Abstract:

Crow Canyon Archaeological Center (CCAC) has a strong and enduring tradition of enjoining participants in the study of cultures and environmental adaptation in the desert southwest region of the United States, and serves as an innovative model for experiential learning through public archaeology. This research centers on educational programming at CCAC and the perceived benefits of participation. It provides background, context, and examples of curricular activities and reports findings from an empirical study of students’ lived experiences and meaning-making processes as they engage in the College Field School program.

Experiential education (EE) has a long tradition, and there are diverse approaches to experiential learning that include problem-based, project-based, place-based, and service- learning activities. EE is central to the philosophy and pedagogy of quality school and out-of-school time programs. This approach has further demonstrated efficacy in public archaeology and heritage education. Programs in community engagement that utilize EE, such as public archaeology, may be well-positioned to promote higher levels of cultural literacy, but also the development of critical consciousness for participants.

This research employs an interpretive ethnographic approach to access participants’ learning processes and perceived outcomes. Data sources include field notes, semi-structured interviews, and post-program surveys, with a sample of university students from across the USA over two field seasons. The college field school at CCAC provides a leading program of professional development in southwestern archaeology with a curriculum of ethics, survey and mapping, field excavation and research, laboratory analysis, and preservation (crowcanyon.org). It is a seven-week immersive experience as students live together on campus, and engage in cultural and environmental enrichment activities over the course of the program.

Students reported high levels of emotional, cognitive, and behavioral engagement in the College Field School. They learned about past and present cultures, as well as cultural adaptation and human-environmental interaction over time. Participants learned about changes in the archaeological process through new technologies, non-invasive methods, and through working with descendent communities. They further talked about how new understandings contributed to prior knowledge, cultural literacies, and sense of self.

This exploration of how participants experience transformational learning in context of curriculum and programs, strategic mission, and sense of place will focus on lessons learned and implications for the field. It may interest diverse scholars and practitioners working to promote positive outcomes in out-of-school programs, and cultural literacy through public archaeology and heritage education.

Keywords:

Experiential Learning, Public Archaeology, Post-Graduate Education.