Abstract:

This paper presents an exploratory study of how school-age children and university students experience learning in context of curriculum and programs, strategic mission, and sense of place at Crow Canyon Archaeological Center (CCAC). It reports psychosocial perceptions of the learning environment as well as outcomes that result from program engagement. Additionally, it examines these findings in context of socio-ecological influences and considers the potential for applying perspectives, constructs, and methods from developmental psychology to the study of experiential learning through public archaeology.

Many look to Dewey’s view of experience as the basis of education, and the role of continuity and interaction in learning. The experiential learning theory describes the process whereby concrete experiences together with opportunities for reflective observation, can lead to abstract conceptualization and active experimentation for individuals engaged in these learning activities. Through a constructivist lens, children co-construct knowledge in proximal learning environments as external stimuli and concepts are integrated into previous understandings. Effective educators can connect with youth and transfer that relational bond to engagement in curricula and programs to promote positive learning experiences and outcomes.

Moreover, there may be promise and potential in the study of experiential learning as a developmental construct—one that is nested within multiple ecological systems, contextually influenced, and prone to change over time. Developmental contextualism draws attention to the interaction of person and context. To forward theory and practice in experiential and place-based education, we need to unpack context, look beyond traditional views of person x program environment, and examine learning experiences as situated within multiple salient influences on learning and development.

This research is guided by the principles of naturalistic inquiry and the interpretive paradigm in the social and behavioral sciences. It is informed by symbolic and interpretive interactionism, that view human behavior as resulting from meaning-making processes involved in everyday relations and associations. Further, I took an ethnographic approach, embedding myself in curricular and programmatic structures and enjoining participants to access situated perceptions and experiences. The stated mission of Crow Canyon is “to empower present and future generations by making the human past accessible and relevant through archaeological research, experiential education, and American Indian knowledge” (crowcanyon.org), and this research is informed by observations, surveys, and interviews with secondary school groups and the college field school.

There are multiple implications and benefits of this research for the field of experiential education. It provides an empirical account of experiences and perceived outcomes in context of Crow Canyon programming. This work identified instrumental practices and salient influences on participants’ learning and development, and may aid in the advancement of theory in experiential education and public archaeology. A deeper understanding of the nature and context of experiential and place-based learning is needed to inform policy and practice for teachers and youth development professionals.

Keywords:

Experiential Learning, Public Archaeology, Applied Developmental Psychology.