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February 2007
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The Development and Evaluation of Experiential Learning Workshops for 4-H Volunteers
Richard P. Enfield
Lynn Schmitt-McQuitty
Martin H. Smith Abstract: A series of three Experiential Learning (EL) workshops was designed by county- and campus-based researchers with the goal of improving the understanding and application of EL among volunteers in the University of California's 4-H Youth Development Program. The workshop series was implemented and evaluated using surveys and focus group interviews. Outcome data showed improved participant understanding of EL, the learning cycle, inquiry-based methods, and curriculum development. Additionally, volunteers' competence and confidence in delivering and developing experiential learning opportunities increased. IntroductionA subcommittee of the Science, Technology, and Environmental Literacy (STEL) Workgroup of the University of California (UC) developed, tested, evaluated, and published a series of three Experiential Learning (EL) workshops that can be used to train volunteers in 4-H Youth Development Programs (UC-STEL, 2005). These workshops scaffold upon one another and provide volunteers with essential information and experiences necessary to enhance their knowledge and abilities to more effectively integrate EL opportunities in the projects and programs they lead. Experiential LearningThe basis of all experiential learning (EL) is that experience matters. Many educators believe that without an experience, there can be no true learning or real understanding of a concept or situation (Andresen, Boud, & Cohen, 2000; Kolb, 1984; Dewey, 1938). However, not all experiences are equally educative (Dewey, 1938), and experience alone does not necessarily lead to learning or mean that learning will take place. Without the opportunity to reflect upon an experience and apply new knowledge, experiences may be miseducative (Dewey, 1938). The educator must create an atmosphere in which experiences are reflected upon by the learner so they become meaningful and positive (Dewey, 1938; Enfield, 2001). To accomplish true learning and real understanding, a sequence of three discrete components is needed: 1) A "concrete experience" (Enfield, 2001; Kolb, 1984) where the learner is involved in an exploration, actually doing or performing an activity of some kind; 2) a reflection stage (Enfield; Kolb; Pfeiffer & Jones, 1981) whereby the learner shares reactions and observations publicly and processes the experience through discussion and analysis; and 3) an "application" or "conceptualization" phase that helps the learner deepen and broaden their understanding of a concept or situation by cementing their experience through generalizations and applications (Carlson & Maxa, 1998). Another key point of the EL process is that it is a "recurring cycle" (Kolb, 1984). As a result of the reflection and application phases from one experience, new concepts, hypotheses, and/or impressions arise that lead the learner to further explorations, thus restarting the EL cycle. As John Dewey discussed so cogently in Experience and Education (1938), previous experiences affect current experiences, which naturally influence future experiences. The learning that takes place on one day will evolve into additional learning as time progresses. It is also important to note that different EL cycles with varying numbers of stages or quadrants (three, four, or five) are described in the literature (Kolb, 1984; Pfeiffer & Jones, 1985; Marek & Cavallo, 1997; Usher, Bryant, & Johnston, 2000). However, all EL cycles share common features, and the number of stages is not critical. What is significant is that there is an opportunity for interplay between previous, current, and future experiences and between the learner and the environment (Dewey, 1938). Furthermore, it is essential to understand that active reflection and the application of knowledge are what make experiential learning different and more powerful than the models commonly referred to as "learn-by-doing" or "hands-on-learning" (Proudman, 1995). Experiential Learning in 4-HCooperative Extension/4 H faculty and county-based academic staff have been developing and promoting EL for use in 4 H for several decades (McCarther, Shields, & Zurcher, 1987; Horton & Hutchison, 1997; Horton, Hutchinson, Barkman, Machtmes, & Myers, 1999). Although a variety of models have been utilized in designing curricula and in developing training for 4-H volunteers and staff (Enfield, 2001), an EL model using a five-step learning cycle (Figure 1) based on the work of Kolb (1984) and Pfeiffer and Jones (1985) is the most common one currently used in the 4 H Youth Development Program as evidenced by the National 4-H Cooperative Curriculum System's materials. Figure 1.
STEL EL WorkshopsTraining volunteers is essential to 4-H Youth Development Programs (Snider, 1985; Hoover & Connor, 2001; Van Winkle, Busler, Bowman, & Manoogian, 2002; Smith, Meehan, Enfield, George, & Young, 2004). According to Diem (2001), 4-H volunteers need to understand the EL process in order to use it effectively. Additionally, 4-H volunteers who lead projects need to provide youth with time and opportunities for EL to occur (Ponzio & Stanley, 1997; Seibold, 2005). To meet the essential need of training volunteers, the STEL team developed three content area independent EL workshops that can be downloaded at http://www.experientiallearning.ucdavis.edu/default.shtml. The workshops use the five-step learning cycle and follow an incremental design that targets the scaffolding of participants' confidence and competence (Smith & Enfield, 2002). Each workshop ranges in length from 2 to 3 hours and provides participants with relevant experiences to hone their understanding and application of EL. STEL EL Workshop I: Understanding Experiential LearningWorkshop I targets participants' understanding of EL and the five-step learning cycle by using hands-on activities, structured reflection, and modeling through practice. The workshop's content and organization, adapted from McArthur, Shields, & Zurcher, (n.d.), also provide opportunities for participants to relate EL and the learning cycle to the delivery of youth development projects and programs. STEL EL Workshop II: Inquiry-Based Learning and the Experiential Learning CycleWorkshop II is designed for individuals who have attended Workshop I. Specifically, Workshop II reinforces the concepts of EL and the Learning Cycle while targeting participants' understanding of inquiry-based methods of instruction and distinguishes between hands-on learning and hands-on learning using inquiry. STEL EL Workshop III: Developing and Adapting Curricula to Integrate Experiential LearningIn Workshop III, participants build upon their understanding of concepts put forth during Workshops I and II. They review existing curricula for elements essential to EL and inquiry (e.g., open-ended questions, opportunities for reflection, authentic applications) and are taught how to modify curriculum materials to be more inclusive of these requisite components using the "Backward Design" approach (Wiggins & McTighe, 1998). Workshop III uses an interactive format that provides opportunities for peer-group reflection, modeling through practice, and coaching from facilitators. Evaluation of STEL EL Workshop SeriesData CollectionIn order to determine the effects of the STEL EL Workshops on participants, outcome data specific to the goals of each workshop were collected using multiple sources for the purpose of triangulating results. Data were collected from 4-H adult volunteers and teens who participated in STEL EL Workshops held at a variety of sites across California. Participants were from urban, rural, and suburban regions of the state and represented club-based and after school enrichment programs. STEL EL Workshop I: Understanding Experiential LearningWorkshop Goal: To improve participants' understanding of EL and the five-step learning cycle. Data Sources:
STEL EL Workshop II: Inquiry-Based Learning and the Experiential Learning CycleWorkshop Goal: To improve participants' understanding of the differences between hands-on learning and hands-on learning using inquiry. Data Sources:
STEL EL Workshop III: Developing and Adapting Curricula to Integrate Experiential LearningWorkshop Goal: To improve participants' understanding of how to evaluate and modify curriculum materials relative to EL, the learning cycle, and inquiry methods. Data Sources:
ResultsSTEL EL Workshop IOutcome data from post-surveys and follow-up surveys indicated a strong gain in participants' knowledge and understanding of EL and the learning cycle and the application of EL concepts to their programs. Specific results from post-workshop Likert-type Scale and free-response survey questions included:
The follow-up survey was sent to all 120 Workshop I participants within approximately 5 months. The survey focused on whether or not participants had applied the concepts of Workshop I to their education programs. Of those who replied (N=68), 57% indicated that they had changed their practices when working with youth by using skills and knowledge learned in Workshop I. STEL EL Workshop IIOutcome data from post-survey and post-workshop focus group interviews indicated a strong gain in participants' understanding of inquiry-based learning. Specific results from the survey included:
Survey data were supported by responses to post-workshop focus group interview questions. To assess their understanding of inquiry-based learning, participants were asked how they might recognize if an activity uses inquiry, or not. Characteristic responses included:
In addition, participants were asked how their participation in the workshop influenced their confidence to teach using inquiry methods. Representative responses included:
STEL EL Workshop IIIOutcome data from post-survey and post-workshop focus group interview questions indicated a strong gain in their understanding of curriculum design, as well as their confidence to apply the Backward Design approach to their own programs. Specific results from the survey included:
Survey data were supported by responses to post-workshop focus group interview questions. To further assess participants' understanding of curriculum development using the Backward Design method, they were asked how, if at all, their understanding of curriculum development had changed since their participation in the STEL EL III workshop. Typical responses questions included:
Participants were also asked how they might apply what they learned in the STEL EL Workshop III to their own education programs. Representative responses included:
DiscussionThe STEL EL Workshop series is an effective method of training 4-H volunteers. Participants in this study gained new knowledge and skills that, in turn, had applications directly related to Extension programs or projects that they lead in their counties. The content and methods put forth in the STEL EL trainings served to support Kolb's (1984) statement that the EL process follows a "recurring cycle." As a result of their participation in one or more STEL EL trainings, novel experiences arose that provided volunteers opportunities to apply their newly acquired knowledge and skills to their own youth programs. As mentioned previously, learning that takes place on one day will evolve into additional learning over time. Through their experiences in the STEL EL workshops, volunteer leaders' future experiences were affected, which is an illustration of Dewey's principles of interaction and continuity (1938). Dewey held that experience results from the interaction between the learner and the environment, and that "every experience both takes up something from those which have gone before and modifies in some way the quality of those which come after (p. 27)." The structure of the STEL EL Workshop series provides opportunities for participants to explore, question, share, and reflect, processes that foster Dewey's principles of interaction and continuity. The volunteers then apply their newly acquired competencies in authentic contexts with 4-H members. Through their participation in the STEL EL workshops, 4-H volunteers increased their capacity to work with their target audiences by enhancing their competence and confidence as educators. This is an example of Vygotsky's (1978) "zone of proximal development," in which learners advance beyond their current levels of ability by working with more competent peers or instructors. Through formal workshop activities facilitated by STEL members, as well as informal discussions and reflections with each other during workshops, the participants were able to scaffold upon their prior knowledge and experiences and assimilate new information and ideas that they then put into practice in their own programs. ConclusionVolunteers are essential to the success of Cooperative Extension 4-H Youth Development Programs, and it is important to train them in effective methodology. By providing training that helps volunteers implement programs and projects using the EL sequence of experience, reflection, and application, we can better create environments where true learning and real understanding among 4-H youth can occur. The research on the STEL EL Workshop series showed it to be effective in developing skills and enhancing the competency and confidence of 4-H volunteers relative to EL. Furthermore, because its design focuses on methods and not a specific content area, the STEL Workgroup members believe the EL Workshop series is applicable across all 4-H program areas. AcknowledgementsThis research was supported through a grant from the Division of Agricultural and Natural Resources, University of California. The authors would like to recognize and thank the other members of the STEL Workgroup research team for their contributions to the project's design and data collection. Other STEL EL team members include: Rebecca L. Carver, H. Steve Dasher, A. Michael Marzolla, and Richard C. Ponzio. ReferencesAndresen, L., Boud, D., & Cohen, R. (2000). Experience-based learning. In G. Foley (Ed.) Understanding adult education and training. Allen Unwin: Sydney. Carlson, S., & Maxa, S. (1998). Pedagogy applied to nonformal education. The Center. St. Paul: Center for Youth Development, University of Minnesota Extension Service. Dewey, J. (1938). Experience and education. 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