Best Practices in Environmental Education Fields Trips CURRICULAR INTEGRATION, PREPARATION, AND FOLLOW-UP Kathleen Floberg Colloquium Presenta5on November 25th, 2014 MEEd Candidate University of Minnesota, Duluth
Outline Personal Background Purpose Research Ques5ons Defini5ons Literature Review Methodology Discussion Google, 2014
Personal Background Family Camping Trips YMCA Camp Widjiwagan & Camp Manito-‐wish YMCA • Camper • Wilderness Trip Leader • Instructor-‐Naturalist • Assistant Director Carleton College • BA in Biology UMD MEEd!
Floberg, 1994
Black, 2014
Purpose The purpose of this study is to describe: ◦ The prepara5on and follow-‐up MN teachers conduct before and a[er an extended field trip to a residen5al environmental learning center (RELC) ◦ How such trips are connected to formal curriculum ◦ What kind of support and/or resources RELCs provide teachers to help facilitate field trip curricular integra5on, prepara5on, and follow-‐up
Significance Research on this topic has been more focused on single-‐day field trips to museums, zoos, aquarium, nature centers, etc., with few addressing extended field trips to RELCs Research shows that more comprehensive prepara5on and follow-‐up leads to a becer learning experience.
Research Questions ◦ How do teachers connect outdoor learning experiences at RELC’s with the formal classroom curriculum through prepara5on and follow-‐up ac5vi5es? ◦ How do RELC’s support the integra5on of the field trip into formal educa5on? ◦ What do teachers perceive as being needed to becer support curricular integra5on and their prepara5on and follow-‐up efforts for an extended field trip to an environmental learning center?
Definitions FORMAL EDUCATION Educa5on that takes place in a planned way at a recognized ins5tu5on. The learning environment is pre-‐arranged, acendance is compulsory, and assessment is included and/or expected.
NON-‐FORMAL EDUCATION Educa5on that takes place in a planned but highly adaptable way at a non-‐ school ins5tu5on. The learning environment is pre-‐arranged, acendance is voluntary, and assessment is not expected. Tamir, 1991
Definitions FIELD TRIP A type of experien5al learning undertaken for educa5onal purposes where a group of students leave the tradi5onal formal classroom sehng and go somewhere where the materials for instruc5on may be observed and studied directly in an authen5c sehng (Krepel & Duvall, 1981).
RESIDENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL LEARNING CENTER A residen5al environmental learning center has been defined as being a professionally staffed, full-‐5me, year-‐round facility which offers hands-‐ on, outdoor-‐based environmental educa5on (EE) over an extended visit (SEEK, 2014).
Literature Review Go my children, burn your books. Buy yourself stout shoes; get away to the mountains, the deserts, and the deepest recesses of the earth. Mark well the dis5nc5on between animals, the differences among plants, the various kinds of mineral. In this way, and no other, will one gain knowledge of things, and of their proper5es (Severinus, 1571).
Benefits of field trips ◦ Experien5al learning and authen5c experiences ◦ Hands-‐on, ac5on-‐based ac5vi5es have posi5ve effects on memory of an experience ◦ Increase students’ environmental literacy, ecological knowledge, and posi5vely affects their ahtudes towards the environment
(Decmann-‐Easler & Pease, 1999; Dillon et al., 2006 ; Farmer, Knapp, & Benton, 2007; Gilbertson, 1990; Knapp & Poff, 2001; Nadelson & Jordan, 2012 Rickinson et al., 2004)
Brain Based Learning People are holis5c learners ◦ Cogni've, affec've, and kinesthe'c domains ◦ A5en'on, emo'on, and movement enhance memory and learning
12 Principles of BBL (Caine & Caine, 1990) ◦ Principle Three: The Search for Meaning is Innate ◦ Principle Five: Emo'ons Are Cri'cal to Pa5erning ◦ Principle Ten: The Brain Understands and Remembers Best When Facts and Skills Are Embedded in Natural Spa'al Memory (Caine & Caine, 1990; Davidson & Carber, 2009; Duman, 2010; Glisczinski, 2011)
Learning Theories CONSTRUCTIVISM
Jean Piaget, 1896-‐1980
◦ Knowledge is constructed through experience ◦ Prior knowledge and preconcep5ons influence future learning ◦ Experiences must have personal meaning to be educa5ve
Google, 2014
(Bodner, 1986; Dewey, 1938; Lisowski & Disinger, 1991)
Learning Theories SUBSUMPTION THEORY David Ausubel’s equa5on for meaningful learning
A + a = A’a’
“If I had to reduce all of educa'onal psychology to just one principle I would say this: The most important single factor influencing learning is what the learner already knows. Ascertain this and teach him accordingly” (Ausubel, 1968, p. vi)
Novelty The presence of new, unfamiliar, or rela5vely rare s5muli against a background of familiar events in the child’s perceptual history (Alber5 & Witryol, 1994, p. 130)
Berlyne (1960)
◦ Novelty is one of the main s5muli that will elicit curiosity ◦ Novelty enhances mo5va5on to learn
“In a novel or curious situa'on, a learner is desirous to minimize or reduce the amount of uncertainty thereby increasing mo'va'on to learn” (Hurd, 1997, p. 30)
Novel Field Trip Phenomenon “Most educators who work in outdoor educa'on seZngs are familiar with the disoriented, uneasy feelings displayed by some children visi'ng the site for the first 'me; feelings that even a]er a reasonable lapse of 'me persist and are expressed by uncharacteris'cally ac've, excited, and explora've behaviors.” (Falk et. at., 1978)
(Falk & Balling, 1982, p. 27) Model depicting learning and off-task behavior as a function of setting novelty
A= 5th grade at school B= 3rd grade at school C= 5th grade at nature center D= 3rd grade at nature center
Model for the Development and Implementation of Field Trips as an Integral Part of the Science Curriculum (Orion, 1993)
THREE PHASES OF A FIELD TRIP
Preparatory Unit ◦ Decrease novelty
Field Trip ◦ Process-‐oriented learning ◦ Direct experience
Summary Unit ◦ Abstract concepts (Orion, 1993, p. 329)
Model for the Development and Implementation of Field Trips as an Integral Part of the Science Curriculum (Orion, 1993) DECREASE NOVELTY SPACE
Cogni5ve
◦ Ac5vi5es and simula5ons
Psychological ◦ Outline the experience
Geographical
◦ Maps and pictures (Orion, 1993, p. 326)
Integrated Experience Model Storksdieck (2006)
FiNE Framework (Morag & Tal, 2012)
Morag & Tal, 2012, p. 753
FiNE Framework: Preparation Phase (Morag & Tal, 2012)
Morag & Tal, 2012, p. 753
FiNE Framework: Pedagogy Phase (Morag & Tal, 2012)
Morag & Tal, 2012, p. 754
FiNE Framework: Activity Phase (Morag & Tal, 2012)
Morag & Tal, 2012, p. 754
FiNE Framework: Outcomes Phase (Morag & Tal, 2012)
Morag & Tal, 2012, p. 755
Morag & Tal, 2012, p. 758
Empirical Evidence for the Benefits of Preparation and Follow-up ◦ Learning performance affected by the degree to which the novelty space had been reduced ◦ Follow-‐up ac5vi5es reinforced concepts presented during a field trip ◦ Influence of post-‐visit ac5vi5es on subsequent learning and knowledge construc5on
(Anderson et al., 2000; Farmer & Woc, 1995; Orion & Hofstein, 1994)
Disparities Between Pedagogical Beliefs and Field Trip Practice ◦ Primary factor teachers considered when planning and implemen5ng a field trip: how the experience relates to the formal curriculum ◦ 90% of responding teachers considered connectedness to classroom curriculum as the primary mo5va5on for conducing field trips, but only 23% of respondents from the same study iden5fied connec5ons to classroom curriculum as an indicator of a successful field trip
(Anderson & Zang, 2003; Anderson et al., 2006; Kisiel, 2005; DeWic & Osborne, 2007; DeWic & Storksdieck, 2008))
Barriers to Field Trip Curricular Integration, Preparation, and Follow-up ◦ Time ◦ Inherent disconnect exists between formal and non-‐ formal learning environments ◦ Lack of formal training in field trip pedagogy ◦ Many interpreta5ons and degrees of curricular connec5on ◦ Universal (Anderson et al., 2006; Carrier, 2009; DeWic & Storksfieck, 2008; Eshach, 2007; Griffin, 2004; Kisiel, 2005; Leatherbury, 2011; Rebar, 2012; Rickinson et al., 2004; Tal et al., 2014)
Research Questions ◦ How do teachers connect outdoor learning experiences at RELC’s with the formal classroom curriculum through prepara5on and follow-‐up ac5vi5es? ◦ How do RELC’s support the integra5on of the field trip into formal educa5on? ◦ What do teachers perceive as being needed to becer support curricular integra5on and their prepara5on and follow-‐up efforts for an extended field trip to an environmental learning center?
Methodology Research Design
◦ Survey research – Quan5ta5ve data collected electronically
Popula5on and sample ◦ MN teachers who bring students to RELCs ◦ RELC program/educa5on directors
Instrument ◦ Electronic survey
Data Analysis ◦ Frequencies & descrip5ve sta5s5cs ◦ Compara5ve? (private v. public; grade levels; subjects)
Thank you!
My advisor: Ken Gilbertson My commi5ee: Kevin Zak and Bruce Munson My colleagues
Discussion Please share your thoughts and thank you for listening!