Critical Thinking Assessment Across Four Sustainability-Related Experiential Learning Settings

Abstract

Today’s complex societal problems require both critical thinking and an engaged citizenry. Current practices in higher education, such as service learning, suggest that experiential learning can serve as a vehicle to encourage students to become engaged citizens. However, critical thinking is not necessarily a part of every experiential learning process. This project explored several learning experiences that used mindful instructional design of experiential learning to promote critical thinking outcomes. This project looked at four different learning settings that varied in sustainability topics and extent of experiential learning that suggests applicability to a wide educational audience. Our work identified four effective features of instructional design that supported critical thinking: planning, instruction method, content, and explicit critical thinking outcomes. We found that strong critical thinking outcomes result from experiential learning with appropriately scaffolded critical thinking exercises and processes.

Experiential Learning: Botanical Garden as a Place for Learning Plant Science

“…This theory also found to be related to Theory of Flow by Csikszentmihalyi in 1990 where Flow can be experienced in any field of activity, for instance in sports, playing music, painting and leisure activities. Both theories have been used by many researcher and practitioners to value the quality of existing landscape in related with learning environment Hensen 2012;Peterson, 2015 andHeinrich, 2015). Their research approved that coherent landscape visuals, experiential education and effective instructional design could positively encourage experiential learning among users.…”

“…According to Packer (2004), this study is important to emphasize the central role of individual and society in many ways such as through play, leisure activities and visitation to museums, natural parks and gardens. Experts in attitude and behavior change advocate experiential learning as the most durable and effective strategy for producing citizens dedicated to environmental protection (Calkins, 2012), expend visitors understanding about nature (Hensen, 2012), learning flexibilities and problem-solving skills (Peterson, 2015), promotes critical thinking (Heinrich, 2015) and enhance self-esteem and boost motivations (Packer, 2004).…”

Students’ Experiential Learning in Botanic Garden Leisure Setting

“…In addition, landscape that included site elements that support range of activities are able to facilitate human personal skill to learn (Clement and Dorminey, 2011). Both theories have been used by many researcher and practitioners to value the quality of existing landscape in related with learning environment Hensen 2012;Peterson, 2015 andHeinrich, 2015). Their research approved that coherent landscape visuals, experiential education and effective instructional design could positively encourage experiential learning among users.…”

“…According to Packer (2004), this study is important to emphasize the central role of individual and society in many ways such as through play, leisure activities and visitation to museums, natural parks and gardens. Experts in attitude and behavior change advocate experiential learning as the most durable and effective strategy for producing citizens dedicated to environmental protection (Calkins, 2012), expend visitors understanding about nature (Hensen, 2012), learning flexibilities and problem-solving skills (Peterson, 2015), promotes critical thinking (Heinrich, 2015) and enhance self-esteem and boost motivations (Packer, 2004). Ballantyne et al, (2008), Chavez and Sharrock (2013) and addressed the opportunity for people to learn and gain benefits from the sense of well-being that botanical gardens provide.…”

Collaborative Structures in a Graduate Program

“…Service learning is widely documented in the literature as an accepted pedagogy in higher education, due to the fulfillment of civic engagement requirements and the limitless learning that encourages a student's ability to think critically (Heinrich et al. ), while engaging in real‐world issues (Sabo et al. ).…”