scholarly journals Biotechnology labs reinvented through experiential learning: Enhancing student outcomes through the “flipped lab”

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fei Geng ◽  
Faiez Alani
Keyword(s):  
Experiential Learning ◽  
Teaching Method ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Active Role ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Student Centered ◽  
Problem Solving Skills ◽  
Conventional Teaching ◽  
Experimental Implementation ◽  
One Year

This research study involves the use of experiential learning in biotechnology labs to increase student initiative, creativity and problem-solving skills through a “flipped lab” design. A key element for success in undergraduate biotechnology courses is the integration of theory and practice. Biotechnology labs thus require a new synergy of knowledge and experimental implementation. The conventional lab teaching is solely guided by the cookbook–lab manual. Although it is important in science for students to learn how to follow directions, offering only cookbook labs limits students' access to exploration. Since the ultimate goal is to allow students to think and behave like engineers, rather than to solely learn or replicate what other engineers have already done, the apparent disadvantage of this conventional teaching method is that it leaves little room for student initiative, creativity and critical problem solving.Biotechnology lab teaching can therefore be greatly enhanced by the application of experiential learning activities. Since experiential learning adapts a student-centered model of education and integrates themes with real-life applicability, biotechnology lab teaching will be more effective if students can play a more active role in lab design and procedures. This paper describes the design of a novel biotechnology lab teaching method: the “flipped lab”. A one-year assessment study has been conducted to analyze the effects of the “flipped lab” teaching method on learning outcomes as compared to the conventional model. It quantitatively examines whether the new lab design, with its emphasis on biotechnology-specific technical experience, enhanced students’ design lab activities and students’ achievement of skills. The results show moderate to significant improvement in all but one of the assessed skills, indicating that the new “flipped lab” design has been largely successful in achieving its goals.

Learning about events through involvement and participation

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-91 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Lamb
Keyword(s):  
Experiential Learning ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Learning Model ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Learning Approaches ◽  
Event Management ◽  
Problem Solving Skills ◽  
Life Event ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Unit Module

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to use an experiential learning model in an introduction to events unit/module in partnership with Sport Canterbury (one of 17 regional Sports Trusts, throughout New Zealand). During this unit/module students explored the creation and manipulation of an event experience and gained real-life hands on experience. Through their engagement in this process, students were able to acquire skills and knowledge that helped them experience the whole event planning cycle in planning, implement and evaluating an event. Experiential learning approaches are a valuable tool to overcome the knowledge-practice gap recognised in many vocationally orientated disciplines, including event management. Design/methodology/approach – This paper uses a mixed methods approach including an on-line questionnaire, a number of interviews with students enrolled in the unit/module a survey involving the evaluation of those involved in the events organised by the students and a review of critical reflection diaries, written by students. Findings – This paper highlights that an extensive range of event skills both personal and team based were acquired, developed and practised during the unit/module and students were able to relate the theory of event studies to the practice of managing an event. In particular students reported that they were able to utilise, record and reflect on their experience and adapt their learning to organising a real-life event. The experiential learning model used in this study resulted in students being actively engaged in their learning through involvement and active participation in an actual event, where they were able to apply what they had learnt in the classroom to the real world. The connection between theory and practice is therefore, pivotal and is a prevailing theme of this paper. Originality/value – This paper demonstrates how students of event management were provided with the skills and knowledge to run events, by personal involvement in a real-life event in a student centred learning environment. Students enrolled on this unit/module were made responsible for every aspect of managing the annual Rebel Kiwisport Challenge (a series of recreation-based events held over a half day period for primary schoolchildren based in the Canterbury region). Balancing the theoretical input with the practical aspects of events in the introduction to events module/unit enabled students to become multitasking and as a result gain highly portable skills that will help them succeed in their future careers in events. Indeed, in a survey involving 1,100 employers in Australia Neilsen (2000) reported that the five most important skills needed for graduate employment were oral business communication skills, creativity, problem-solving skills, independent and critical thinking skills and flexibility. Similar research undertaken by Greenan et al. (1997) in the UK and Braxton et al. (1996) in the USA, report the same findings. Although, there is a dearth of literature in the social sciences on experiential learning, the same debate within event management education is sadly lacking and it is hoped that this study will help fill a gap in the literature.

Experiential Learning in Graduate Archival Education at the University of Botswana

Mousaion ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Olefhile Mosweu
Keyword(s):  
Experiential Learning ◽  
Work Experience ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Opportunity To Learn ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Records Management ◽  
Archival Theory ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
The Real ◽  
The University

Most curriculum components of archival graduate programmes consist of contextual knowledge, archival knowledge, complementary knowledge, practicum, and scholarly research. The practicum, now commonly known as experiential learning in the global hub, is now widely accepted in library and information studies (LIS) education as necessary and important. It is through experiential learning that, over and above the theoretical aspects of a profession, students are provided with the opportunity to learn by doing in a workplace environment. The University of Botswana’s Master’s in Archives and Records Management (MARM) programme has a six weeks experiential learning programme whose purpose is to expose prospective archivists and/or records managers to the real archival world in terms of practice as informed by archival theory. The main objective of the study was to determine the extent to which the University of Botswana’s experiential learning component exposes students to real-life archival work to put into practice theoretical aspects learnt in the classroom as intended by the university guidelines. This study adopted a qualitative research design and collected data through interviews from participants selected through purposive and snowball sampling strategies. Documentary review supplemented the interviews. The data collected were analysed thematically in line with research objectives. The study determined that experiential learning does indeed expose students to the real world of work. It thus helps to bridge the gap between archival theory and practice for students without archives and records management work experience. For those with prior archival experience, experiential learning does not add value. This study recommends that students with prior archives and records management experience should rather, as an alternative to experiential learning, undertake supervised research, and write a research essay in a chosen thematic area in archives and records management.

scholarly journals Experiential learning in higher education. A student-centered teaching method that improves perceived learning.

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (5) ◽  
pp. 121-135
Author(s):  
Verónica Villarroel ◽  
◽  
Mariavictoria Benavente ◽  
María Josefina Chuecas ◽  
Daniela Bruna ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Experiential Learning ◽  
Developmental Psychology ◽  
Teaching Method ◽  
Psychology Students ◽  
Student Centered ◽  
Pedagogical Tool ◽  
Healthy Development ◽  
Second Year ◽  
Psychology Course ◽  
Do So

There is an interest in involving psychology students in early practical activities, which allow them to learn in a more meaningful and authentic way. In these instances, they must apply knowledge, solve problems and demonstrate professional skills associated with the graduate competencies that they are expected to achieve. The present work seeks to position experiential learning as a means to reach these goals. With this aim, an intervention on experiential learning with second year students from a developmental psychology course is presented, describing its design, implementation and assessment. The students observed and interviewed schoolchildren to determine an area of development in which they needed stimulation and enrichment for a healthy development. Then, they created a pedagogical tool to do so, testing its application on the same children sample. The results showed a positive perception from the students, teachers and beneficiaries of the proposal. Likewise, the students reported the perception of having learned more than in a subject in which this methodology is not used; this difference was statistically significant.

scholarly journals Vocational Student's Attitude and Response Towards Experiential Learning in Mechanical Engineering

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 254-268
Author(s):  
Stephanus Fajar Pamungkas ◽  
Indah Widiastuti ◽  
Suharno
Keyword(s):  
Experiential Learning ◽  
Learning Styles ◽  
Mechanical Engineering ◽  
Case Study Research ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Learning Activities ◽  
Concrete Experience ◽  
Students Attitudes

Abstract This study evaluated the use of an experiential learning design for vocational education in mechanical engineering. The research objective is to analyze students’ attitudes and responses after participating in learning activities using a worksheet designed according to Kolb's stages by considering Felder-Silverman's student learning styles. This research was conducted using a case study research employing qualitative data analysis. The data were collected using a purposive random sampling technique with 28 respondents in a 10th grade. The datawere analyzed using descriptive qualitative analysis. The experiential learning activities were carried out concrete experience, reflective observations, abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation. It is shown that students have a positive attitude and response. Experiential activities help students in learning Basic of Mechanical Engineering and they enjoy participating in the learning activities. Experiential learning activities are considered to be fun, interesting, and easy to be understood. The students could relate the course material to real-life situations, which may benefit the students to enhance learning and connect the knowledge they learned to their own experiences. It is suggested that the experiential design is effectively used and could explore the relationship between learning theory and practice in Vocational High School.

Google’s Applications for Undergraduate University Courses

2013 ◽  
pp. 632-645 ◽  
Author(s):  
Despo Ktoridou ◽  
Nikleia Eteokleous ◽  
Ioanna Dionysiou
Keyword(s):  
Cloud Computing ◽  
Active Role ◽  
Online Activity ◽  
Student Centered ◽  
Student Centered Learning ◽  
Problem Solving Skills ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Teacher Relationships ◽  
Student Teacher Relationships

Following technology’s evolution and society’s needs and demands, the current study examines the integration of cloud computing with higher education. The study uses cloud computing, and specifically Google applications, to enable students and faculty to communicate and collaborate, aiming at the same time to develop a student-centered learning (SCL) environment, where students have an active role and take responsibility of their own learning. A case study approach was employed in three undergraduate courses using qualitative data through online activity observations as well as focus groups with the students and lecturer. To achieve the above, outcome and process evaluation were conducted. The primary conclusion is that Google applications facilitated the development of a SCL environment. Specifically, the SCL cloud environment enhanced students’ motivation and responsibility towards learning, built student-teacher relationships, promoted active learning, and finally, achieved the development of critical thinking and problem solving skills.

scholarly journals Teaching with Case Study Method in Tertiary Education: A Solution for Addressing the Theory - Practice Gap

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nguyen Thi Huong
Keyword(s):  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Teaching Method ◽  
Tertiary Education ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Viable Solution ◽  
Practice Gap ◽  
Theory Practice Gap ◽  
Case Study Teaching

Vietnamese higher education has been so far complained as  being theory – oriented and there still exists a large gap between training and employment. Adopting experiential teaching and learning methods, including case study, should be a solution. The paper reviews the concept of case study teaching method, its purposes, techniques and procedures. The paper also presents a real-life example of case study teaching method that has been applied in tertiary education overseas. The appropriate application of case study teaching method as well as developing database of case studies in Vietnamese universities will be arguably a viable solution to improve education quality and to bridge the gap between theory and practice

Impact of Active Learning on Mathematical Achievement: an Empirical Study in Saudi Arabia Primary Schools

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 43-51
Author(s):  
Alharbi Awatif Abdullah ◽  
Cuihong Yang
Keyword(s):  
Active Learning ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Teaching Method ◽  
Order Problem ◽  
Student Centered ◽  
Problem Solving Skills ◽  
Classroom Techniques ◽  
Higher Order Problem ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Students Success

The research focuses on scientific instructional approaches which take into consideration the impact of such factors as influence and motivation and thus can help provide guidance on practical classroom techniques that can help in fortifying the students’ success in mathematics. The paper investigates ways to achieve better math results among students by stimulating their motivation using active learning paradigm. The study aims to explore the methods of active learning applied in primary school math classes. Our results appear to add to the literature supporting the supposition that active learning has a direct effect on the students’ success and consequently, their achievement. We provide empirical evidence for factors predicting higher math learning achievement, and accordingly, propose an improved student-centered active learning teaching method to help students develop higher-order problem-solving skills, comprising of a combination of previously verified strategies which help to foster a positive attitude towards mathematics.

Making the Connection: A Case Study on Bridging Classroom and Experiential Learning

2009 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Drummond
Keyword(s):  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Experiential Learning ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Field Education ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Classroom Learning ◽  
Seminary Students ◽  
Over Time

This article describes a 9-month longitudinal study, which in part examined how seminary students (N=60) connect classroom learning with field education experiences. Findings indicate that many students began field education either underestimating the connections between their courses and ministry in the field or overestimating their ability to move between theory and practice. Over time, students gained a deeper appreciation of the nuanced connections between classroom and experiential learning. Some students emerged from this deeper sense of connection disillusioned by disconnects between real-life ministry and their classroom learning. This disillusionment is important for educators to expect, understand, and address.

Problem based learning (PBL) in Organic Chemistry

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 64-69
Author(s):  
Amina Alobaidi
Keyword(s):  
Organic Chemistry ◽  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
Concept Mapping ◽  
Problem Based Learning ◽  
Student Centered ◽  
Student Centered Learning ◽  
Problem Solving Skills ◽  
Educational Methods ◽  
Online Communications

Background: PBL appears to answer many concerns regarding educational methods, encourages students to look for new solutions to relevant problems using available knowledge and resources. The process expands students' critical thinking and problem solving skills while enhancing their creative capabilities Objective: To develop a PBL modules for teaching of organic chemistry. Methods: This module was developed for implementation in the curriculum of Chemistry Departments in Colleges of Sciences and Education. This is an innovations to be developed for increasing the wide-ranging abilities of students. A series of strategies which are involved in PBL, concept mapping and online communications, are suggested and discussed in terms of encouraging student-centered learning.  

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION IN EDUCATION: ACTIVE LEARNERS

2019 ◽  
pp. 14-21
Author(s):  
Sevinç GÜLSEÇEN
Keyword(s):  
Computer Games ◽  
Digital Technology ◽  
Electronic Music ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Active Role ◽  
Digital Transformation ◽  
Technology Literacy ◽  
Digital Television ◽  
Student Centered ◽  
Student Centered Learning

It is argued that the digital technology has made possible the vast range of applications and media forms including virtual reality, digital special effects, digital film, digital television, electronic music, computer games, multimedia, the Internet, the World Wide Web, digital telephony and so on [8]. Digital transformation has been particularly influential in new directions of society.Providing schools with digital technology promises a high return on investment. The presence of computers and Internet access raises technology literacy and skills, better preparing the future generations to participate in the information society [12]. To this end, schools represent ideal access points because they cover a large part of the population, especially in developing countries. Starting from 1990s, many educators have been realised the potential of Internet for educational purposes and began to introduce it into classrooms. According to [10] the popularity of web-based teaching and learning lies in the strengths of its distributed nature and the case of its browsing facility. Both the use of digital technology and increased interest in student-centered learning may lead to a significant change of the teacher’s role, as well as the recognition of the active role of the learner in the learning process.

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