Gaining Valuable Field Experience Through the Use of Informal Learning Environments

2018 ◽  
pp. 63-82
Author(s):  
Margaret J. Mohr-Schroeder ◽  
Christa D. Jackson ◽  
Maureen Cavalcanti ◽  
Ashley Delaney
Keyword(s):  
Informal Learning ◽  
Learning Environments ◽  
Field Experience ◽  
Informal Learning Environments

How to become a beekeeper: learning and skill in managing honeybees

2016 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily Caroline Adams
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Informal Learning ◽  
Learning Environments ◽  
Formal Education ◽  
Animal Husbandry ◽  
Ethnographic Research ◽  
Informal Learning Environments ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Formal And Informal Learning

Beekeeping is a highly skilled form of animal husbandry that dates back to centuries. It has become a popular hobby in the United Kingdom, but as an activity has rarely featured in geographical research. In this article, I present beekeeping as an interesting site of study for cultural geographers interested in enskilment processes, education and expertise. This article draws on in-depth ethnographic research with a community of hobby beekeepers in Lancashire, United Kingdom, to give a detailed analysis of the enskilment process of novice beekeepers, how this process is being shaped and influenced by a trend towards increasingly formal education tools within the community, and what this means for those interested in the power of skilled practice and expertise. In doing so, it explores issues around formal and informal learning environments, the role of social context in shaping learning, the power of government advice, and it illustrates the complexity introduced by close engagement with an insect.

The effect of informal learning environment upon students’ understanding of science-technology-society-environment

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (9) ◽  
pp. 22-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Merve Cansu Ince ◽  
Bayram Costu
Keyword(s):  
Learning Environment ◽  
Informal Learning ◽  
Learning Environments ◽  
Informal Education ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Informal Learning Environments ◽  
Science Technology Society ◽  
Science Technology ◽  
Informal Learning Environment ◽  
Out Of School

It is known that an informal learning environment (i.e., out-of-school) increases the quality of teaching and learning activities. Informal environments also provide many advantages such as enriching the content of learning. Moreover, it is emphasised that the science-technology-society-environment (STSE) learning does not effectively involve in the Turkish education system. From this point of view, informal learning environments should be considered in order to enable students’ understanding of the STSE relation. Within the scope of this study, it was aimed to determine the effectiveness of study visit on students’ understanding of STSE. The research was conducted with 14 male students in the 5th-grade level in the 2016– 2017 academic year. This research, which used a recycling-solid waste collection centre, a botanic garden, a planetarium, a science centre and a zoo, a few informal learning environments, was conducted according to the case study design method. In the study, views on science-technology-society questionnaire, semi-structured interviews, observation forms and diaries were used as data collection tools. The data indicated that the informal learning environments were inadequate to promote conceptual change; however, it was effective to comprehend newly learnt concepts. In addition, it was also concluded that informal learning environment provided students to capture the understanding of STSE relations. Keywords: Science-technology-society-environment (STSE), informal education, out-of-school environment.

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