Reposted from STLHE-L
From: Geraldine Van Gyn
gvangyn@uvic.ca
hello:
I replied to Susan directly but though others might be interested in the
research by Arthur Astin at UCLA on service learning. His research
indicates that it is a very powerful learning variable. You can
download
an executive summary of his research at
http://www.gseis.ucla.edu/slc/rhowas.html
cheers
Geri
Geraldine Van Gyn, Ph.D
Professor and Director
Learning and Teaching Centre
University of Victoria
Fax: 250 7216494
tel: 250 7218572
email:
gvangyn@uvic.ca Learning and Teaching Centre website
HTTP://web.uvic.ca/terc
-----------------------
At 11:43 PM 6/3/02 +0800, you wrote:
>Susan,
>
>You pose a powerful topic as I perceive it to be
>the relationship between the pulls of school
>based learning (formal learning) and experiential
>learning (informal learning).
>
>I cannot answer your question directly as I have
>little to no experience in social work programs.
>But what I can say is that I strongly believe
>that we do injustice when we separate experience
>from theory (formal from informal).
>
>John Dewey had some great things to say about
>experiential learning, as did many other great
>educators: Maria Montessori, Waldorf and more.
>
>I would thus suggest that your claim is firmly
>backed up; therefore you need not look any
>further than a variety of works already done that
>prove the relationship infallibly.
>
>But what bothers me slightly is the "catch-22"
>portion of your requirement. Why not allow
>students to enter the program and simultaneously
>receive experiential training so that they may
>incorporate what they experience with what is
>being studied in class?
>
>In this way you not only give those that have had
>experience a chance to excel in your program but
>you also open the doors to the curious and
>likewise motivate them to greater extents.
>
>Cheers
>Tim
>
>
>
>=====
>John T. Denny, M.S.Ed., Ph.D.
> International Cultural Studies Dept.
> American Studies Section
> Kyoto University, Japan
>http://www.geocities.com/timdenny66/index.html
>"No society can possibly be built on a denial of individual freedom."
--
Mahatma Ghandi
>