Poster Session 3: Undergraduate Students Education

Presenters: Sandra Lookabaugh, Alexis Askew

Summary
Experiential Learning Theory (ELT) (Kolb, 1984) is based on the belief that learning combines experience, perception, cognition, and behavior. The purpose of this on-going research study is to explore the use of immersion classroom activities and field trips as powerful experiential learning opportunities for undergraduate and graduate human development and family science students. Data from 56 students, both undergraduate and graduate students, enrolled in two courses (play and death & dying) were collected following three field trips and two immersion classroom experiences. Preliminary qualitative results indicate that these novel and unpredictable experiences resulted in new cognitive and social knowledge for the students. Opportunities for experiential learning via field trips and immersion classroom activities offer a new lens for HDFS students and faculty.

Objectives
-- To identify examples of field trips and immersion classroom experiences that can be used in HDFS undergraduate and graduate courses.
-- To demonstrate changes in social, emotional, an cognitive knowledge as a result of experiential learning.
-- To explore future directions / options for experiential learning within HDFS.

Subject Codes: education
Population Codes: undergraduate students, graduate students, educators
Method and Approach Codes: Family Science, educational, qualitative methodology