Ferre Laevers
Centre for Experiential Education
Leuven University
The spirit
 I like Scotland
 A strong reputation for decades when it comes to value
education
 The new reform plans: ambitious, with clarity on the
goals and determination to get there
 I can link with all of this
 Education is a powerful lever for society
 What can I share with you to help make the plan
succeed?
 A privilege indeed…
A frame for quality
assurance and assessment
CONTEXT
EFFECTS
means
 PROCESS  objectives
principles
outcomes
The challenge
CONTEXT
means
principles
1
“Curriculum areas are not structures for
timetabling:
…have freedom to think imaginatively
about how the experiences and
outcomes might be organised and
planned for in creative ways…”
[Curriculum for Excellence]
Quality at the level
of the context
CONTEXT

means
principles

ingredients of a powerful learning environment
A powerful learning environment

The OECD meeting on ECE –[Stockholm 2003]
 High Scope [1962]
 Reggio Emilia [1970]
 Te Whaariki [1996]
 Experiential Education [1976]
6 components
Essential ingredients
1. Respect for the child
An interaction
With regard to a task on ‘creativity’:
 Ch: Miss, I can’t find anything.
 T: What do you suppose ‘creativity’ is? Do you think
you get the answer just like that? No! You have to think
first about it!
 Ch: I hàve thought about it!
 Lk: Well, think harder then!
Reflections on ‘respect’
 Not the same as „sentimentality‟
 A process of emancipation
 Determined by „images‟ of the other
 …and of oneself
 Goes along with loss of power
 And gain of quality in the relations
 Is transferred through every part of our acts
Essential ingredients
1. Respect of the child
2. Communication, a positive group climate
Group climate : level 5
 The atmosphere is relaxed, cheerful, cosy
 Most of the children take pleasure in what they do
 Children and teacher have a lively and content expression




on their faces
Children dare to experiment, to give answers, to take
initiative and to make mistakes
Children are spontaneous: they ask questions, express
what they feel and think
There is a natural, unforced quietness when required
Humor is never far away: children and adult have fun
telling jokes or phantasizing
Positive climate at
the group level
 The relations within the group
“One person dominates the whole group. If
you don‟t do what he says you don‟t belong.
When he says: „I don‟t study for that subject‟ –
everyone has to follow.
You are ridiculed when you pay attention
during the lessons. But I can‟t afford being
distracted, because I need the lessons to get
through the exams.” (Heidi – 3 gr. Sec. Sch.)
Positive climate at
the school level
 The culture of the school
“In my new school drama has a predominant
place. When rehearsing plays we spend a lot of
time working together with the teachers.
Not in my former school! There, the teachers
just „delivered‟ their lessons and gone they
were. They didn‟t seek any contact with us.”
(Els – 3rd grade Secund. Sch.)
Essential ingredients
1. Respect of the child
2. Communication, a positive group climate
3. A rich environment
An experiential practice
A rich environment=
densification
 Back to Dewey, Freinet, Decroly…
 How broad is the range of experiences?
 From sensory to abstract
 From individual to social
 From „taking in‟ to „creating‟
 How much is still open to exploration?
 Depth, surprise, adventure, serendipity
 How stimulating is the teacher‟s style?
“Make the soup thicker”
Essential ingredients
1. Respect for the child
2. Communication, a positive group climate
3. A rich environment
4. An open framework approach
Initiative of the
adult
The „open framework‟
approach [High Scope 1963]
Programmed
learning
Open
framework
Custodial
Childoriented
Initiative of the child
The „open framework‟
approach
 An observation
 A circular process
 Who is programming who?
 Who is learning most?
 The emergent curriculum
 How to get it in place?
How to get it in place?
 Room for initiative at the level of the organisation:
 freedom to choose: what, when, how frequently...
(see Action point 6)
 Teacher Style:
 stimulating interventions & giving autonomy
 Offer activities that meet observed needs and interests
 Dynamic workforms
 Circle time / Projectwork / Contractwork / Atelier
Essential ingredients
1. Respect for the child
2. Communication, a positive group climate
3. A rich environment
4. An open framework approach
5. Representation: impression-expression cycle
To express is to impress
SYMBOL
Unexpressed
Expressed
Essential ingredients
1. Respect for the child
2. Communication, a positive group climate
3. A rich environment
4. An open framework approach
5. Representation: impression-expression cycle
6. Observation, observation, observation…
To conclude
The challenge
EFFECT
objectives
outcomes
2
“how the experiences and outcomes
might be organised and planned for
in creative ways which encourage
deep, sustained learning …”
[Curriculum for Excellence]
Quality at the level
of the output
OUTPUT
CONTEXT
 PROCESS  objectives
means
outcomes
principles
competencies
dispositions
EFFECTS
objectives
outcomes
Emotional health / self-esteem 
Exploratory drive 
Competencies & life skills 
The basic attitude of linkedness 
The new paradigm:
„competency based learning‟
 The output of education questioned
 Competencies are life-skills
 not the learning is the point, but how to use it
 Competencies are complex entities
 Integrate skills, insights, attitudes, praxis
 Bloom‟s taxonomy revisited
[from reproductive learning to problem solving & evaluation]
 The multiple intelligences
 „Implicit learning‟ & „Stealth education‟
Deep-level-learning
Developmental domains





Gross motor development
Fine motor development
Expression through arts
Expression through language
Understanding the world of objects
 Including technology
 Understanding the world of people
 Including social competence
 Logical mathematical competence
 Self-organisation & entrepreneurship
Gross motor development
1
Shows excellent physical skills for his/her age,
demonstrated in a broad range of situations where
movement is required. It is a pleasure observing
his/her movements in space: supple and graceful,
purposeful and with efficacy, in an adjusted pace,
rhythmical, readily reacting to changes and signals.
Picks up new patterns of movement very easily.
[Process-oriented Child Monitoring System]
The concept of
„deep-level-learning‟
 An holistic approach
 far from a checklist of isolated skills
 grasping the essence
 covering all age levels
 speaks to the imagination
 gives a sense of direction
Self-organisation &
entrepreneurship
2
Is able to manage him/herself well: knows what (s)he
wants, can set goals, can engage into action without
delay and achieve a good result. Does not give up at
the first obstacle and can persist. Can step back and
work strategically. Is able to exploit various
possibilities and adapt to changing circumstances. Is
not ruled by the surroundings, but actively
determines the group’s course together with others.
[POMS]
Deep-level-learning
Developmental domains





Gross motor development
Fine motor development
Expression through arts
Expression through language
Understanding the world of objects
 Including technology
 Understanding the world of people
 Including social competence
 Logical mathematical competence
 Self-organisation & entrepreneurship
The concept of
„deep-level-learning‟
The key question
HOW CAN WE CHANGE THE
PROGRAM INSTEAD OF ADDING
NEW FILES AGAIN AND AGAIN?
To conclude
The challenge
Process
3
“…how the experiences and outcomes
might be organised and planned for in
creative ways […] which meet the
needs of their children and young
people.
[Curriculum for Excellence]
Quality at the level
of the process
CONTEXT
EFFECTS
means
 PROCESS  objectives
principles
outcomes
WELL-BEING
INVOLVEMENT
Involvement
When children are...






concentrated and focussed
interested, motivated, fascinated
mentally active
fully experiencing sensations and meanings
enjoying the satisfaction of the exploratory
drive
operating at the very limits of their capabilities
...we know that deep level learning
is taking place
difficulty of task
The zone of
proximal development
competence of the child
A
The scanning procedure
[SiCs]
cego.be
21 classes, 5 half days observation in a year (100
episodes per class) Level of INVOLVEMENT (scanning)
Low
3,46
3,46
S6L4
3,37
S3L3
S4L3
S7L4
3,33
S8L6
S4L4
S8L3
3,31
S3L4
S5L6
S7L3
3,25
S3L6
S4L6
S5L4
3,21
S1L3
S2L4
3,1
S6L3
3,2
2,95
S5L3
S8L4
2,95
3,09
2,88
2,91
3,05
2,87
3,02
2,84
2,99
2,82
3
S1L4
3,5
3,31
Moderate
S2L6
Very low
S1L6
4
2,5
[Research project Equal Opportunities]
PROCESS ORIENTED CHILD MONITORING SYSTEM
Step 1 : Group screening for well-being and involvement
Group: 23 five year olds
NAMES
Date: October
WELL-BEING INVOLVEMENT
COMMENTS
Abrachim
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Tom
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Ben
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Olivier
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Daan
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Raf
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Jasper
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Sebastiaan
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Ward
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Ruben
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Joris
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Stefaan
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Frederik
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Jelle
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Kaat
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Ilke
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Els
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Leen
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Sara
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Marijke
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Eline
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Elize
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Mies
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PROCESS
ORIENTED
CHILD MONITORING
SYSTEM
Step 1 : Group screening
for well-being
and
involvement
C
Why not ask the children?
The status of the process variables
 A measure for the
POWER of the learning
environment – NOT a child characteristic
 Contain key information to improve quality
 immediate feedback
 the shortest way to interventions
 tell who takes advantage of our efforts and who doesn‟t
 Stand above any educational model / innovation
 A common base for the entire educational system
why not install a
follow up system
from 0 to 18 yrs
focusing on
WB & INV?
To conclude
Wellb. + Involv.
in SOCIETY
Wellb. & Involv.
in the TEAM
Wellb. & Involv.
in the ADULT
Wellbeing &
involvement
in the CHILD
is about synergy...
Publications
 The Leuven Involvement Scale:
Training Pack
[Video + Manual 29 fragments]
 Enhancing Well-being and involvement:
The ten Action Points [100 slides + voice over]
 A Box full of Feelings [play&learn-set]
 Experiential Education at Work
[Video of Julia‘s class + guide]
 The Process-Oriented Child Monitoring
System
[Manual + Forms + Interventions]
 Research on Experiential Education
[Reader including 5 articles]
INFORMATION on Experiential Education &
publications
www.cego.be