and make it real to you?
Lastly, I will be checking your journal progress at the beginning of each
week.
WHEN:
Our term is 47 days long; therefore, at the end of the term you will have
47 entries in your reflective journal. Each entry is worth one point for a
total of 47 points. BONUS: If you make all 47 entries, I will bump your
score to 50/47.
You will also receive a point for each week’s check-in for a total of 9
points. Again, if you meet all nine weeks of participation, I will bump
your score to 10/9.
EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION IN LANGUAGE ARTS
Appendix D
Letter to Principal
46
EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION IN LANGUAGE ARTS
47
Date: July __, 2011
Dear xxxxxxx,
As we discussed last spring, I have been working diligently towards implementing experiential
education in my 9th Grade English courses this coming fall. The purpose of the study is to break
away from the traditional, teacher centered approach to learning and implement a research based,
student centered and hands-on approach to learning through the use of experiential education.
During my term one, 9th Grade English courses, I wish to implement, with your permission, three
tests to evaluate my focus questions: What are students’ perceptions of experiential education in
the secondary language arts classroom? What are the effects of experiential education on student
achievement in the secondary language arts classroom? And what impact does deep reflection
have on student learning?
At the beginning of the course a questionnaire will be given to assess the overall perception
students have toward English. At the end of the course, students will participate in a follow-up
questionnaire which asks students to reflect upon their experience with experiential education in
the course. The questions focus on the student’s overall perception of English courses, their
perception of English courses incorporating experiential education, how their understanding of
the subject increased or decreased, and if there has been any change in their overall perception. I
will use a paired-samples t test to compare the results.
Secondly, I will compare the means and standard deviations of quiz, test and assignment scores of
my two fall classes with the means and standard deviations of quiz, test and assignment scores of
my spring 2011 courses. I will use an independent-samples t test to compare the results.
Lastly, I will be qualitatively analyzing each student’s reflective journals, searching for common
themes and/or phrases which might support experiential education.
Please note, neither students nor our school will be put in any sort of danger or risk. No names
(not even the name of our school district) or personal information of any kind will be used in the
report. The benefits to students, and ultimately to our school is that students will receive a more
hands-on, experience based, and deep reflective based education. All standards will be adhered to
and our local curriculum will remain unchanged.
Thank you for considering my proposal to practice experiential education in my English
classroom. If you have any further questions, I am more than willing to meet with you in person
or chat on the phone. If you wish to pursue further information, I have provided you with the
contact information for my Action Research Committee Chair person, Dr. Kabes.
Thanks again,
Joshua Scharnberg
Master’s Candidate
651-494-4725
jscharnberg@chisagolakes.k12.mn.us
Dr. Sharon Kabes
Professor of Education
Southwest Minnesota State University
Sharon.kabes@smsu.edu
EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION IN LANGUAGE ARTS
Appendix E
Letter to Parents
48
EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION IN LANGUAGE ARTS
49
June 22, 2011
Dear _______________________,
As a part of my master’s program, during the first term of English 9-1, I will be experimenting with
the use of experiential education as opposed to traditional education. Experiential education is a more
student-centered, hands-on and reflective approach to teaching. Please note that your child will not be
put in any sort of danger or risk, nor will their name or personal information be used anywhere in the
report I will be writing. The benefits to students, and ultimately to you is that students will receive a
more hands-on, experience based and deep reflective based education. All standards will be adhered to
and our local curriculum will remain unchanged.
During the course of the term, with your permission, I will administer a questionnaire at the beginning
of the term and at the end. The first questionnaire will ask students about their perceptions (like,
dislike, success and failure…) of English courses. The second questionnaire will be a follow up to see
how, if at all, student perceptions have changed about English. Of course the questionnaires will be
confidential and no student will be singled out.
Besides the questionnaire, I will be comparing the means and standard deviations of quiz, test and
assignment scores with previous English 9-1 courses to check for overall improvement.
Lastly, I will be analyzing student reflection journals for reoccurring themes and/or phrases that might
support the use of experiential education.
Thank you for your time and consideration. If you have further questions or concerns, feel free to call
me or send me an email. Also, I have posted a number of links on my website that explain experiential
education more in depth.
Sincerely,
Joshua Scharnberg
English Teacher
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Student name ____________________________________________________________
Parent signature __________________________________________________________
_____ Yes, I give my permission for my child to participate.
_____ No, I do not give my permission.
***If this form is not returned by August 31st, it is assumed that permission is granted.
EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION IN LANGUAGE ARTS
Appendix F
Letter to Participants
50
EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION IN LANGUAGE ARTS
51
July 13, 2011
Dear _______________________,
As a part of my master’s program, during the first term of English 9-1, I will be experimenting with
the use of experiential education as opposed to traditional education. As a result, you will receive a
more hands-on, experience based and deep reflective based education. All standards will be adhered to
and our local curriculum will remain unchanged.
During the course of the term, with your permission, I will administer a questionnaire at the beginning
of the term and at the end. The first questionnaire will ask you about your perceptions (like, dislike,
success and failure…) of English courses. The second questionnaire will be a follow up to see how, if
at all, your perceptions have changed about English. Of course the questionnaires will be confidential
and you will never be singled out.
Besides the questionnaires, I will be comparing the average mean and standard deviation quiz, test and
assignment scores with previous English 9-1 courses to check for overall improvement.
Lastly, I will be analyzing your reflection journals for reoccurring themes and/or phrases that might
support the use of experiential education.
Thank you for your time and consideration. If you have further questions or concerns, feel free to call
me or send me an email. Also, I have posted a number of links on my website that explain experiential
education more in depth.
Sincerely,
Joshua Scharnberg
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