Experiential Teaching in an Adult Development Course: Promoting an Understanding of Intergenerational Interactions

Abstract

Twelve students in a developmental psychology service-learning course engaged in a service-learning project with two groups of elders in an urban setting. Nine members of the class provided quantitative and qualitative feedback on this experiential learning experience. Survey results indicated that students believed the project increased their interest in the content area and that the project was a valuable aspect of the course. Based on student reflection papers in the course, students could identify specific ways the project helped them to learn course content. Finally, two interviewed students commented on how the project helped dismantle ageist preconceptions they held prior to completing the course. The project illustrates the advantages of experiential teaching in promoting interactions and understanding between diverse age groups. Three recommendations for implementing experiential teaching in community psychology and service-learning courses are presented.

The Importance of Course Design on Classroom Performance of Marketing Students

“…Research in various disciplines suggests that utilizing experiential learning fosters learning transfer through increased depth of learning and improved cognitive recall (Furman and Sibthorp 2013), builds metacognitive skills (Baker, Robinson, and Kolb 2012), increases student engagement, promotes deeper learning (Beckem and Watkins 2012), enhances self-efficacy (MacNab and Worthley 2013), reinforces career interests (Parks, Rich, and Getch 2012), increases student interest in the content area (Wilsey et al 2013), helps students internalize their learning (Chan 2012), produces more reflective and self-directed learners, increases metacognitive skills (Green andBallard 2010-2011), decreases stereotypes (MacNab and Worthley 2013; Wilsey et al 2013), and can even enhance empathy for racial minorities (Suthakaran, Filsinger, and White 2013). Indeed, experiential education has even been said to be able to be transforming and life altering (Green andBallard 2010-2011;Gugliucci and Weiner 2013;Intolubbe-Chmil, Spreen, and Swap 2012).…”

Application of Experiential Education Based on Modern Teaching Concept in College Management

“…In terms of form, it is open. Wilsey et al [27] believe that experience brings learners intuitive perception, and individuals have differences in the same experience activities, and there are corresponding emotional expressions. Dailey et al [28] believe that this teaching form reflects the subject's own personal experience and a new interaction process.…”