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Experiential learning connected to a community provides teachers with an opportunity to “partner with their students in deep learning tasks characterised by exploration, connectedness and broader, real-world purposes” (Fullan & Langworthy, 2014, p. 7), thereby enabling students to deepen their understanding of classroom learning (knowledge and skills), apply that learning in various settings, and explore education and career/life options. All students should have access to experiential learning opportunities. For some students, additional planning will be necessary in order to address special circumstances or safety needs.
In both elementary and secondary schools, community-connected experiential learning opportunities of short or medium duration may include activities and experiences such as: field studies; field trips; project-based, inquiry-based, or problem-based learning; service learning; learning in the out of doors; job shadowing or job twinning; and work experience. These activities and experiences are described in the following paragraphs. It is essential that each experiential learning opportunity enables the student to engage fully in the experiential learning cycle – participate, reflect, and apply
PROJECT-BASED LEARNINGA promising model of learning identified in Achieving Excellence is project-based learning. According to Dr. David Hutchison, although “there is no one agreed-upon definition of [project-based learning], the following definition incorporates several of the key principles that define [it] in the literature: Project-based learning empowers learners to collaborate in teams, mentored by their teachers, as they research real-world questions, pose solutions to real-world problems, and design real-world products in a rigorous way” (Hutchison, 2015, p. 2). Community-connected project-based learning gives students the opportunity to engage actively with local, national, or international community partners, who act as mentors and share their expertise in response to students’ questions and proposed solutions.
PROBLEM-BASED LEARNINGSimilar to project-based learning is problem-based learning, which focuses learners on solving problems in a real-life context, encouraging them to consider the context and/or the situation in which the problem exists. Key features of problem-based learning include the use of the following: a real-life problem as the organizing focus, a student-centred approach, and collaborative small-group work, with the teacher acting as a facilitator (Nasir, Hand, & Taylor, 2008; Barrows, 1996).
INQUIRY-BASED LEARNINGAn inquiry-based approach “places students’ questions, ideas, and observations at the centre of the learning experience . . . For students, the process often involves open-ended investigations into a question or a problem, requiring them to engage in evidence-based reasoning andcreative problem solving” (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2013b, p. 2).
OUTDOOR EDUCATIONOutdoor education provides a rich opportunity for community-connected experiential learning and contributes to the ministry’s goal of reaching every student by providing a range of options tailored to students’ individual strengths, goals, and interests. Each year, funding is provided to school boards to provide learning activities with community partners to support outdoor education.
SERVICE LEARNINGService learning provides the opportunity for students to participate in experiential learning with a focus on service in the community. In this approach, students focus on an authentic need within a community, which may be local, national, or global in scope, and seek to provide a service, such as researching, developing, and/or implementing solutions to address that need. Service-learning experiences, developed in partnership with a community, are intended to benefit both the provider and the recipient of the service (Furco, 2010, p. 229). “The research on service learning suggests that it can enhance students’ academic, civic, personal, social, ethical, and career development” (p. 235).
FIELD STUDYField study is an experiential learning opportunity involving exploration of the outdoors or other environments or organizations. The experience can be open-ended − students might investigate similarities and differences between local environments – or it can be organized for a specific purpose − for instance, to investigate garbage build-up with the intention of developing an action plan to address the problem. Field study is described in the elementary social studies, history, and geography curriculum as an opportunity for hands-on learning in the out of doors, which “provides an abundance of resources and materials that can support learning” (The Ontario Curriculum: Social Studies, Grades 1 to 6; history and Geography, Grades 7 and 8, 2013, p. 36).Field studies may be tied to various curricula at both the elementary and secondary level. Connections to support learning through field study can be made with various community partners, including but not limited to city or town councils, economic development planners, national parks, hospitals, environmental partners, and non-profit community agencies.
WORK EXPERIENCE OR VIRTUAL WORK EXPERIENCEWork experience or virtual work experience is a planned learning opportunity within any course that provides students with a short- to medium-term experience at a work placement, either on site or through an electronic or web-based connection.
JOB SHADOWING AND JOB TWINNINGJob shadowing and job twinning provide short-term opportunities for students to observe a worker at a place of employment, or a cooperative education student at a placement, respectively. An annual example of job shadowing is Take Our Kids to WorkTM, when Grade 9 students are able to accompany parents, friends, relatives, or volunteers to their workplace.
CO-OPERATIVE EDUCATIONCo-operative education, the most immersive form of experiential learning in K-12, is a gateway for SHSM, OYAP, and dual credits. Offered in grade 11 or 12, students develop competencies for the future in an authentic work environment related to their career interests. Students test-drive a career, hone vital skills, and boost confidence to make decisions in an ever-changing workforce. They also gain vital resume/portfolio-building experience which can be used for future job applications.
Information about School-Work Opportunities.pdfPage updated
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